Popularity of Mountain Bike Trails Continues to Climb
By Jennifer Donahue
Northwest mountain ranges as well as forward-thinking visionaries, offer mountain bike enthusiasts a wide variety of trails to ride. We’ve checked out what’s new and what’s on the horizon for 2011 riding.
Washington
I-5 Colonnade
Seattle’s Colonnade, located literally underneath I-5 just below St. Mark’s Cathedral on Capitol Hill, has quickly become a favorite skills park for local mountain bikers. Beginners can get their feet wet on the Tqalu Trail, while more experienced riders can take on Limestone Loop. There are plenty of opportunities to work on advanced skills: look for progressive and elevated drops, steep rock chutes, a pump track and a trials area.
Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park
Duthie Hill’s first phase opened in 2010 to widespread acclaim. The ultra-popular 120-acre park on the Issaquah Plateau offers cross-country trails that connect into a 5+ mile loop plus jump lines, flowlines and freeride areas. Duthie Hill connects with Grand Ridge Park’s six miles of singletrack. Phase 2 is getting off the ground, with efforts to add a couple of miles of cross country to be completed by the end of summer 2011. There will also be a shelter and some nice park amenities added.
Galbraith Mountain
Tucked between Bellingham and Lake Whatcom, Galbraith Mountain is beloved to riders throughout the state. It’s for good reason: With a huge network (some 40+ miles) of trails, there’s something for every rider. Galbraith’s 3,600 acres are constantly evolving, with trail work ongoing. Sadly, in January 2011 logging began on the south side of the mountain, resulting in the loss of several beginner trails. The plan is to re-open the affected trails once logging is complete.
Tiger Mountain
Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance will be working with the Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Trails Association to re-route a section of the upper East Tiger Mountain Trail in Issaquah and extend it to the top of East Tiger Summit. Work is scheduled to be completed by spring 2011, resulting in a multi-use trail for hikers and bikers with additional mileage, 500 extra vertical feet and a single-track connection from the summit of East Tiger to the west end of the Preston RR Grade Trail.
Stevens Pass Mountain Bike Park
After years of planning and numerous setbacks, the Stevens Pass Mountain Bike Park received final approval in September 2010 to begin construction on the five planned trails. Construction will begin after ski season ends, with the hope that there will be bikes on the mountain by the end of summer 2011.
South Fork Snoqualmie/Hansen Ridge
The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance has been working with the Forest Service and Mountains to Sound to convert decommissioned roads to quality mountain bike trails. Hansen Ridge, the first four-mile section of trail, opened in 2009. The next phase of trail work is dependent on grant funding. Plans are to double the available trail mileage and offer loop potential of about 15 miles. The long-term vision is to be able to connect all the way down to Rattlesnake Lake for more than 28 miles of trails.
Oregon
Oakridge
With hundreds of miles of singletrack, Lane County’s jewel has earned its reputation as the Mountain Bike Capitol of the Northwest. And now it’s going to get even better. With a $400,000 grant from the federal government, the International Mountain Biking Association will be adding signage and trailhead amenities in the area.
Forest Park
The City of Portland announced in late 2010 that no new mountain biking trails will be built in Forest Park for at least two years, citing concerns about the park’s overall condition. Forest Park has 70 miles of trails, 30 miles of which are open to cyclists, but the area lacks viable singletrack for mountain bikes.
Gateway Green
Portland’s Friends of Gateway Green have been working since 2005 to develop the unused 35-acre space in East Portland near the intersection of I-84 and I-205 into a venue for off-road cycling. The City of Portland committed to provide ongoing maintenance and operating funds for the project in fall 2010; local cyclists hope for the first phase to be open to mountain bikes in 2013.
Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood
This highly anticipated project is well underway, with trail mapping and design completed through 2010. Next steps include U.S. Forest Service review and a Phase 1 build planned for early summer 2011. Timberline is hopeful that trails will be open to riders in late summer 2011. Gravity Logic, the same firm that created the mountain bike park in Whistler, B.C., has been contracted to design and develop the trails.
Sandy River Basin
This new trail system in the Sandy, Ore. area west of Mount Hood boasts 10 miles of trails with nearly 20 miles planned to be developed over the next two to three years. Features added in 2010 include a bridge over Little Joe Creek and a new 2.25 mile loop added to the Three Thirty Eight trail with some technical sections for experienced riders. The project was designed and built with assistance from the International Mountain Biking Association.
Stub Stewart State Park
The Northwest Trail Alliance has entered into an agreement to design, build, and maintain a trail system at Oregon’s newest state park, just 31 miles west of Portland. So far, just a few miles of singletrack have been built (plus about 14 miles of shared-use trails) but the system will eventually offer a variety of features for mountain bikers of all skill levels.
Powell Butte
The Northwest Trail Alliance has also been working with the City of Portland on a redesign of the mountain biking trails at Powell Butte Nature Park with an eye toward sustainability and creating new features. The group is hopeful that the new trails will be built in 2011.
Raven’s Ridge
Cyclists looking for gravity need look no further than Raven’s Ridge in the Tillamook State Forest. Originally built by riders, the 1.2 mile singletrack trail near Timber, Ore. has been formally adopted by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The one-way trail can be shuttled using fire roads, and provides nice flow plus some technical challenge for intermediate-to-advanced riders.
British Columbia
Whistler Mountain Bike Park
If you like vertical, lots of vertical, Whistler continues to deliver, even in the summer months. Enjoy nearly 5,000 feet of lift-serviced descending mountain bike trails which offers something for every level of mountain biker. The Bike Park also has two skills centers, a jump park and slopestyle parks. Whistler’s signature event is the Kokanee Crankworkz Freeride Mountain Bike Festival July 16-24.
Resources
www.evergreenmtb.org
www.nw-trail.org
www.imba.com
www.gatewaygreenpdx.org
www.galbraithmt.com
www.ridegalbraith.com
www.portlandonline.com/parks
www.ormtb.com/Oakridge/Oak_trails/
www.stevenspassbikepark.com
Raven’s Ridge: nw-trail.org/ride-report/2353
Sandy River Basin: oregonwatersheds.org/oregoncouncils/sandyriver
www.timberlinelodge.com/mountainbike
www.whistlerbike.com
