RR Gorge 400 trail

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 said:

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.

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gabrielle said:

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 said:

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

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 hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

"GWood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
..

Quoted message said:

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

GWood said:

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.

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