Rally 2025 Day 5 / Diamond Lake to Prospect
Geology Rocks! by Ian Madin
Ian Madin worked as a geologist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries for 32 years and has ridden with Cycle Oregon for over a decade now. Here, he gives us a look at the cool and sometimes hidden geology of the regions through which we ride. Look for him out on the route and back in camp at Rally ’25.
Layers Worth Digging Into
After a week of riding past lava flows, towering cliffs, and landscapes shaped by fire and water, Day 5 serves up a different kind of Oregon classic- pie. Specifically, Beckie’s Café on the roll back to Prospect. The final rest stop for Rally 2025 will be here in Union Creek (Mile 26.6 of the Main Route & Mile 43.6 of the Long Option).
Since 1926, this Union Creek institution has been baking daily and earning legendary status. Beckie’s Café, along with Union Creek Resort, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in supporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Tree Army,” the Civilian Conservation Corps, between 1934 and 1941. It’s also just a short walk to the Rogue River Gorge Viewpoint and Rogue River Falls. And yes, there are pies. Lots of them.
Like the layers of volcanic rock we’ve admired all week, each pie is a study in strata with crust, filling and toppings shaped by motion, heat and a little Oregon magic. And while the geologic wonders may be millions of years in the making, Beckie’s pies remind us that some of the best Oregon layers can be enjoyed right now, one slice at a time.
Or maybe two, you’ve earned it this week.
