Zukiworld Fall Classic 2023 - Bend, OR
November 17th – 19th   

UPDATED 11/16/2023

Hello Adventure Enthusiasts!

Here's a rough itinerary, a couple of requests, and instructions for those that are planning on coming on this year's ZUKIWORLD FALL CLASSIC! The first thing to do would be to read over the previous adventures and see if you're up to being cold and dirty for three days and to see if this trip would be something that would interest you. Ok - Here's the roughed in schedule! Please note that depending on weather and other conditions, we may not do all of the items listed below. If I have you on 'the list' you'll receive an email with specific coordinates to base camp and other information. If you haven't received an email and are planning on attending, please send me an email at ebewley[at]zukiworld.com

2023 Itinerary

Friday:

-- Meet at Gordy's Truck Stop  12PM (Gas & last minute Grocery) Leave 12:30PM
-- Drive around Paulina Peak (potential snow run) towards camp.
-- Get to Camp in Afternoon
-- Camp and Have a Chili Potluck  & Social around 6PM
-- Optional Night ride

Saturday:

-- Wake up! - ZW Geo Cache
-- Christmas Valley Dunes (bring your orange flag & OHV permit) then moving on to the airplane wreck site
-- Dinner at Ft. Rock Café (new owners)  OPTIONAL
-- Campground shenanigans

Sunday:

-- Wake up (again) & break camp - Go to Pine Mountain Radio Towers & other Points of interest on the way out.
-- Get to Bend and Disperse/Disband 5PM


Requests / Instructions:

1 - Send and email to me ebewley[at]zukiworld.com letting me you're attending (please include a cell number type of vehicle, where you are coming from and how many will be in your group)
2 - Watch this thread for more information. (A list of attendees will be generated in this thread as verification that we know you're going)
3 - An email will be sent to those that are attending with finalized details including specific meeting locations, times, maps, etc...
4 - It most likely will be very cold. (bring what you need to survive AND enjoy yourself)
5 - Have a 200 mile range with your vehicle.
6 - Bring an arm load of fire wood to help out or means to gather some firewood on our way to camp.
7 - Suzuki mfg vehicle or special guest.
8 - Trailers, motor-homes, & campers are a NO-NO, this event is about the elements and simple camping, If you need to haul, consider dropping off in LaPine and driving your adventure rig from there.
9 - If you bring a dog, make sure it is well behaved or you may be asked to camp far, far away from the group.
10 - We'll be using FM radios and the MURS channels. We may switch to FRS channels to accommodate but no one will have a CB.
11 - Chili Potluck is where each person brings a can of chili to throw into a big pot. AND A SIDE ITEM THAT YOU'LL SHARE

 We'll provide the cooking you bring the chili.

Thanks, Eric .

STARTING THE LIST!

Eric B. | Bend, OR | Sidekick
Matt V. | Hamlet, OR | Samurai
Jason C. | Portland, OR | Sidekick
Dana P. | Roseburg, OR | Vitara
Doug H. | St. Helens, OR | X90
David C. | Newberg, OR | XL7
Greg F. | Troutdale, OR | Samurai
Paul L. | Bend, OR | Samurai
Davey A. | Salem, OR | GX470
Andy L. |Portland, OR \ Mitsubishi Delica
Paul H. | Portland, OR \ Sidekick
Eric | Portland, OR | Samurai
Tyler P. | Bend, OR | SJ410
Tyler S. Dad | Bend, OR | Van
Ron E. | Corvallis, OR | GV
Stasi V. | Albany, OR | Samurai



Are you in?  Send and email to me ebewley[at]zukiworld.com letting me you're attending (please include a cell number type of vehicle, where you are coming from and how many will be in your group)

2017 – BEND, OR – It’s been 15 years now that we’ve been trekking to the central Oregon desert in mid-November to adventure, explore, and hang-out. Every year gives us a new opportunity to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company as we find new and exciting or fun to revisit points of interest in central Oregon and this year was no exception. From the magnificent Christmas Valley dunes, to the ancient rocks and caves near Cougar mountain, to over exuberant locals at the Waterin’ Hole Tavern in Ft. Rock, there was something for everyone this year.

