Again, another nice surprise–the Mt. Emily Recreation Area (MERA) just outside of LaGrange, OR. We spent the night at Hot Lake–yes a hot lake alongside of the actual Oregon Trail. The campground piped hot water from the hot spring to a spa and a pool and we did take advantage of the pools after the ride from Phillips Lake. The following morning found us heading just outside of town to the MERA loop trail. We ran into two locals who gave us some great advice on what to ride and we added Sasquatch and Skills to the MERA loop and had a great ride. Well designed trails made the up as fun as the down. On to Hood River after the ride. The Columbia is such an impressive river and following along it for 100 miles gives you an idea of its size.
