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Brice Shirbach

Underexposed

Klamath Falls, OR

The state of Oregon lies in the Pacific Northwest, bound to the south by California and Nevada, to the east by Idaho, the north by Washington, and the west by the Pacific Ocean. It is a land of contrasts and presents an extremely diverse arrangement of landscapes, from the rugged and wet coastal rainforests, to colorful deserts, pristine volcanic lakes, alpine wilderness, deep snow in the winters, and hot and sunny summer days, it represents—for many—peak PNW adventure.

Klamath Falls is the county seat of Klamath County, a county that is actually larger than 3 US states. It boasts over 300 days of sunshine yearly, and because it sits in the rain shadow of the Cascades, is quite a bit drier than many other communities found throughout the cascades. The Klamath Trails Alliance is the local trail organization, and they have been working their tails off since 2011 to care for over 140 miles of multiuse trails, and are the primary reason behind the city being awarded the IMBA Trail Town designation earlier this year. There are three networks that KTA oversees: Moore Mountain in downtown, Brown Mountain near Lake of the Woods, and what is widely considered to be the crown jewel of the area, Spence Mountain just north of town.

Spence Mountain is truly a success story for Klamath Falls and the rest of Klamath County. It took years of hard work, but the eventual involvement of the Trust for Public Land led to the acquisition of the 7500 acre tract that sits a mile above sea level with 47+ miles of trails. While it’s still a working forest, the reality here is that Klamath County will own this piece of land in perpetuity, and the Klamath Trails Alliance will be responsible for building and maintaining the trails on the mountain. It’s not only the pinnacle of riding for the region, it’s something of a northstar for a community looking to transition from an extraction based economy to one rooted in outdoor recreation.