Surveyor’s Ridge Trail Re-Route
The Mt Hood National Forest announced their decision to authorize the re-route of approximately three miles of the Surveyor’s Ridge trail (trail #668) where it parallels the current water pipeline for The Dalles – near the start of Surveyor’s.
The project is necessary because of a comprehensive project to update The Dalles Watershed Pipeline that will interrupt and conflict with the existing Surveyor’s trail infrastructure. In addition, the Barlow District Ranger, Kameron Sam, authorized the adoption of the pipeline project staging area into a new recreational user parking/staging area once the pipeline project is complete. This is all good news for the multi-use trail system accessible from Forest Road 44.
Here’s the quick snip directly from the decision document to support the Surveyor re-route. Read full Surveyor’s decision document here.
DESCRIPTION OF DECISION
“It is my decision to authorize the rerouting of approximately 3 miles of the existing Surveyors Ridge Trail #688 where it follows the Dalles Pipeline. The north end of the reroute would provide a short loop approximately .7 miles in length for non-motorized recreationists looking for a short distance trail opportunity. The reroute would also connect Surveyors Ridge Trail directly to the Super Connector. The area that will be used for staging for reconstruction of the pipeline would become a trailhead 1.5 acres in size. The trailhead would provide needed centralized parking for the trail system in the vicinity of Forest Road 44.
The existing Surveyors Ridge Trailhead would remain accessible; however, this trailhead is inadequate for the amount of use it receives. The new trailhead would be large enough to accommodate the amount of use the trail system receives. The segment of Surveyors Ridge Trail #688 that would be impacted by the pipeline replacement would remain open to non-motorized travel, although it would not provide the same semi-primitive experience it now provides.”
44 Trails hopes to slide this project into the trail work mix after we finish the Cooks Meadow Extension project early this fall. Stay tuned.