snapshots of birth of a new trail...
Today Westside Trail Federation had walk-thru with Oregon Department of Forestry recreation trail manager for Tillamook State Forest (Forest Grove district). Milestone in the planning process. Still a few review cycles to make it thru but still on target for Spring 2010 build days.
First, some perspective (shared by Ryan McLane, the W.T.F. project lead for the Tillamook State Forest proposed DH trail network)...
Top of Black Rock to Basic Training skills area - 917 vertical feet
Top of Blackrock to Camp Tapawingo Parking Area - 1260 vertical feet
Whistler's Fitzsimmons (lower) chairlift - 1157 vertical feet
Timberline Lodge to Government Camp - 2000 vertical feet
Whistler's Garbanzo (UPPER) chairlift - 2200 vertical feetTillamook State Forest proposed DH "pilot" trail - 2230 vertical feet
Photos from Westside Trail Federation walk-thru
with ODF of one of the proposed DH trail routes - 4.5 miles of DH,
2,200 feet of elevation drop, lower/mid/upper parking, fully
shuttleable.
Photo doesn't do this area justice! This section here... is 35% grade...
Step down city baby! This section is undulating terrain for 1/4
mile. prime soil type. awesome grade. whoot! the entire 4 miles isn't
like this, but there's more this whole area offers - dialing in the
lines - linking it all together. many days of scouting over past years.
Finally moving things into the review cycle as part of planning
approval process. Moving the ball forward...
Thanks to all for your support and hard work!
Next steps...
Next steps... Additional tour, internal ODF review of plan, review by Tillamook Recreation Advisory Committee (TRAC) (shout out to Ryan Kilgren!), and review by State Forest Advisory Committee (SFAC). W.T.F. signing adopt-a-trail agreement with ODF with a fully approved trail management/risk management plan in place.
Goal: shovel ready by Spring 2010.
Awesome!
Must feel nice to finally have that walk-thru!
The upper section is SUPER steep, it will be a very technical and fast section. The middle zone (nice pic of that spot) is nice and open, with enough natural terrain to really make some fun berms, step-downs, etc.
Glad to hear it's moving along, it will add some diversity to the trails in the TSF.
-Tom
Keep in mind this is just
Keep in mind this is just one of about 6 proposed trails plus two session (skill) areas which are part of the 2, 5, 10 year build out plan!
We've been thinking of this area as a network of trails not just one or two trails.
Taking lots into consideration... parking for one thing and accessibility during building (and potential emergency access)... plus other existing uses and even future uses (like where the Wilson River Trail may come thru). And things like addition of areas people will hang out longer... like there's a lower anchor point identified near the bottom of the trail - a session/skill area... Which may, potentially, become the lower parking area (at least temporarily until Wilson River Trail comes thru and we know where it may make sense to route the very bottom of the trail for sure...)