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February Trail Spotlight: Sandy Ridge Trail System
by Tom Slovak, Northwest Trail Alliance Trail Care
Director
The new Sandy Ridge Trail System opened this past fall on 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land east of Sandy, near Brightwood, Oregon. When
completed, this BLM recreation project will provide over 15 miles of newly built singletrack trails - all of it open to
cyclists. To date, approximately five miles of trail are complete and ready to
ride. Designed and built with assistance from the International Mountain
Biking Association (IMBA), the system offers a variety of trail features - including bermed
corners and jumps - that will challenge and appeal to riders of various skill levels and riding styles.
The
highlight of the completed system so far is the Hide & Seek trail,
a flowing 4.25 miles of single-track bliss that descends more than 1,000
feet on a ridge just west of Mount Hood. A paved road (closed to
motor vehicle traffic) climb takes you from the parking lot to the upper
trailhead at 2,260 feet. From here, begin your descent through a forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red
cedar. The bermed corners and other built trail features offer
experience-enhancing opportunities for advanced riders, while still being
rideable by those less experienced.
The
BLM is continuing work on an approximately eight-mile upper ridge loop called
Communication Breakdown, scheduled to be completed in 2011, that
will connect to the Hide & Seek trail. Northwest Trail Alliance has offered BLM its full support to help build and maintain sections of this trail system,
so stay tuned for upcoming build days!
Sandy Ridge Trail System Map & Guide (PDF) Important Trail Notes: 1) Although
the Hide & Seek section is open, work is ongoing and portions of the trail
may be only partially completed. A bridge spanning Little Joe Creek has not yet been completed, so currently a small creek
crossing is required. 2) Trail users must stay on designated trails. The trail system is located
outside the southern boundary of the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit.
Entering the Management Unit is strictly prohibited and punishable under
federal law. Staying on designated trails ensures compliance with this
order.
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Outreach Alert to Forest Park Mountain Bikers: Please Abstain from Unauthorized Trail
Building, Riding on Trails that are Off-Limits to Bikes
Northwest
Trail Alliance has been alerted by Portland Parks & Recreation staff about
a recent case of unauthorized trail building and illegal riding in the North
Management Unit of Forest Park - the area located north of Germantown
Road. This is a very serious matter, as this area has the highest habitat
values in the entire park, and is actively used by elk and other wildlife.
While riding
is currently allowed on some roads and trails in the North Management Unit, the
area is not being considered for the expansion of off-road riding
opportunities, primarily because of its habitat value. This is clearly
spelled out in the Forest Park Natural Resource Management Plan, and Northwest
Trail Alliance fully supports this management approach.
Northwest
Trail Alliance asks all bike riders to abide by the regulations that are
currently in effect in Forest Park. Unauthorized trail building and illegal
riding negatively impact our on-going discussions with Portland Parks - and
with other land managers - to create more riding opportunities in-and-around
Portland.
We have initiated actions in collaboration with Portland Parks &
Recreation to help prevent any further unauthorized trail building/riding in
this area. We are also developing an outreach plan to educate off-road cyclists
about riding options, regulations, and restrictions in Forest Park. We will also be discussing this issue at our
next Monthly Meeting & Social, which will take place on Tuesday
February 23rd, at the NW Lucky Lab.
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Only a Couple Days Left to Take Our Online Web &
Communications Survey!
We are working on a major upgrade of our web site,
slated for release later this spring. In order to design a web site that best serves
your needs and to help tailor our other communication tools - including this
e-newsletter - please take a moment and complete
the survey (before Sunday, Feb. 21). The online
survey is anonymous, includes 25 questions, and will take about 10-15 minutes
to complete. We thank you in advance for your participation!
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Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendar
Tue 2/23 (7:30pm) - NWTA Monthly Meeting & Social
This month, we will feature updates about a number of
exciting NWTA programs including our advocacy efforts, our new web site, and details on how to get involved with trail care - with room for questions
and feedback from the audience throughout the presentation.
Social Time starts at 7 p.m. at the Lucky Lab NW Beer Hall.
Note: Several of our program committees meet at 6 p.m. before our general
meeting. Want to know what we're up to? Come by early and pull up a
chair at one of the committee tables and find out!
Sun 2/28 (10am-3pm) - Portland Bike Swap Meet
Join the Northwest Trail Alliance for the largest bike swap meet of its kind in the Portland Area. From the smallest part, to high-end
bikes, to various bike crafts, you'll find it amongst over 70 vendors at our annual Bike Swap Meet. The event will also feature a grand raffle with some very cool prizes, including a fully decked-out 29-er mountain bike and a free entry to Mountain Bike Oregon!
Looking for a way to pitch in on regional trailbuilding and mountain biking advocacy efforts? Donate your bikes or gear
to Northwest Trail Alliance and we will sell it at the swap meet. 100% of
the proceeds will benefit Northwest Trail Alliance. People can drop off donated
items at the swap meet (look for our booth) or on Tue Feb 23 at our
monthly social (NW Lucky Lab 6-9m). Please no broken or worn-out items.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Sandbox Studio, Cyclepath, Nossa Familia, Mountain
Bike Oregon, BikeRacker, Gracie's Wrench, Sellwood Cycle, Shimano, and Hopworks Urban Brewing.
Note: as of Wed 1/17, all vendor spaces have sold out, but you can still add your name to the waiting list (in case any vendors cancel their presence before the event) - contact amy@nw-trail.org for details.
Hold the Date: April 22-25 - Portland Trail Fest!Mark your calendars for Northwest Trail Alliance's inaugural Portland Trail Fest, a 4-day long celebration of
everything trails, knobbie tires and the planet (Yes, April 22 is Earth
Day!). We'll kick-off the weekend early with a fun social at Chris King Precision Components (on Thu April 22, starting at 6pm); followed by a Portland advocacy ride with Mike Van Abel (IMBA) on Friday; a trail care party & discovery ride day at Sandy Ridge on Saturday; and a day full of rides - for all levels and on various trails around Portland - on Sunday. Stay tuned for more details soon!
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