The Clear Creek Trail above Halfway takes you by three lakes in a genuine high country MTB experience in the Wallowa Mountains. Then, you cascade down the mountain along the creek for a gnar-gnar finish. The trail has sweet natural technical features for a challenging ride that keeps you dialed with excitement throughout. There are several rock whales trail-side that could be incorporated for memorable side obstacles. Plus, you can shuttle from Fish Lake for a tailor made MTB elevation profile, or even go at it potentially from the Schneider Meadow area. What more could you want in a mountain bike trail except for someone to maintain it. That is the problem currently, as the trail is under trees and water some drainage issues.
Until the poor maintenance problem gets fixed, I don't recommend riding it. The trail shows signs of ATV doubletrack out to Clear Creek Reservoir. At one point it had been given some provisional permit for ATV use to stock the Clear Creek Cabin which is mainly used as a safety shelter and party house for slednecks.
Even though it has some doubletrack, the ride out to Clear Creek Reservoir is a fun challenge that undulates across the watershed. You first go by Mud Lake which is a tiny pond at an intersection with an ATV trail that goes up to Sugarloaf. Later you arrive at the pristine looking Mehlhorn Reservoir where the trail stays along the lake shore for a short distance. After some sidehill and a few steep ups and downs you experience the crown jewel of the ride as Clear Creek Reservoir pops into view. You actually ride the singletrack across the dam and have to ford the spillway. Then, there is an intersection with the Trail Creek Trail and you stay left and start your big descent down.
The descent along the creek is an epic of rock and dirt with uncharacteristically few switchbacks that are so ubiquitous on much of the trails in the Wallowas. This sets it up for a great mountain bike descent and the trail flows really well through the bottom run-out. There is a footbridge your cross for the only crossing of clear creek and then there is fast trail to the trailhead. The trailhead is somewhat worthless for bikes users since it is a rough, high clearance road to get to it. You might as well bomb down to the Schneider Meadow road which is a much better maintained road. If you're getting picked up or leaving a car at the bottom, I recommend continuing down the road all the way to Clear Creek Snopark. This doesn't get much summer use and is very spacious and includes facilities and a picnic area.
