Surveyor's Ridge
Location - South East of Hood River, Oregon
Length - 12 miles
Date - July, 2007
Length - 12 miles
Date - July, 2007
Early in July of 2007 we headed to Hood River for a
weekend of mountain biking and kayaking. A great ride
on the Fifteen Mile Creek Trail and an afternoon of
kayaking on the White Salmon, followed by a night on the
town celebrating our buddy's upcoming wedding left us
worn out on Sunday. Luckily our plan for shuttling the
Surveyor's Ridge Trail would leave us with a rolling
descent dropping approximately 3,000 feet.
Crystal clear blue skies and low humidity made for
perfect riding conditions and epic views of Mt Hood which
looms large across the valley of the East Fork of the
Hood River. I was excited to check out this classic
Oregon single track and didn't feel too bad about not
riding it as an out and back.
The ride starts out on a rolling single track that briefly
turns into a wider logging road and passes a few trail
intersections. Generally the idea is to stay to the left and
follow the west side of the ridge downhill. Things
eventually become non technical single track an the trail
starts to drop more steadily through meadows and dense
patches of forest with frequent clearings that provide
amazing views of Mt Hood and the picturesque valley
lying in its shadow. We raced along at a pretty steady clip
and I found the trail very rideable for my skill level. A few
short but steep climbs are found, but nothing is too bad,
especially since the vast majority of the ride is downhill. In
a few spots the trail gets pretty narrow and rocky as it
winds along the edge of the ridge, but it is never really
very exposed. The few technical stretches that we did
comer across were lots of fun and not a problem.
We took plenty of time to enjoy the views as we worked
our way down the trail. To the north the snow capped
summits of Mt Adams, Mt Hood, and even distant Mt
Rainier stood out in a line like sentinels watching over the
valleys below. The uniform spacing between the major
volcanic peaks of the Cascades is obvious from this
vantage point, and the clear atmosphere made the far off
mountains seem almost close enough to touch. To the
south Mt Jefferson was barely visible. We really could
not have asked for more perfect conditions since the
weather was incredible, the trail was dry but not too
dusty, and we had a solid group of friends that was able
to stray together and keep an eye out for each other.
weekend of mountain biking and kayaking. A great ride
on the Fifteen Mile Creek Trail and an afternoon of
kayaking on the White Salmon, followed by a night on the
town celebrating our buddy's upcoming wedding left us
worn out on Sunday. Luckily our plan for shuttling the
Surveyor's Ridge Trail would leave us with a rolling
descent dropping approximately 3,000 feet.
Crystal clear blue skies and low humidity made for
perfect riding conditions and epic views of Mt Hood which
looms large across the valley of the East Fork of the
Hood River. I was excited to check out this classic
Oregon single track and didn't feel too bad about not
riding it as an out and back.
The ride starts out on a rolling single track that briefly
turns into a wider logging road and passes a few trail
intersections. Generally the idea is to stay to the left and
follow the west side of the ridge downhill. Things
eventually become non technical single track an the trail
starts to drop more steadily through meadows and dense
patches of forest with frequent clearings that provide
amazing views of Mt Hood and the picturesque valley
lying in its shadow. We raced along at a pretty steady clip
and I found the trail very rideable for my skill level. A few
short but steep climbs are found, but nothing is too bad,
especially since the vast majority of the ride is downhill. In
a few spots the trail gets pretty narrow and rocky as it
winds along the edge of the ridge, but it is never really
very exposed. The few technical stretches that we did
comer across were lots of fun and not a problem.
We took plenty of time to enjoy the views as we worked
our way down the trail. To the north the snow capped
summits of Mt Adams, Mt Hood, and even distant Mt
Rainier stood out in a line like sentinels watching over the
valleys below. The uniform spacing between the major
volcanic peaks of the Cascades is obvious from this
vantage point, and the clear atmosphere made the far off
mountains seem almost close enough to touch. To the
south Mt Jefferson was barely visible. We really could
not have asked for more perfect conditions since the
weather was incredible, the trail was dry but not too
dusty, and we had a solid group of friends that was able
to stray together and keep an eye out for each other.
We decided to turn off and descend Oak Ridge to a
trailhead on the main road instead of dropping down
the entire Surveyor's Ridge Trail proper. It was obvious
that we would be loosing lots of elevation in a short
distance, but I was surprised to find that the trail down
started out as buffed single track with some steep and
sharp, but manageable, switchbacks. Unfortunately, this
did not last, and things got nasty. The trail entered a
section of really steep and rocky switchbacks that were
much too severe for me to ride. I was feeling pretty
about walking so much until I came to the top of a large
open meadow and saw everyone else scattered out
and weaving their way down the steepest pitch on foot.
When the path entered the woods again it mellowed out
and I was able to ride it all of the way down to the
parking lots. Here, nearly 3,000 feet lower than when
we started, the day was warm and we enjoyed a few
beers before cleaning up and making the drive back to
Eugene. This was a great ride and would be really
outstanding if turned into a loop by combing it with
some of the other excellent riding options in the
immediate area.
trailhead on the main road instead of dropping down
the entire Surveyor's Ridge Trail proper. It was obvious
that we would be loosing lots of elevation in a short
distance, but I was surprised to find that the trail down
started out as buffed single track with some steep and
sharp, but manageable, switchbacks. Unfortunately, this
did not last, and things got nasty. The trail entered a
section of really steep and rocky switchbacks that were
much too severe for me to ride. I was feeling pretty
about walking so much until I came to the top of a large
open meadow and saw everyone else scattered out
and weaving their way down the steepest pitch on foot.
When the path entered the woods again it mellowed out
and I was able to ride it all of the way down to the
parking lots. Here, nearly 3,000 feet lower than when
we started, the day was warm and we enjoyed a few
beers before cleaning up and making the drive back to
Eugene. This was a great ride and would be really
outstanding if turned into a loop by combing it with
some of the other excellent riding options in the
immediate area.
Mt Hood rises above the surrounding valleys and stands out like a jewel from almost all viewpoints on
the Surveyor's Ridge Trail.
the Surveyor's Ridge Trail.
Classic views and great singe track make riding Surveyor's Ridge an memorable experience. The
potential for loops and other nearby rides makes this a great biking destination.
potential for loops and other nearby rides makes this a great biking destination.
We probably spent a solid hour enjoying the various viewpoints found along Surveyor's Ridge which
made for a relaxed and enjoyable ride.
made for a relaxed and enjoyable ride.
Washington State's Mt Adams looms in the foreground while the distant Mt Rainier can be seen rising above some thin clouds in the
distance.
distance.
The lush Hood River Valley sits under the shadow of Mt Hood and its fertile volcanic soils produce some of the finsest crops of Apples,
Peaches, and Cherries in the entire state.
Peaches, and Cherries in the entire state.