Category Archives: Trail Work

Surveyor’s Ridge Re-Route Project June 9

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Surveyor's Ridge TrailThe Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Continues on Saturday June 9

Oh yeah, we’re still working on the Surveyor’s Ridge re-route. Come on up tot he 44 Zone on Saturday, June 9 to lend a hand. Can’t make it? Make a donation! 

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.

Trail Work Day – Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project SATURDAY JUNE 9, 2018

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

WHEN: 
Saturday, June 9, 2018 @ 9am – 2pm (plenty of time for a post-work-project ride)
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and sign-in at the SnoPark 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 will be doing rough in and route trimming/clearing.

TOOLS:
Surveyor's RidgeHelmet/hardhat (bike helmets ok), long pants, gloves, and work boots required.
Hand tools only – Flat Shovels, McLeods, Metal Rakes, loppers, Pulaskis  (NO chainsaws necessary).

 

Surveyor's Ridge Trail Reroute

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.

 

Trail Work Schedule Update – Oct 7 and Oct 28

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Trail Work - 44 Trails AssociationOur September 23 Trail Work day is cancelled.

It’s been a long dry spell up on the Mt. Hood National Forest and the USFS currently has a ban on power equipment on the east side that affects the 44 zone. We were hoping to use some motorized toters for the work day to help distribute reject and compost material, so we’re going to hope for a change by October.

We’ve rescheduled for October 7 and October 28.

We look forward to your help on Oct 7 or Oct 28! More info to follow about two weeks before the scheduled date.

You can also subscribe to our e-news letter to stay in the 44 loop. We do not send spam – only news relative to the 44 Trails – work days, trail conditions, closures, events, etc.

Surveyor’s Ridge Re-Route Progress!

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44 Trails Surveyor's Ridge Trail CrewHere’s a big thanks to the motivated crew that came out on August 12 to help work on the Surveyor’s Ridge re-route project! The team built some excellent trail!

You can now ride Surveyor’s Ridge (and we encourage you to do so) by parking at the 17/1720 junction and using the Super Connector to begin the ride (there is trailhead board on the 17 road just past the 1720 junction on your right). Or, for a longer ride, park at Knebal Campground and ride over to the Super Connector and all the way through Surveyor’s Ridge! Bike traffic will help “ride in” the trail.

We will post a map shortly outlining the new start and what is currently ready to ride. In the meantime, thanks to the crew that put in a solid day on Saturday!

Surveyor's Ridge Work day

Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute – trail work day August 12, 2017

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Surveyor's Ridge TrailThe Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Continues!

A segment of the Surveyor’s Ridge Trail #688 will be impacted by the City of The Dalles Watershed Pipeline replacement project. The vintage pipeline providing water to the City of The Dalles is being replaced with a modern version. A portion of the pipeline is adjacent to or beneath the south end of the Surveyors Ridge Trail. The pipeline project will permanently change the trail corridor in these locations -creating a 25 foot wide corridor with aggregate placed along the right-of-way.

We re working on a re-route of the Surveyor’s Ridge trail where it follows the pipeline to maintain a semi-primitive trail experience. The reroute also improves interconnectivity of trails in the vicinity by connecting with the Super Connector and will provide a short loop for beginner riders who want a shorter trail experience than Surveyors Ridge. READ MORE about the Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project and check out project map.

Trail Work Day – Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project

We will working on the Surveyor’s reroute doing the initial clearing and rough-in work that will establish the new route.

REQUIRE EQUIPMENT:
Hardhats (bike helmets ok), long pants, work gloves and work boots, water. 

WHEN: 
Saturday, August 12, 2017 @ 9am – 2pm (plenty of time for a post-work-project ride)
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and sign-in at the SnoPark 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 will be doing rough in and route trimming/clearing.

TOOLS:
Surveyor's RidgeHelmet/hardhat (bike helmets ok), long pants, gloves, and work boots required.
Hand tools only – Pruning Saws, Flat Shovels, McCleods, Loppers, Metal Rakes (NO chainsaws please).

It gets warm up there – please be sure to bring water and sunscreen.

Surveyor's Ridge Trail Reroute

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.

 

Trail Work Day – Saturday, July 22 – Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project

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singletrack mt hoodTrail Work Day – Surveyor’s Ridge Reroute Project

Our first big trail work day of the summer is one week away – Sat July 22. We will working on the Surveyor’s reroute doing the initial trimming, clearing and rough-in work that will establish the new route. (The upper Surveyors route is being relocated to due to the pending large-scale Dalles Watershed pipeline project – and it’s a nice upgrade of the existing two-track start.)

Hardhats (bike helmets ok), long pants, work gloves and work boots REQUIRED!

