Odyssey of the VOG (2021)

The Odyssey of the VOG (Valley of the Giants) gets its name from the 51 acres of massive old growth forest found on the North Fork Siletz River at the western edge of Polk County, Oregon. Most of these huge trees are Douglas-firs, with a few large western hemlocks as well, many of which are close to 500 years in age.

This epic old growth is a sight to behold, and while most racers will not veer off course at mile 68 of the ride to do the hike itself, the Valley of the Giants is a must-visit destination for anyone touring this route. For the racers, you may not see it, but you’re on the doorstep of a massive – some might even say notorious – old growth forest.

Many may expect the Odyssey of the VOG to be easy riding since it is west of Oregon’s infamous Cascade Range. Don’t be fooled. What the coast range lacks in altitude it more than makes up for in elevation grades. On route, expect monster climbs, white-knuckled descents, breathtaking ridgeline views, oceanfront roads, and a start and finish that rolls through quiet farmland. the Odyssey of the VOG is a diverse riding opportunity that showcases the rural Willamette Valley, the rugged coast range, and the expansive Oregon Coast.

While we eventually will encourage riders to ITT the route whenever they want, for our first year, we won’t be giving riders the official route until early May (sorry VOG’ers), However, we will send out two weekender VOG routes that will 1) be great conditioning, and 2) Route you on much of the official ‘Odyssey of the VOG’ route. One of the routes features the northern portion of the course and will be a good way to dust off those wintry legs, and the other features the southern portion of the route and will provide a taste of the Coast Range grind that permeates much of the route.

Follow Odyssey of the VOG on Instagram @odysseyvog for news and updates!

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