Geoff Gulevich and the ‘Call of the Cascades’

How hard would you work to do the race of your dreams? When we think about the work required leading into a race, most of us think about hours training, back at home. TransCascadia had something else in mind.

When the race started venturing deep into the Oregon and Washington back country, the best trails were often connected by trails seeing little to no maintenance. The group dug in, making its back-country multi-day enduro work. Along the way, it discovered many of those half-forgotten trails were, themselves, actually the best trails. Not just connectors. That meant more work. So the group innovated. Riders interested in the race could join work parties.

Nick Gibson leads Geoff Gulevich though a dusty sub-alpine shred.

Work to ride. Ride the work. Gulevich in the green zone.

Nick Gibson shares his TransCascadia vision

Those work parties continued when, for a few years, the race went on hiatus. What started as an effort focused on making the race better, ended up something more. That’s the story in Call to the Cascades, about how TransCascadia transcended its origins.

As Orbea puts it in its latest Trail Tales feature, “Trans Cascadia is more than a mountain bike race. It is a movement built on community, trail stewardship, and sustainable trail building.”

Canadian freeride icon Geoff Gulevich headed down south of the border to join a TransCascadia work party, with his Orbea Rise LT and a shovel, to see what the group is all about.

Trail Tales: Call of the Cascades

Here’s what Orbea’s saying about Geoff Gulevich and TransCascadia:

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, where fog winds between ancient trees and nature sets its own rules, lies a story that goes far beyond mountain biking. In its latest episode, Trail Tales travels to Oregon to discover Trans Cascadia: a unique adventure where racing is only part of the journey. What truly matters is what happens before, after, and in between each pedal stroke.

Geoff Gulevich

Orbea Rise LT

Founded by Nick Gibson and a small group of riders, Trans Cascadia began as an epic adventure on Oregon’s wild trails. Today, it’s much more: a movement rebuilding forgotten paths, fostering collaboration, and promoting a sustainable model for mountain biking. Because here, caring and riding go hand in hand.

“The real story isn’t in the race, it’s in the digging, the meetings, and the sweat,” says Gibson. And…