While Mother Nature has been melting snow and drying out access to the 44 Trail zone, log clearing stud Paul Gundlach has been cutting through blow down on the 450 trail. 450 is now clear to the junction with 15-Mile at the meadow. Thanks Paul!
Roads 4410 and 4420 are also now open to vehicle traffic.
What’s next you ask? Attention turns to clearing downed trees on Boulder Lakes!
Forest Leadership Team
44 Trails Association participated in a congressional review of the Mt Hood National Forest with the USFS Forest Leadership Team for the Mt. Hood National Forest on May 30.
Our favorite corner of the Mt Hood National Forest (the 44 zone) plays an important role in the forest as it holds the watershed for The Dalles as well as the Dog River Pipeline, a vital component of the watershed. Additionally, ongoing fire mitigation thinning work, upcoming Dog River Pipeline upgrades and, of course, the importance of recreation were combined for a tour of the forest for congressional representatives, county representatives from Hood River and Wasco and the full regional Forest Leadership Team (FLT).
44 Trails was able to share stats on our ongoing work efforts to maintain, restore and enhance the multi-use trails accessible from FR 44. The FLT was very appreciative and supportive of our efforts, so we look forward to continued cooperation with the Barlow and Mt Hood districts to further our mission of trail maintenance and expansion!
Thanks to the hard work of our favorite USFS Ranger, Jim Thornton, and some skilled 44 Trails Association volunteers (Paul Gundlach and Dana Hale!), 8-Mile trail, Knebal Springs trail, the Super Connector, Bottle Prairie trail and 15-Mile/Cedar creek are open to USFS spec and ready for riding! You’ll still encounter a few isolated single logs, but the big blow-down sections have been cleared!
As for High Prairie and 450 up higher, it’s still a no go. Too much snow and water on the tread (see photos). So please stay off the trails to avoid permanent tread damage.
You can also check out the Camas, Clear Creek, Rim Rock (connects at Clear Creek CG) and Bear Springs race course trails – all in the Barlow District on the east side.
Check the fed web site for beta on these trails. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/null/recarea/?recid=52772&actid=34
If you’re keen to help with continued clearing efforts, reach out via e-mail to us and we’ll connect you with the ranger to make a plan.
Yield to Uphill Traffic
Keep an eye out for the new two-way traffic signs up on the 44 trail system. 44 Trails Association helped pay for the new signs and they are being placed in high traffic areas on the trails.
The idea here is to yield to uphill traffic, so those of us who like to let ‘er rip down need to stay tuned in to other users, be they bikers, hikers or horse riders. Although we have some ideas (in the future) for downhill only development, all 44 area trails are currently open to two-way traffic.
Enjoy the spring weather!
Latest trail conditions update May 19:
Knebal / Bottle Prairie – 75% clear of trees and tread dry – Hope to clear this week.
8-Mile – Good shape but there’s one big section of blowdown on streamside trail 20+ trees – hope to clear this week.
High Prairie / 450 – Not ready. Snow on trails and tread too muddy for riding. 4410 road is also still closed due to snow. Please stick to lower trails.
15-Mile – Not ready. Needs clearing work. Hold use until after Memorial Day weekend, thanks.
Surveyor’s Ridge – Clear an ready to ride
Dog River – Clear and ready to ride
Fresh snow
44 Trails Conditions Report
May 9, 2014
It’s wet and muddy with snow in places. Please ride elsewhere until trails have time to drain and dry!
We got a call from the ranger today (May 9, 2014) with a first hand report that it’s too muddy up in the 44 Road area for riding right now. We need some high pressure, sun and time for the soil to drain as well to melt new and lingering snow. The current storm system has only made already muddy trails worse with a combination of wet snow and rain depending on elevation and aspect. Please ride elsewhere this weekend to avoid damaging the trails. Normally, the bulk of the trails are ready by Memorial Day Weekend – only two weeks away but it’ll be a critical two weeks for drying and draining, plus some clearing work.
Lingering patches of snow up high – before recent storm
Hold tight and enjoy the lower elevation riding for now. Oakridge, Surveyor’s and Dog River have seen a lot of moisture in the past 48 hours and are also muddy right now. However, they are the best bet for ridable trails once the weather drys out again.
Sweet new trail signs!
The dirt is top notch in the Gorge right now and the riding season for Mount Hood’s 44 Trails area is fast approaching. As of May 8, there is still some lingering snow and plenty of downed timber on the upper trails accessible from Forest Road 44. Typically, the bulk of the system will be cleared and ready to enjoy come Memorial Day Weekend.
In the meantime, we’ve set a schedule for summer trail work parties to keep our mission of maintenance and expansion moving forward. Please mark these dates in your calendars and join us when you can. We strive to work for 4-5 hours in the morning and then enjoy an afternoon trail session, so you don’t have to give up a day of riding! More details about each event will be provided as the date nears and as we evaluate trail needs:
July 26 -Mid summer work day to armor and maintain high-traffic areas
October 4 – TBA Special Event – riding related event to thank everyone for all their support
October 18 – Final trail day before winter transforms the forest floor
Although random acts of kindness in helping to clear the trails is appreciated, all significant clearing and trail work needs to be organized through the USFS to maintain trail standards. The process on 44 Trails is different from that in Post Canyon or Sandy Ridge, and we need your help adhering to this policy. We have a great relationship with the Mt. Hood and Barlow Ranger Districts, and we aim to keep it that way. If you have time and energy to help with trail work, please reach out to us. We have ongoing opportunities to help clear and maintain the trails outside of our scheduled events. Give us a shout and we can connect you with the details.
Thanks to everyone who rallied out to Double Mountain in support of 44 Trails last week. The event was a great success. We sold loads of t-shirts, had a great raffle and raised valuable funds for future trail development with the silent auction. Your support is much appreciated! We were too busy to capture the night with photos, but it was a full house.
We have two more special auction items available: Mt Hood Fusion Passes. These ski passes are good for a full season of riding at Timberline and Ski Bowl. The pass also gets you into the Powder Alliance where you get three free tickets at all partner resorts. You can get the full lowdown on the Fusion Pass and all its perks at www.mthoodfusionpass.com.
You can submit a bid for one of the fusion passes by e-mailing us at 44trails at 44trails.org. The passes are valued at $495 each. The bidding starts at $350 and bidding ends October 31.
Hey 44 Trails supporters, don’t forget the party this Thursday eve (10/17) down at
Fall in the Gorge
Double Mountain Brewing. We’ve got live music, a silent auction, a raffle and, of course, beer by Double Mountain.
Auction items include generously donated products from supporters like Dakine, Kona, Shimano, Oakley, Timberline, and Mt Hood Ski Bowl (who just kicked down two night ski passes!). Money raised goes directly toward helping to defer costs of EIS work and planning costs associated with developing trails on the National Forest.
Come on down between 6 pm and 10 pm to celebrate the completion of the Super Connector Trail and find out what’s next on the trail development list for the 44 zone.
We’ve got new t-shirts and stickers, too!
Rally around 44trails.org to help us celebrate a successful summer of trail work and to help plan for the future.
We’re throwing a party at Double Mountain Brewing in Hood River on October 17, 6pm-10pm. There will be a silent auction fundraiser with items ranging from jerseys to complete bikes and gifts certificates from local businesses.
We’ve also got a raffle planned. Raffle tix will be $5/each, and we’ve got a great collection of swag from the bike industry and local businesses alike.
Of course, there’s beer, too, and Arthur Lee Land will rock the house with tunes.
Come on down Thursday, Oct 17 and learn about future 44 Trails projects, get one of our new t-shirts and stickers and support the future of trail development in the 44 Trails zone.