Riding Around the Hood

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by Craig McCurdy

They plowed the road out to lost lake the other day. Also just a heads up, they are going to plow Lake Branch Rd. and Red Hill Rd. for the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic just not sure when.

I heard they were gonna plow Lost Lake Rd from an employee there.

But Lake Branch and Red Hill?
I rode up the back side of Red Hill From LL road last Tuesday, and could not get even halfway up the hill before I hit foot deep snow.
And yeah, that section through Dee f-ing sucks!!

That Cycling Classic apparently brings enough money to our county to justify that.
I'll take it. I'm tired of going east for all my riding. I wanna ride the Hood.

[Craig McCurdy]

Originally Posted by Apple Jam

I heard they were gonna plow Lost Lake Rd from an employee there.

But Lake Branch and Red Hill?
I rode up the back side of Red Hill From LL road last Tuesday, and could not get even halfway up the hill before I hit foot deep snow.
And yeah, that section through Dee f-ing sucks!!

That Cycling Classic apparently brings enough money to our county to justify that.
I'll take it. I'm tired of going east for all my riding. I wanna ride the Hood.

The County does not pay for the plowing, The Cycling Classic does.

[chief_lee_visceral]

Hi all,

Until 2001 I lived by the Mt Hood Store on North Hess Rd. so I am very familiar with the area. Going to be there for the Black Dog ride in two weeks. So where is the snow now? Could you ride Pine Mount to Brook Meadows on 44 for instance? Live in Seattle now and me and riding buddy plan to take the Hwy 25 through GPNF on our way down from Seattle. Lost Lake road just getting open kind of telling.

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by chief_lee_visceral

Hi all,

Until 2001 I lived by the Mt Hood Store on North Hess Rd. so I am very familiar with the area. Going to be there for the Black Dog ride in two weeks.

....So where is the snow now? Could you ride Pine Mount to Brook Meadows on 44 for instance?

Welcome back ex-neighbor !!
Mt. Hood Store has been closed for a while now, wierd to see it empty after all these years

No such luck yet on Pinemont/FS17 or 44. Snow is sticking around way late this year.
I plan to help preride some of the Black Dog in the days before the weekend,
I might be helping change the course a bit , if that dang snow don't melt....

[chief_lee_visceral]

Originally Posted by Apple Jam

Welcome back ex-neighbor !!
Mt. Hood Store has been closed for a while now, wierd to see it empty after all these years

No such luck yet on Pinemont/FS17 or 44. Snow is sticking around way late this year.
I plan to help preride some of the Black Dog in the days before the weekend,
I might be helping change the course a bit , if that dang snow don't melt....

Thanks man... sounds like if it is not snow we should be prepared for wet and muddy.

It is sad about the store. That was downtown Mt Hood OR! Say hello at the Black Dog please. I will be #2 on a Husaberg.

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by chief_lee_visceral

Thanks man... sounds like if it is not snow we should be prepared for wet and muddy.

It is sad about the store. That was downtown Mt Hood OR! Say hello at the Black Dog please. I will be #2 on a Husaberg.

We learned about muddy at BD last year on Sunday's ride.
You're #2!!?? An early sign-up. I'm #15 on an Adventure. I'll look for you

How's the big city, after the small town life on Hess Rd?
I've lived on the other side of the Upper Valley, on Trout Creek Ridge Rd. since 1998

[chief_lee_visceral]

The #2 is because I was signed in last year but broke my collar bone and could not ride so I was comped this year. Heard about the rain last year.

When I lived on Hess Rd I was commuting to work in Vancouver. Does that say anything about where I would rather be living ;) Up here my commute is 26 miles and takes me about the same time as the 81 miles to Vancouver. I have moved a lot and the only place I liked living more than Mt Hood was Whitefish MT. There the commute was 15 miles which took me 15 minutes everyday :

[jjdun7]

Yey you Hood riders, noob here. well I was planing on running from Tigard to Mosier to husky road to brooks meadow to Dufur to free bridge to ????????? Sunday Monday. Fut it sounds like you guys still have a lot of snow
Howbout a snow report. I think I will have to modify my plans.
Like I read in here,,,,,,,,,, the best adventure starts with piss poor planning

[dvwalker]

Originally Posted by jjdun7

Yey you Hood riders, noob here. well I was planing on running from Tigard to Mosier to husky road to brooks meadow to Dufur to free bridge to ?????????