WHEN: 
Saturday, July 22, 2017 @ 9am – 2pm (plenty of time for a post-work-project ride)
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and sign-in at the SnoPark 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 will be doing initial rough in and route trimming.

TOOLS:
Helmet/hardhat (bike helmets ok), long pants, gloves, and work boots required.
Hand tools only – Pruning Saws, Flat Shovels, McCleods, Loppers, Metal Rakes (NO chainsaws please).

It gets warm up there – please be sure to bring water and sunscreen.

Trail Work Day September 24 – Handbuilt Singletrack Mt Hood

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singletrack mt hoodTrail Work Day – Cooks Meadow Singletrack Mt Hood

The 44 Trails zone just got its first significant rainfall in many weeks. This bodes well for trail conditions on the biggest network of handbuilt singletrack Mt Hood has to offer and for the 44 Trails Association trail work day on September 24.

We’ve had two great trail days to build out the new Cooks Meadow extension trail and we will focus our efforts on Saturday September 24 to finalize the new singletrack trail.

Hardhats (bike helmets ok), long pants, work gloves and work boots REQUIRED!

WHEN: 
Saturday Sept 24, 2016 @ 9am – 2pm
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and sign-in at the SnoPark 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 Cooks Meadow Extension trail.

We will be putting in the final connection and will need FLAT SHOVELS, METAL RAKES and McLEODS.

Want to know more about the trail? check out the map

Surveyor’s Ridge Trail Re-Route

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Surveyor’s Ridge Trail Re-Route

single track trail constructionThe 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.

July 23 Cooks Meadow Extension Project

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July 23 Cooks Meadow Extension Hand-Built Singletrack

hand-built singletrackHey there 44 Trails riders!

Saturday, July 23 is our first full-scale trail work day of the season, and we will be working on the Cooks Meadow Extension Trail.

We’ve been hard at work prepping the area and now it’s hand-built singletrack time!

We need you, of course, plus Metal Rakes, a few McLeods, flat shovels and sets of loppers.

Helmets/hardhats (bike helmets ok) are required as are long pants, work boots and gloves.

We’ll probably work ’til about 2pm and will have sandwiches from the awesome NYC City Sub Shop in Hood River for the crew.

Working the pin line on the Cooks Meadow Extension - what a view!

Working the pin line on the Cooks Meadow Extension – what a view!

Although the trail is arguably just roughed in, it can be ridden, especially the lower half. In fact, riding it will help establish it. So, bring your bike for an aprés trail work pedal!

Want to know more about the trail? check out the map

WHEN: 
Saturday July 23, 2016 @ 9am – 2pm
Meet 9am @ Little John SnoPark on Highway 35
We’ll have coffee thanks to Dog River Coffee in HR and sign-in at the SnoPark and then move up to the work site as a group.

PROJECT:
Hand-Built tread work on Cooks Meadow Extension trail.

TOOLS:
Helmet/hardhat (bike helmets ok), long pants gloves, and work boots required.
Hand tools – METAL RAKES ARE TOOL OF CHOICE

hood river singletrack

15 Mile and Cooks Meadow Open!

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44 trails single track

Hey, where did the trail go?

The winter blowdown on the Mt Hood National Forest 44 Trails single track system was substantial this year, but we are making solid progress clearing the damage.

You can now add the 15 Mile / Cedar Creek (#456/#457) loop and Cooks Meadow (#639) to the open and ready to ride list!

That brings the 44 zone close to wide open. We still have work to do on upper 450 and High Prairie, but the following trails have been cleared in the past few weeks:

15 Mile / Cedar Creek loop trails #456/#457 – open
Cooks Meadow trail #639 – open
Dog River Trail # 675 – open
Surveyor’s Ridge Trail #688 – open
Knebal Springs Trail #474 – open
Bottle Prairie Trail #455- open
Eightmile Trail #496- open
Oak Ridge Trail #688A – open
Super Connector – open

The lower Cedar / 15 Mile area is still a little brushy, so throw some small loppers or hand snippers in your pack and spend a little time helping us brush out the overgrown spots if you head that way for a ride!

Remember, the 44 Trail System on the Mt Hood National Forest is a multi-use system and trails are open to hiker, horse and biker traffic. Please be respectful of all users! Also keep in mind that trees fall during every season and new trees may come down since we have cleared. There a places where uprooted trees and tree impacts have damaged the trail tread, so ride and hike with care.

Finally, if you enjoy the 44 Trail System on the Mt Hood National Forest, turn out for one of our 2016 trail work days to return some energy to the trails or donate to the 44 Trails so we can help cover costs of logout and trail repair materials!

 

Here’s a few before and after shots of a couple 15 Mile / Cedar sections cleared today.