Enjoy the view and experience.

Byline: THE OUTSIDER By John Rezell The Register-Guard

The view is one thing, the experience quite another.

Standing on a ledge overlooking the snaking Deschutes River and the picturesque gorge it has carved through LaPine State Park, I realized as stunning as photos might be, they just won't do this justice.

Contrasting the deep blue skies that seemingly go on forever, the wide, easy-flowing river appears to pump life into the scene. Then true life pops up.

First a red-tailed hawk, circling high near the mid-morning sun. Then two blue herons, gliding effortlessly through the gorge, sweeping toward the shore, then fluttering to rest high atop the remnants of a burned Ponderosa pine.

The herons took pause, apparently, to enjoy the view of two canoes drifting swiftly down river so quietly I can hear, from nearly 100 yards, their paddles gently splashing into the current.

Yet that's not what has me breathless at this particular moment. It's the twisty, turny, sandy but not treacherous trail that shadows the river's path.

As mountain bike destinations go, I haven't heard anyone proclaim LaPine as must-see territory. Instead, it's one of those rare gems you find every now and then, usually unpretentiously attached to a state park.

I say unpretentiously because it took more than a little effort just to find a handy map of the trails. Once in hand, the highlights of the trails are noted with nothing more than a tiny icon of binoculars - a tantalizing game of hide and seek that plays right to my don't-ruin-the-ending philosophy.

On the surface, it might not even rate a stop for a serious mountain biker. The park has about 10 miles of mostly sandy trails that offer great, easy hiking for families, until you take the high desert heat into account.

Without a lot of shade and blistering big sky sun, the 3.5-mile Deschutes Loop can get the best of you in a hurry. Ditto the 4.75-mile Fall River Loop.

On a mountain bike, however, it's a different story. You're never really that far from the campground or picnic areas or, of course, a cooling dip in the Deschutes.

With no major mountains to climb to get anywhere, the track allows you to clean out the carburetor and just have some sweet fun. It's like an extended BMX track, with amazing pine forest and river views tossed in like an inviting video game.

My pause for the lively view comes at the start of my second lap around the park.

We'll go see the 500-year-old "Big Tree" - Oregon's largest Ponderosa pine - as a family after another afternoon of dipping into the refreshing Deschutes. For now, it feels as though I have all 10 miles of singletrack to myself.

That is, of course, if you don't count the hawks, herons or paddlers.

- John Rezell, aka, Raz, wants to experience the Oregon outdoors with you. Invite him on an adventure at [e-mail]