Trailwork Day Oct. 20, 2018

Posted on October 11, 2018 by 44trails

Fall Trailwork Day Number II – October 20

We need your help to finish the project this fall! Come on up to the 44 zone on Saturday, Oct 20 to help us finish up!

The new route adds single track miles and reroutes the trail away from The Dalles Watershed Pipeline, which is about to get replaced, thus disrupting the original Surveyor’s route. READ MORE about the Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project and check out project map.

Trailwork Day – Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2018

WHEN: SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2018 @ 9am – 2pm
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee at signin thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and then move up to the work site as a group. Lunch will be provided by NY City Subs in Hood River.

PROJECT:
Handbuilt singletrack on Surveyor’s ridge re-route. We are working on a variety stages right now – rough-in, finish work and brushing.

TOOLS:
Please bring your own tools! Flat shovels, polaskis, McLeods, metal rakes, loppers are all good options.

*REQUIRED EQUIPMENT*
Hardhats (bike helmets ok), long pants, work gloves and work boots.

Can’t make it? Make a donation!

Here is the map showing the approximate route of the Surveyor’s Ridge trail project. The existing trail (yellow) will be disrupted by the new pipeline – the new route (blue) shows the tentative routes to connect with the SuperConnector (brown) near the 17 Road.

44 Trails Conditions July 1 – High Elevation Status

Posted on July 1, 2017 by 44trails

Hey 44 Trail mountain bikers, despite the summer heat the past couple of weeks, high elevation trails remain blocked by snow and blowdown; and we’re not just talking the occasional snow patch. Gunsight Butte trail #685 still has 3-5 foot snow berms and lots of trees down on the trail. Where snow is melted, there is standing/running water. There are even trees still embedded into the snow. It looks like the ridge got hammered with broken tops over the winter.

Our recommendation is to stay on the lower elevation trails until snow has a chance to melt further and we’ve had a chance to clear trees. Most of the roads are clear but the Bennett Pass road is still blocked by snow.

Here’s the latest 44 trails conditions report as of Saturday July 1, 2017:

The Best Singletrack Mountain Biking on the Mt Hood National Forest

Gunsight Ridge Trail #685 – Closed by significant snow and downed trees. 3-5 foot snow berms – Estimate 2-3 weeks before clear.

Boulder Lake / Forest Creek zone – Less snow but not yet maintained or cleared of trees

Cooks Meadow trail #639 – Ridable with caution – a few downed trees – upper section has a few areas under construction but it’s open to ride – carry a hand saw and help cut out the lingering blowdown. Hope to have the few remaining trees cleared by July 4.
Lookout / #450 – Ridable with caution – 3-4 trees down and a few small snow patches – carry a hand saw and help cut out the lingering blowdown.

Latest 44 Trails Conditions Update June 26

Posted on June 27, 2017 by 44trails

Singletrack Mountain Biking Mt Hood National Forest – Our first trail work day is July 22 – more details soon! Sign up for our email list to be notified of work days, trail conditions, and to get a free digital map of the area!

Here’s the latest 44 trails conditions report as of Monday June 26, 2017:

The Best Singletrack Mountain Biking Mt Hood National Forest

Knebal Springs Trail #474 – Cleared and OPEN
Bottle Prairie Trail #455 – Cleared and OPEN
Eightmile Trail #496 – Cleared and OPEN
Oak Ridge Trail #688A – Cleared and OPEN
Super Connector – Cleared and OPEN
Dog River Trail # 675 – Cleared and OPEN
Surveyor’s Ridge Trail #688 – Cleared and OPEN
15 Mile / Cedar Creek loop trails #456/#457 – Clear and OPEN
Cooks Meadow trail #639 – Ridable with caution – a few downed trees – upper section has a few areas under construction but it’s open to ride – carry a hand saw and help cut out the lingering blowdown.
Lookout / #450 – Ridable with caution – 3-4 trees down and a few small snow patches – carry a hand saw and help cut out the lingering blowdown.

Extra Beta

– Cooks Meadow has a handfull of small trees and couple sections are still under construction but rideable with caution

– Lookout / 450 has four trees down and a few patches of snow – all rideable with caution.

If you plan to ride and have a handsaw – please cut back five feet either side of trail!

44 and 4410 roads are fully open – High country trails like Gunsight, Boulder, Forest Creek still have significant snow sections and unknown tree blowdown.

