Excellent news on the trail meeting at Fort Stevens this week. This just in from Dan Stephens, who has been organizing the local efforts to keep bike access to the trails:

Just wanted to let you both know how the trail meeting with Mike Stein at Ft Stevens went last Tuesday.

It was very informative meeting and was very well attended (19 bikers attended) much to Mikes surprise, very glad the local Lower Columbia Bike Project club showed up with a few of its members.

The meeting was great to do a face to face with the Park and Mike, set up future meetings and a trail walk through as well as contact info for both the State, Bike Club, Horse group and Camp Kiwanilong which has property and trails in the area we now ride.

But the main issue was the trail signage and we did get that cleared up and Mike was finally able to understand that any sign with a bike and line through it no matter what color the line was still meant “No Bikes” so he is going to look into new signs for the bike which will show its Mt Biking trails and not restricted.

This most likely will take a few months so hopefully come summer this will all be cleared up.

I want to thank you for your support on this subject.

 

Thanks to everyone that attended, and especially Dan for taking point on this.

Related posts:

1. Ft Stevens trails closed to bikes? ACTION ALERT
2. LCBP Meeting Minutes; 11 2009

Local mountain biker brought this to our attention- it seems we are in danger of losing access to the Ft. Stevens single track trails. This in from Dan Stephens:

I have been riding out at Ft Stevens for the last 20 years on the single track some of which I help put in or basically connected elk trails. Just before the first of the year I noticed a sign along side of the road just before the Peter Iredale  parking lot at the entrance to a new trail which goes to Parking Lot A out by the jetty. While in the summer time when I rode this new trail it was way to sandy but this winter when wet was a real good ride. But just before the first of the year a new sign was at  its trail head and on it it allow Horses, Hikers, Dogs and then had the mark of death a bike with a red circle and line through it!

I called and talked to Justin and asked how this can be? He told me since the horse people put this trail in and paid for the sign they could have it put up?

Carol leads Inga up one of the many single track trails at Ft. Stevens. Photo: Jason Van Horn

But told me they were not going to police the trail and I would still be able to ride it?

He would not tell me who authorized the wording on the sign or why one user group was being restricted from our local state park.

I thought well no big deal, I’m not going be an outlaw biker and get into confrontations with the horse people I’ll just stay off that trail (oh BTW I ride at the park at least once a week) and there are plenty of other single tracks to ride out there.

Well I was wrong, after my ride this last Saturday I found another sign as I was coming out the end of the single track at the Delaura  Beach (was not there the week before) with the same no bikes allowed on it?They now have signage on both ends of the parks single track.

Now these trails (primitive) have been ridden by cyclists for well over 20 years (I’m one who has ridden them this long)  and now the horse group with help from the State Park has claimed them for themselves and stopped all biking on them, this is very WRONG, no trails ever have closed in this county as far as I know of and one user group should not be allowed to limit another especially when the group being discriminated against was the ones who first put the trails in this area even if they did pay for the signage!

I am asking for your support to fight this, Mike Stein is the district manager and has been contact and his response is “bikes cause erosion” “the bomb down the trails and scare the horses”

We all know about the new reports have come out showing biking on trails does as much damage as hiking whereas horses cause up to 100 times the damage as bikes and or hikers.

Now the good news, Mike Stein from Ft Stevens has been very gracious and would like to meet with us Tuesday February 22nd 5:30 PM so please let me know who can make it.

Now the really great news, Mr. Stein told me the signs are to be adjusted to allow bikes on the trails but still wants to meet with us to go over trail use, maintenance and future trail building, basically he would like to see/meet with the bike user group to build a bit of history and put faces on names (to prove it’s not just one or two folks involve in biking the trails)

If you can make this meeting and want additional contact info send an email to lowercolumbiabikeproject@gmail.com and we will get you the info. Or chime in on this thread created in the Forum.

And shouts out to Dan for leading the charge on this effort. We need more trails here on the coast! We have all ridden these trails for years, and our efforts to build up the cycling community on the coast need them. We’ve all done our part, picking up branches and keeping the trails we ride clear after storms, it is not ok for one user group to be discriminated against unfairly.

Related posts:

1. Fort Stevens Trail Meeting Update
2. Mountain Biking in Astoria, Oregon? Our wish list

Did you know that there is a BMX track at the Clatsop County fairgrounds? Once a year, for the last two years, Van Dusen Beverages has been sponsoring a free BMX race. If you want a great and safe place to take the kids out to play on dirt, this is it. Unfortunately the location isn’t quite ideal, so in the winter time it doesn’t drain well, but check it out this spring, and until then, enjoy the photo gallery.

