Behold the return of the riders

Steve Folkestad expects “pretty much a repeat of last year” for the 12th annual Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally.

Translation: a lot of motorcycles will be roaring into town.

“If the weather’s bad we’ll have 5,000. If the weather’s good we’ll have 10,000,” he said.

The forecast is partly sunny, with temperatures around 70, for all three days.

“I think there’ll be bikers coming out of the woodwork,” he said. “We’re really, really amped."

He and his brother, Eric, organize the rally. They live in the Portland area, and have been coming to Baker City to ride every year for the last 12.

Six years ago is when everyone else — 4,500 people — started coming too.

“We just got lucky,” Folkestad said. “You have all these great motorcycle roads that intersect. It’s perfect motorcycle country.”

The Rally, says the website, will be “the 2nd Friday in June — FOREVER.”

He said this year they did more promoting in Washington and Idaho.

“They’ll return and bring their friends,” he said.

Bikers will start arriving Thursday, and the Rally officially begins Friday morning.

This year, like last, Rally activities will be divided between two locations, Main Street and the Sunridge Inn.

The Sunridge is Ride Center, and will feature the HCMR booth and many motorcycle vendors, including services (tire rotation, oil changes, brake pads, etc.), bike rentals and clothing. The LifeFlight Network will also be on hand, and anyone (Baker City residents included) who signs up for a membership during the Rally will pay just $45 for a year.

“That’s a great deal,” Folkestad said.

The side streets off Main Street will feature more vendors. Washington, Court and Valley on the west side of Main Street will be closed from 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Folkestad said High Desert Harley from Meridian will again set up at Main and Washington.

“They like it downtown. They’ll have basically a mini dealership,” Folkestad said.

Baker City Cafe will again offer live music and an outdoor barbecue on Court Street between Main and Resort.

Friday’s music features Yarrow at 5 p.m. (Americana, country folk, rock, blues and jazz)  and Inside Out at 6:30 p.m. (classic rock). Saturday’s entertainment is the Ben Rice Band at 6 p.m. (blues).

“Lots to do and see,” Folkestad said.

Events are spread about town because they anticipate the Rally to grow even more.

“We love Main Street, but as (the Rally) grows, Main Street wasn’t a long-term solution,” he said. “It’s the biggest rally in the Northwest, and it’ll just get bigger. We owe that to the friendly people of Baker.”

Lodging has become a challenge — he said most motel rooms are reserved far in advance. Another option is camping at Baker High School.

“That’s a fallback — there’s always a place to stay,” he said.

Some members of the community have even offered their houses to the visitors.

“Some charge and some don’t,” Folkestad said.

In appreciation of the space at BHS, Folkestad said the Rally donates about $5,000 each year to the high school.

Saturday and Sunday are when the bikers head out to take in the local scenery.

The sights are, after all, what drew the Folkestads to Eastern Oregon.

“You have this fantastic geography right here,” he said. “And most of these people don’t know it exists.”

This year’s theme is “You’ll Never Ride Alone.”

“I always felt the presence of something,” he said of his rides into the Hells Canyon area. “The real stewards of that land are the spirits of the Nez Perce. We try to honor the Native American past.”

He’s encouraging everyone to “ride into the canyon with an open heart and imaginative mind.”

Back in Baker, riders can catch the shuttle to go between Ride Center and downtown. Registered participants with a wristband ride for free.

Registration is $40 at the Rally booth at Ride Center. Entry includes a wristband, an official t-shirt, a 16-page tour book, posters, a chrome ride pin, die-cast dog tags and discount offers from local businesses.

Those offers have been advertised on the Rally’s website and Facebook page.

“When the merchants get behind it, we promote them,” Folkestad said.

He said the rally brings a lot of money into Baker.

“The average biker shows up with $500 in their pocket, and they’ll leave with nothing,” he said. “And it’s all new money, money that would never come to Baker otherwise.”

And he hopes the Rally experience entices the riders to return on another day.

“It’s a three-day event and they can’t do it all, so they have to come back.”

Most head home Monday.

“They get up Monday morning after spending three days in paradise and return to the daily bonds of life. This is an escape,” he said.

And some come back to stay.

“We’ve had riders who fell in love with Baker and actually moved here,” he said.

Although online registration is closed, information is still available on the website, www.hellscanyonrally.com. Updates are also posted on the Rally’s Facebook page.