A four-day bike trip around Mount Hood is a challenge, no matter how you tackle it. A mix of dirt, paved roads, gravel and single-track trails combined with a 17,400-foot elevation gain mean long, hard days for cyclists. But Oregon’s first hut-to-hut biking route makes things a little easier, providing food and a place to sleep for bikers brave enough to give it a shot.

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But Oregon’s first hut-to-hut biking route makes things a little easier, providing food and a place to sleep for bikers brave enough to give it a shot. [series: oregon-field-guide-summer-series,left,5928a17a83e94d0069d25cb5]

The Cascade Huts are 256-square foot green, metal structures along the Mount Hood bike loop. They sleep up to eight people, and a reservation in the huts includes food and bedding for the night. Like the loop itself, the huts provide great views of the mountain.

What the huts don’t provide, however, is an easy ride, something Richard Bright was ready for when he booked the trip with his three brothers.

“The agony and the sweat that comes along with the ride is a bearable thing we can talk about later,” says Bright.

“It’s about the memories.”

Want to make your own memories on the Mount Hood Loop? Visit the Cascade Huts website.

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