Racers ready... there goes the gate. Alex Hansen and Ed Jones match their gates to the 20 inchers.

Riders on the final stretch

All photos used with the permission of the photographer, resident blogger and LCBP Web Designer/ Content Manager Jason Van Horn. Check out his portfolio, or his MTB blog, the ironically named ih8bikes.

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Lower Columbia Bike Project is currently hosting group rides on Wednesdays and Sundays. Wednesdays are generally night rides, so don’t forget to bring your lights or if you don’t have a light, contact us ahead of times as some people have a light to loan. Sunday rides are daytime rides and are longer in duration than the Wednesday rides. Please be aware that all rides are schedule/participation contingent so contact us ahead of time for times and location. If you are interested in attending please contact us at lowercolumbiabikeproject(at)gmail.com or call Jeff Lebo at (five oh 3) 2 nine 8 – 8 two zero 2, Ed Jones at (five oh 3) 3 three 8 – zero 3 two 5 or Travis Oja at (five oh 3) 7 four one – six 3 two 1 for information pertaining to upcoming rides. We hope to see you out there!

Related posts:

1. 1st MTB Group Night Ride a sucess

Just a quick update to let everyone know, we’re still here. It’s been a while since anything has been updated, but that’s all going to change. We are currently working towards our 501(c)(3) non-profit group status. Check back often as we will be posting dates for group rides, public meetings and trail work days very soon. We hope to see you all out riding or at a meeting. Until then, stop into the forums, sign up and post some messages.

Related posts:

1. Group rides are back….

Via the Daily Astorian. A Portland man is accused of deliberately hitting a bicycle rider with his truck on U.S. Highway 101 just south of Seaside last November is in Clatsop County Jail.

Stephan Joseph Fox, 23, was arraigned Thursday in Clatsop County Circuit Court on charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault and felony hit and run in connection with the incident, which severely injured Seaside chiropractor Seth A. Goldstein.

Judge Philip Nelson set bail for Fox at $250,000.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Brown said Goldstein, 48, has been receiving physical therapy since the crash. He uses canes to walk and is likely to continue to need physical therapy for the rest of his life, Brown said

Goldstein had routinely commuted several miles to and from his Seaside office by bicycle, according to Brown. On Nov. 18, Goldstein was riding his bike on the west side of Highway 101, well off the roadway, Brown said, when he was “struck and nearly killed” by Fox’s 1990 blue Ford Ranger pickup truck.

Click here to read the rest of this article

Stay safe out there on the roads, friends.

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What will it take to bring mountain biking and multi-use single track trails to Astoria, Oregon, and the rest of Clatsop County?

The first thing we are going to need are mountain bikers to speak up. We know you guys are out there. It’s why we built this website and created our group. Seaside, Cannon Beach, Knappa, and the other communities also have mountain bikers living there. However, it is clear that for most of you, mountain bike riding is primarily a solo activity, or one done with friends in a closed group. Many of the local riders drive up to three and a half hours regularly to ride single track trails, whether it’s to ride Ape Canyon on Mount St. Helens, or the Freeride Trails at Black Rock in Falls City. And that is totally cool. It’s the beauty of the sport. However, what about those times when you don’t want to drive your car, or your regular group isn’t available for a ride? There are no trails to ride here. Riding on logging road in the hills isn’t the experience most of us what on our bikes though. It isn’t remotely close to it.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Take a look at the area we are in on Google Maps. Look at all that green space, with the miles and miles of logging roads. There is plenty of opportunity for single track recreation, and the State Department of Forestry is open to considering it. The problem? They don’t see the need for it- mountain biking hasn’t had a voice. If anything new will be built, it will be for motorized use. Why? Because it’s clear there is a need. It is time for mountain bikers to stand forward and announce our presence, and to help make these trails we want to ride in our backyard happen, because no one is going to do it for us.

I’ll tell you what I wish for: trails, lots of them. A state of the art, multi-use trail system designed for the user experience of mountain biking that will be such a fun ride that people from all over will travel here just to ride it. It can happen. It should happen. It will happen. Eventually. Mountain biking is a growing sport, and sustainable trail design has really progressed in the last few years.  And when it does happen, the resulting recreational trails tourism that results will bring fresh faces, and their hard earned dollars. With that influx of fresh revenue, more trails can be built. It is a cycle we just have to begin, and getting started is our biggest hurdle.