Jjdun7, AJ and I went up kethum about a week and half ago and hit snow around 3700ft, close to brooks meadow. With the good weather the snow melt may have raised another couple hundred, may be. I wouldn't count on anything in the deep dark shade above 4K. Plenty of lower alternates though for making your way over to freebridge.

[Apple Jam]

Originally Posted by jjdun7

Yey you Hood riders, noob here. well I was planing on running from Tigard to Mosier to husky road to brooks meadow to Dufur to free bridge to ????????? Sunday Monday. Fut it sounds like you guys still have a lot of snow
Howbout a snow report. I think I will have to modify my plans.
Like I read in here,,,,,,,,,, the best adventure starts with piss poor planning

From Mosier or FS17 to Brooks Meadows will still be snowed in, but FS 44 across to Dufur is now open !!!!
You can also do Eastside Rd out of Hood River to Old Dalles Rd, to Elder Rd to Husky Rd to Mosier,
then old Hwy 30 or State Rd/7-Mile to The Dalles,
then there's lots of good riding on 15 Mile Rd to Freebridge, then on to Center Ridge Rd and Tygh Ridge.

Not a scenic as the FS44 Forests, IMO, but it certainly has a beauty all it's own.
PM me if you would like route help

I think the BEST adventures start with NO planning, Piss poor planning is another thing

[jjdun7]

Hey apple jam thanks for the information. I agree with the no planning. My last several rides have been fantastic. And started with..... go in that general direction and see what happens.
But now you've given me some new ideas. Again thank you for your help.

[Craig McCurdy]

Went for a little ride today and I don't think I'll hear the end of it from TourPro's But we did stop a "LOT" "TOOK TONS OFF PHOTO'S" & "RODE REAL SLOW" you would have hated it Chris!
Posted the ride up in "Day Trippin" on the "Rides out the back door" thread.

[el guapo nada]

I will be around all weekend, so, if your unplanned journey lands you in The Dalles at some point, I could show you some of the roads I know around here. Mostly paved, but oh so scenic. Come to think of it, The Dalles Mountain Ranch road (unpaved) over to Goldendale and back down to Lyle via Klickitat Valley would most likely be a doable, fun and ultra scenic little loop.....

[jjdun7]

thanks for the invite. this is drivin me crazy. every time I come on here I find more places I want to go. I have Sun, Mon, Tues, off. Changed the oil and filter on the wee. I'm just watching the weather.

[Apple Jam]

Matloik and I took a little forest ride yesterday, to see how high in the surrounding upper HR valley hills we could get.

First news of importance for locals: Red Hill bridge over Middle Fork HR is now PAVED
It looks ready to go, but a small track-hoe was still blocking the new bridge.
It's bucket arm was just tall enough to sneak a couple of bikes through it, however

We could ride all the way up this sweet one-lane forest paver, and over the first hill,
but finally got stopped by snow on the very last small valley before cresting the last hill to Lolo Canyon.
An up and back today, but soon this SWEEEEET LOOP will be open for riding and converta-blazin' !!!!!!


Well, I had heard Lost Lake's main road had been plowed, so that was next. Yep.
Without the plow, it looks like it would be another month with all the snow berms we passed on the way up.



All the way to the lake.





On the way down the hill, it seemed obvious that we needed to check out how far we could get on the North end of Lolo Pass.

We made it to about two miles into the gravel section, before seeing this:


It did not look very big, and it appeared to cause very little actual road damage, it just covered it up a bit.



But yesterday, I was still on the Shadow, with a very bald back tire.
Next week, when KaTy M finds her way back into my life,
this little bump in the road shall be BREACHED !!

SUMMER IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!