RR Gorge 400 trail

[gabrielle]

The Gorge 400 trail meanders through the west end of the Columbia Gorge
from the waterfall area out past Cascade Locks. Some sections of the
trail are paved; most are off-limits to mtbers.

I first heard about this trail last spring when I joined a work party to
repair some of the water bars on the (mtb-accessible) section of trail
between Eagle Creek & Wahclella Falls. The trail is short, only about 6
miles out & back, and it's your basic uphill-then-back-down situation.
(Then uphill-and-back-down-once-more for the return trip.) I was
interested to try it because I'd only seen the first mile or so with the
work party and I was in the mood for a change of pace from my usual
happy-hour ride.

Technically, the trail is not that challenging. However. Several
sections of the trail are very exposed & to f.u. is to likely die. (I'm
not kidding - you'd go straight down in the air.) Not something to ride
in the summer when it's dusted up, but right now it's super-tacky. It's
even rear-tire-sucking-mud-boggy in some spots (cthllllurpppp).

However part II: This trail is chock-a-block with poorly built water
bars. It's endo central. And you don't want to be endoing there.

On the way home I saw this guy walking by the side of the road & said to
myself, "Whoa, why's he wearing a wetsuit? That's weird." Then "DUH!
Windsurfer who got blown downstream & had to walk back!" (This happens
often around here.) (Yes I gave him a ride.)

My verdict: The uphills got my heart rate up, but this trail is
probably not worth the drive from Portland unless there's absolutely
nothing else to ride.

gab

 

[gabrielle]

The Gorge 400 trail meanders through the west end of the Columbia Gorge
from the waterfall area out past Cascade Locks. Some sections of the
trail are paved; most are off-limits to mtbers.

I first heard about this trail last spring when I joined a work party to
repair some of the water bars on the (mtb-accessible) section of trail
between Eagle Creek & Wahclella Falls. The trail is short, only about 6
miles out & back, and it's your basic uphill-then-back-down situation.
(Then uphill-and-back-down-once-more for the return trip.) I was
interested to try it because I'd only seen the first mile or so with the
work party and I was in the mood for a change of pace from my usual
happy-hour ride.

Technically, the trail is not that challenging. However. Several
sections of the trail are very exposed & to f.u. is to likely die. (I'm
not kidding - you'd go straight down in the air.) Not something to ride
in the summer when it's dusted up, but right now it's super-tacky. It's
even rear-tire-sucking-mud-boggy in some spots (cthllllurpppp).

However part II: This trail is chock-a-block with poorly built water
bars. It's endo central. And you don't want to be endoing there.

On the way home I saw this guy walking by the side of the road & said to
myself, "Whoa, why's he wearing a wetsuit? That's weird." Then "DUH!
Windsurfer who got blown downstream & had to walk back!" (This happens
often around here.) (Yes I gave him a ride.)

My verdict: The uphills got my heart rate up, but this trail is
probably not worth the drive from Portland unless there's absolutely
nothing else to ride.

gab

 

[BB]

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:47:04 -0700, gabrielle wrote:

> My verdict: The uphills got my heart rate up, but this trail is
> probably not worth the drive from Portland unless there's absolutely
> nothing else to ride.

I've thought about checking that one out many times (there aren't too many
trails that don't require a long drive from Portland), but from the sound
of it I'll stick with what we know so far. Besides, heights wig me out and
I REALLY hate exposed edges!

Thanks for the RR.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address

 

[BB]

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:47:04 -0700, gabrielle wrote:

> My verdict: The uphills got my heart rate up, but this trail is
> probably not worth the drive from Portland unless there's absolutely
> nothing else to ride.

I've thought about checking that one out many times (there aren't too many
trails that don't require a long drive from Portland), but from the sound
of it I'll stick with what we know so far. Besides, heights wig me out and
I REALLY hate exposed edges!

Thanks for the RR.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address

 

[gabrielle]

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 04:24:17 +0000, BB wrote:

> I've thought about checking that one out many times (there aren't too many
> trails that don't require a long drive from Portland), but from the sound
> of it I'll stick with what we know so far. Besides, heights wig me out and
> I REALLY hate exposed edges!
>
> Thanks for the RR.

You're welcome. One more point against it: you never get away from the
noise of I-84.

gab

 

[GWood]

If you're actually close to Portland, let me know and I'll send directions
to the Scapoose trails. Several loops of forest singletrack with lots of
short elevation changes, buff trails, a small circus and some nice riding.
You can kill a couple of hours there without doing much duplicate riding.
Not recommended immediately after a rain.

Red the other RR on the Dread and Terror trail. I'm with ya on exposure.
Last year at MTB Oregon we did one trail in particular that was a shuttled
downhill. Not long, only moderately steep. However, exposed like crazy,
with narrow cliffside trails doing outside turns over rocks and roots. The
penalty for failure would be a minimum of a season spent on crutches.

While descending this trail, a bunch of DH'ers also at the event asked to
pass us. We had to scramble up a near vertical slope above the trail with
our bikes to let them by. They passed us like banshees, very fast, very
close together, rocks skipping out all over the place. I felt like a huge
wuuse picking my way down the bottom half of the trail.

OTOH, I didn't find the MRT to be exposed or nasty. We've ridden it in both
directions from the bridge to Clear Lake, and back down to the river-side
hot springs. Nice trail, gotta get back there.

"gabrielle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> The Gorge 400 trail meanders through the west end of the Columbia Gorge
> from the waterfall area out past Cascade Locks. Some sections of the
> trail are paved; most are off-limits to mtbers.
>
> I first heard about this trail last spring when I joined a work party to
> repair some of the water bars on the (mtb-accessible) section of trail
> between Eagle Creek & Wahclella Falls. The trail is short, only about 6
> miles out & back, and it's your basic uphill-then-back-down situation.
> (Then uphill-and-back-down-once-more for the return trip.) I was
> interested to try it because I'd only seen the first mile or so with the
> work party and I was in the mood for a change of pace from my usual
> happy-hour ride.
>
> Technically, the trail is not that challenging. However. Several
> sections of the trail are very exposed & to f.u. is to likely die. (I'm
> not kidding - you'd go straight down in the air.) Not something to ride
> in the summer when it's dusted up, but right now it's super-tacky. It's
> even rear-tire-sucking-mud-boggy in some spots (cthllllurpppp).
>
> However part II: This trail is chock-a-block with poorly built water
> bars. It's endo central. And you don't want to be endoing there.
>
> On the way home I saw this guy walking by the side of the road & said to
> myself, "Whoa, why's he wearing a wetsuit? That's weird." Then "DUH!
> Windsurfer who got blown downstream & had to walk back!" (This happens
> often around here.) (Yes I gave him a ride.)
>
> My verdict: The uphills got my heart rate up, but this trail is
> probably not worth the drive from Portland unless there's absolutely
> nothing else to ride.
>
> gab

 

[small change]

"GWood" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
..
>
> OTOH, I didn't find the MRT to be exposed or nasty. We've ridden it in
> both
> directions from the bridge to Clear Lake, and back down to the river-side
> hot springs. Nice trail, gotta get back there.
>

The section above Clear Lake is significantly nasty with lots of exposed
lava rock

 

[BB]

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:06:26 GMT, GWood wrote:
> If you're actually close to Portland, let me know and I'll send directions
> to the Scapoose trails. Several loops of forest singletrack with lots of
> short elevation changes, buff trails, a small circus and some nice riding.

I really need to get back out there...its only 13 miles from my house! I
haven't been there in a few years, but stinging nettles were particularly
nasty then. The PDX MTB club rides there nearly every Friday, one of
these days I'm going to try to join in.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address