It will start when we join together, and not before then. That is why I ask that if you’re reading this, please sign up for our mailing list. Stop by our forum and poke around, make a post introducing yourself. We’ve started the Lower Columbia Bike Project to represent all cyclists in the area, but we need our numbers to grow to make a difference.

Related posts:

1. Welcome

On November 21st, 66  people showed up in wind and rain to build new trail at Growlers Gulch outside of Longview, Washington. Among those individuals were Nick, Alex, Carol, Jason, Jeff L, Jeff O, and Travis of the Lower Columbia Bike Project. If you aren’t familiar with Growlers Gulch, it’s a network of trails located on Private Timberland in the Longview/Kelso area. Non-motorized recreational trails use is permitted, but due to the issues with motorized users riding there anyway, the location of the trails remains on the down low, and out of the public eye.

Gathering to head out

However, as the most extensive trail network within the shortest driving distance from the Astoria area, it also is a regular destination for many of our club’s mountain bike enthusiasts.

Jeff Lebo cutting the bench

As a number of us ride the trails, we wanted to give back some trail karma; especially since a number of Growlers locals expressed interest in offering reciprocal aid when we get the Taylorville project build days scheduled.

Jim Lemonds, the organizer, thanks the crowd for coming

So a number of us woke up early that Saturday morning and caravaned out to the trails, where we were split up into different groups. Travis, Jeff L, Jeff O, and myself elected to take on a section of flagging to build. It was a great opportunity to discuss trail building techniques, and best practices including how to do a proper bench cut, as well as grade reversals and drainage. While benching the trail we also implemented rolling grade dips, and knicks. The best part of course, comes when you test what you build. Before we left, our crew suited up and rode our newly constructed section of trail. After which we did a walk and talk of our section and the other crews work where our future crew leaders discussed trail building best practices.

for more on the Growlers Gulch build day, click here

Related posts:

1. Trail Work Party at Growlers Gulch
2. LCBP Meeting Minutes; 11 2009

Lower Columbia Bike Project’s first Trail Maintenance Day at Gnat Creek is coming up soon. We’re just waiting on a solid date to be decided on, pending land manager approval. This is a big first step for LCBP, as it is the start of our movement in creating and improving Clatsop County trails. Check back, as details will be posted as soon as we have them.

At the moment, Gnat Creek is the only official trail system easily accessible from Astoria. Our involvement with the Gnat Creek trail will help in paving the way for more projects.

Trail projects planned:

Our first priority will be brushing and trimming back the bushes that have grown up restricting sight lines. We will also be doing a prior walk through to plan additional projects. A number of stream crossings could use additional rock armoring. There is a section of trail that has become seriously eroded, and a retaining wall may be required. We may be able to re-bench the tread as well. Inga and I also noted a switchback that is a candidate for improvement as well.

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Our first group outing as the Lower Columbia Bike Project was a success! We had a total of 10 mountain bikers come out to ride, and all seemed to have a good time.

A few tips for our next ride:

Lights: having a good quality light will only make the experience better! There are a lot of great lights available, and with the advances of LED technology, the prices are coming down! We found that you don’t need a $300+ light system to have a great time.  Jeff Lebo was happy with hit helmet mounted MiNewt light; at $130 or so, it won’t break the bank, and with 110+ lumens of output he said he was able to see fine.

Exploring the installation during the night ride. Photo: Jason Van Horn

Other good options for budget lights that can do the job include Light and Motion’s Stella, and the 200L AA from Diontte looks like a good contender as well. At the moment, the runaway value appears to be the Magicshine 900. With almost 600 lumens of output (it is rated at 900, but according to posts on MTBR it is more like 600) and only $85 + shipping, it appears to be the deal! Inga and I each have one on order, and we’ll be sure to report how good they are. (or you’ll see on our next ride!)

Bikes/ Equipment: most of us were riding full suspension bikes on the ride. While Eddy and I enjoy riding fully rigid bikes with a single speed set up for the additional challenge, most found that having front and rear suspension added a huge margin of safety and comfort over the roots. We had a few riders that left early that were on fully rigid bikes- hopefully they still had fun, we hope to see them back. In addition, Jeff Lebo and I also were running our height adjustable seat posts that make navigating the technical sections much safer, as we were able to lower our seat posts out of the way.

riding at the Battery. Photo: JVH

Safety gear: There were a number of downed trees, and the wet roots we encountered took a few of us out, myself included. Knee/ shin protection is a good idea, especially when riding in the dark.

All and all, no was got lost, and no one was dropped, and we’re looking forward to our next ride!

Playing follow the leader. Photo: JVH

Related posts:

1. Group rides are back….
2. LCBP members join huge crowd in building trail in Longview