Gray and gloomy in North Bonneville so Don came up to the Hood, where it was nice and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. We heard that the Route 44 trails were open, so we headed up to Surveyors Ridge. Parked at the power lines and headed up the service road to Route 44.
It’s a pretty solid uphill grind, nothing really super steep, but it’s about ten miles of steady uphill. After a good uphill workout, we hit 44 and down to the Dog River/Surveyors Ridge trailhead, where we saw a few vehicles, mostly looking like DH guys shuttling Dog River. We headed the other way up Surveyors Ridge. Still nice and sunny, there were a few patches of snow here and there.
There were a few blowdowns, but for the most part, the trail was clear of downed trees.
The trails were in really good shape, a little moist, but grippy and nice. Plenty of snowmelt feeding the seasonal creeks.
Halfway through the ride, a big black cloud came over Mt. Hood and parked right over Surveyors Ridge. Soon, there was a cold rain falling with a little hail thrown in.
Mt. Hood was stormy and unsettled. Storms coming over the foothills to the west were floating across the Hood River Valley over to Surveyors Ridge.
We headed along the ridge trail through the woods and headed back to the power lines. The rain made the rocks and roots slippery so we had to pay extra attention to the trail. Being a little cold and having wet handlebar grips and gloves made the downhill run home extra exciting.
Still, even with the less than perfect weather, Surveyors Ridge is still one of the best mountain bike rides around. Always fun and challenging to ride there.