Seventeen miles of monotonous gravel climbing will reward you only at the very end with Mont Ventoux-style massacred landscape with a view complements of recent fires. The road drags on forever up Big Canyon, seemingly not gaining any elevation. After about 11 miles the road splits and some real climbing begins only to level off again for a grind that includes some old Gavia-style road cuts with a steep falloff on the left. Eventually you arrive at the Bearwallow Trailhead, and if you didn't get enough you can ride up the trail for some more climbing.
The gravel and road condition is extremely good, so this makes a nice cyclocross ride. Get to it by looking for Big Canyon Road just east of Minam on Highway 82. It starts "climbing" from the highway right by the fish hatchery. Don't get me wrong, I love this climb.