https://www2.zukiworld.com/central-oregon-adventure-the-fall-classic-2017/

2015 – Bend, OR – We’ve been putting on this event since the early 2000’s and even though it’s held in the same general area, as a group we always seem to find and do new and interesting things each year. Weather is always a driving factor this time of year in the high-desert and we were lucky enough to have clear and beautiful skies for the whole weekend. This made the camping, adventure, and shenanigan all that much better.

http://www2.zukiworld.com/the-fall-classic-2015-this-time-with-extra-murica/

2011 – CENTRAL OREGON – Bigger and better than ever best describes this year’s Fall Classic. A bigger crowd combined with more snow and lower than usual temperatures created a memorable and we think “better” experience for all Fall Classic participants. Excitement ensued even before we started as extremely treacherous road conditions forced a couple of participants into the ditch before the rendezvous point in LaPine. Dennie and Carolyn received the worst of it as their two door hard top Sidekick ran afoul of the icy roads and ended up on it’s side. Not to have their spirits dampened by the crash, they flipped their rig back over on the wheels and continued on and were not even late to the meeting spot.

http://www2.zukiworld.com/feature_the-fall-classic-suzuki-4×4-adventure/

2009 – Christmas Valley, OR – As long as can be remembered, we have never been more blessed with the most mild and gentle weather than that which we had for this adventure. This year brought a lot of familiar faces and some new adventurers too that decided to join us for fun. They certainly weren’t disappointed as this weekend could not have been more perfect for adventure.

http://www2.zukiworld.com/feature_fall-classic-suzuki-event-2008/

2004 – CHRISTMAS VALLEY, OR –  Last fall Eric invited me out to Oregon to ride in the season finale Adventure Series ride of 2004. He was planning a trip from LaPine to Christmas Valley in mid-November. I had read the Zukiworld article on a previous trip to the same area and definitely wanted to go along on this adventure.

http://www2.zukiworld.com/feature_adventureseries_lapinetochristmasvalley_04/

2002 – LAPINE, OR -Our concluding adventure for the 2002 Adventure Series was an exciting event with several new faces signed up to brave the cold weather in hopes of seeing something new and interesting. We had a total of 11 vehicles for this ‘wagon train of discovery.’ Our plan was to visit South Ice Cave, Cabin Lake, Ft. Rock, Derreck Cave, Hole in the ground, Christmas Valley Dunes, The Lost Forrest, and Crack in the Ground. This was a pretty ambitious schedule considering we only had 2 1/2 days which were shortened by the winter season to about 8 hours of daylight.

http://www2.zukiworld.com/feature_adventure_christmasvalley02/

Adding participants daily... Are you in?



-Eric

I'm in!
In an attempt to maximize the daily suffering, I'm planning on driving the diesel Samurai this year.  I'm sure that will yield all sorts of problems.  It will be awesome. 

I thought I'd share my youtube videos from past events:
https://youtu.be/JSR0ZwtwYzk?si=GeoynUUutbPXENDs
https://youtu.be/NQV_OgstH-w?si=9y0PHlefbiCxEaiV
https://youtu.be/mMGswB8U9FU?si=SnoRmqDwMdq4ADSC
https://youtu.be/i6zUfgY39Ho?si=PN74KF-QXxr4xrDZ

thanks for the share Matt... your vids do a great job of showing what the weekend can be like.

-Eric

Less than a month to go! New additions to the first post... Don't forget you'll need a Flag and OHV sticker for the sand dunes...

-Eric

Going to try to make it.  GX470

I'm not going to make it this year. I drew an elk tag and the trip is right in the middle of the season. Maybe next year.

I just drilled a hole in my HVAC box and vacuumed out about 5 lbs of leaves and mouse turds.  Now my heater works.  Yay!  Only 11,376 things left to do to get the Teal Turd ready for the trip to Fort Rock.  Or, I could just do nothing.  That's OK too, and will probably lead to more adventure.