Thanks to Local Businesses

Posted on September 2, 2014 by 44trails

We’ve been lucky to receive some great financial and material support from local businesses this summer. Thanks to all the burger eating at Sixth Street Bistro and mountain bike rental at the new Hood River Bicycles shop (behind Dog River Coffee) our bank account is fatter than it was in June Both of these guys are sharing profits from with 44 Trails Association! hood river bicycles

And thanks to Dirt Hugger we’ve got some fresh organic matter on several sections of trail badly
in need of such dirt.

Several areas in the 44 zone –
where logging and thinning projects have reduced the canopy – the trails have lost the rich organic soils that help preserve tread integrity. So, we hope that by spreading some killer compost we can help improve trail sustainability. Thanks Dirt Hugger!

8-Mile Parking – temp closure

Posted on August 11, 2014 by 44trails

Hey everyone, the 8-Mile trail parking area (just off 44 road, across from the 450 trail) will be closed on Thursday, August 14 while the USFS works to remove some standing dead trees.

All trails remain OPEN for riding! If you find yourself in the area on Thursday, be sure to give the tree crew the space they need. Thanks!

Mid Summer Trail Work Day

Posted on July 16, 2014 by 44trails

Summer is here – in case you hadn’t noticed – and it’s time for our second trail work day of the season.

Saturday, July 26 is the day.

Continued Super Connector tuning is the plan.

Where: 9am Little John Snopark, Hwy 35
What: Trail maintenance, Super Connector
When: Saturday, July 26, 9am-2pm

HELMETS required! Bring shovels, McLeods, metal rakes, wheelbarrows, gloves, water, long pants, work shoes.

We’ll meet at the Little John SnoPark on Hwy 35 at 9am for coffee and registration. We’ll shuttle up to the work site and get started. There are a variety of projects including continued trail armoring with reject and corner alignment. We’ll break into two or three smaller crews on the trail.

Lunch provided by Hood River’s New York City Sub Shop.

Reach out via e-mail with any questions – 44trails (at) 44trails.org

Trail Conditions Update – Fire Activity 7/15

Posted on July 15, 2014 by 44trails

Red dot marks the location of 10-15 acre fire near popular 44 trails trailheads. click for full size

The recent thunder and lightning storms have sparked a few fires around the area including a small one in the 44 trails zone.

The fire is located just east of the junction of 44 and 17 roads, not far from the Knebal and 8-Mile Crossing campgrounds, as well as the Super Connector (see red dot on map for location). The fire is small (10-15 acres) and the USFS is on it with a dozer and heli water drops. They expect full containment without incident, but they would like to ask forest users to avoid the area as much as possible. There are no official trail closures at this time, but there is increased fire vehicle traffic in the area.

If you are headed up to 44 to recreate, please be alert for fire traffic, give fire vehicles and associated personnel plenty of room and report any additional fire starts.

UPDATE: Fire is contained and in mop-up stage as of 5pm 7/15.

Trail Work Results

Posted on June 25, 2014 by 44trails

Thank you to everyone who supported our June 14 trail work day! The USFS supplied 10+ yards of reject (gravel) and the 44 Trails crew worked to armor weak spots on the new Super Connector trail linking Knebal Springs to Surveyor’s Ridge. New York City Subs provided lunch and Dog River Coffee set us up with our morning fix!

We made made good progress moving the reject material and saw loads of riders using the trail. It’s great to see the word is getting out and people are riding the new connection. Next work day is July 26!

Here’s a few photos from the day.

Sixth Street Bistro – Singletrack Burger

Posted on June 15, 2014 by 44trails

Our friends down at Sixth Street Bistro in Hood River have a new item on the menu, the Singletrack Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger and they are going to donate $1 from the sale of every burger to the 44 Trails Association and the Hood River Area Trail Stewards (44 gets it one month, hrats the next).

Thanks to Chris and the crew at Sixth Street for supporting the mountain bike scene! Now get on down there and get yourself a Singletrack Burger . . .

June 14 Trail Work Day

Posted on June 5, 2014 by 44trails

June is here, the 44 trails are in fine form and it’s time for our first organized work party of the season.

Saturday, June 14 is the day.

Where: 9am Little John Snowpark Hwy 35
What: Trail maintenance, Super Connector
When: Saturday, June 14, 9am-2pm

HELMETS required! bring shovels, rakes, 5-gal buckets, wheelbarrows, gloves, lunch, water, long pants, work shoes, dress for the weather!

We’ll meet at the Little John SnoPark on Hwy 35 at 9am for coffee and registration. We’ll shuttle up to the work site and get started. There are a a variety of projects including trail armoring with reject and corner alignment. We’ll break into two or three smaller crews on the trail.