A couple of years ago, The Logging Road Cyclist hauled his road bike up north to ride the Timothy Lake Challenge. He enjoyed this, and noting the extensive gravel road network, wild topography and beautiful rivers running even in late summer, vowed to return and ride whatever other circuits he could devise. The Rhododendron Ridge Loop (gpx) is the first.  This ride starts at Humbug Campground on the Breitenbush River and climbs over the divide to the Ridge dividing the Collawash and Clackamas drainages. TLRC chose a route straight down this divide in order to inspect the prominent “Granite Peaks” as it seemed unlikely that they were actually “granite” (they aren’t). This route plunges to the Collowash/Clackamas confluence, where, in spite of there being campgrounds, there is no potable water, so bring a filter. The ride continues on good pavement up the upper part of the Clackamas to its headwaters (providing a final bit of uphill punishment) before zinging down the Breitenbush back to the start.  This is a wonderful and challenging ride with stunning views from the Ridge of Mt. Jefferson (and likely Hood on a non-smoky day) , straight into the Bulll of the Woods wilderness and the various drainages.