It looks like I may have to drive from Portland, OR, down to Bend, OR, and back for work. I would be leaving PDX around 5:30AM, and presumably leaving from Bend on the return trip at 3:30PM that same day. This is going to be in late January/early February. What’s the best (i.e, least hazardous) route?
I’ve been to Bend once before, in good (though cold) weather-- drove down via I-5/Lebanon/US Route 20 (OK, though a bit on the twisty side through the mtns.), and back via US Route 97/197/The Dalles/I-84 (good roads, but SO desolate…). It looks like Google wants to route me via US Route 26… I gotta say, I’m not thrilled at the prospect of driving over Mt. Hood. I’ve been up to Govt. Camp a bunch of times, but only in dry weather. I don’t REALLY want to have to stop and chain up if I can avoid it.
Advice?
I’ve driven all the ways, and I think taking 26 past Mt Hood is pretty comparable to the Santiam Pass on 20 in terms of bad road conditions and time (Google maps shows a 1 minute difference). You can be forced to chain up either way. I usually check road conditions on both and decide the day I’m driving. All things being equal, I take 26 on the way there and 20 on the way back, so I get over the high parts at the beginning of my drive.
If you take 20, it’s quicker to get off I-5 at Salem and take 22 to 20 instead of going down 5 all the way to 20.
Going all the way up 97 to The Dalles is quite a bit longer, and I wouldn’t do that unless roads are impassable the other ways.
From what I can find, I think the Santiam Pass on 20 is actually higher than what you’ll encounter along 26. Santiam Pass is 4817’, and the highest pass I can find on 26 is Blue Box Summit at 4025’. Here are some cameras for a real-time look at conditions.
Santiam Pass
Blue Box Summit
Government Camp
I’m up here in Washington but my bro lives in Portland and he has inlaws in Bend. It depends on the weather but they keep US-26 in pretty good shape. Unless the weather is really bad, I would take US-26 because obviously, it’s much shorter than any other route.
I used to live in Bend, and I had to make that trip a lot… even in the middle of winter. Definitely go past Mt. Hood- it’s shorter, and is kept in good shape unless there’s a storm currently hitting the area. I’ve never had much trouble getting through there.
The Dalles tends to get more ice, in my experience. Snow is easier to drive in than ice. Just make sure you’ve got chains- although I never had to use 'em.
Man, I miss living there.
Thanks, all! Looks like 26 is the way.