Mount Hood National Forest will have new bike park
MOUNT HOOD, Ore. -- Outdoor enthusiasts will soon no longer have to wait until winter to frequent Timberline’s ski slopes.
A project to bring 17 miles of bike trails to the Timberline ski area was unveiled Monday. Mount Hood officials said they approved the permitting for the mountain bike park on Nov. 19, after a long planning process.
The mountain bike park is tentatively scheduled to open the summer of 2015, said Laura Pramuk, spokeswoman for Mount Hood National Forest.
Construction of the trails will likely begin after the snow melts next year and continue into 2014, depending on weather and other park constraints, Pramuk said.
Timberline Lodge is drawing its plans for the trails from Gravity Logic, a consulting firm from Whistler, British Columbia, which designed the world-famous Whistler Mountain Bike Park.
The plans calls for several downhill trails, including beginner and intermediate routes, to zigzag through ski and forested areas of Timberline. Mountain bikers would use a chairlift to ride to the top of the trails.
Park officials said the new trail system would offer amenities similar to what other mountain bike parks offers, including ramps and beginner runs, as well as a bike rental facility.
An exact plan for the park, including the duration of its season and lift tickets prices, has not yet been planned, Pramuk said.
For more information on the project, call District Ranger Bill Westbrook at 503-622-2001.
Great for kids! Great for us 37 year old kids! It'll be fun.
Everyone below me is incredibly grumpy. I think it sounds like fun. I'd do it.
Well isn't that special. They have shut 97% of the National Forest off to ATV's due to the alleged damage they cause.
And then, create a bike park in one of the ecologically sensitive areas in the entire forest. This is entirely is an Alpine Zone, with thin crust soil and delicate moss/lichen forest floors which will be chewed up by the knobby tires on Mountain bikes.
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But, anything to appease the PDX bicycle mob...
 @Derek2mk I ride my dual sport with my father who rides his honda rancher 4x4, but I also ride bicycles. I will say the difference in damage to the trails alone is large. Bike trails can stay very thin like hiking trails; ATV trails have to be as wide as the four wheelers. The damage during rainy months that ATV's do is huge; the motors tear up the dirt creating huge ruts and deep pools. Bike trails, when properly maintained, will do a minimal amount of damage. The whistler Biek park for example jsut added a new trail where less than 20 people are allowed to ride it a day so it does not damage he forest and bare mountain top. Plus having a legal area will keep people who ride in one place, making this singular area's environmental impact easier to maintain overtime.This is opposed to people riding illegally and damaging more areas; having people make their own trails, unsafe jumps and ride on hiker trails (I personally hate seeing bikers on hiking specific trails).Â
So when someone comes barreling down the hill and kills themselves will their family wait a year and then sue Timberline?Â
With rules and regulations like helmets as a requirement biking is no more dangerous than the skiing and snowboarding that goes on in the winter months. It is a great family sport that keeps you in shape! And a fun fact: I jump bikes, climb to the tops of mountains, raft down rapids, go up rock faces, and ski down slopes, all of which I know I can get killed at any moment, but more likely I will get killed or injured driving to and from my destination of recreation. All these sports have inherent risks involved, when you put on the helmet, sign the waiver, and pay the 30 dollars for a lift ticket, you are saying you understand you can get seriously injured or killed while riding in the bike park...
Since when did anyone have to wait until winter? Skibowl has had a bike park for years!