Hello Trail Lovers,

The trails are tacky, the days are long, and riding season is in full swing. This newsletter installment covers a little bit of everything: opportunities to lend a hand at upcoming work parties, changes to parts of the trail system, family-friendly riding, wildlife awareness, a Whoopdee update, and a timely discussion about uphill traffic on downhill trails.

In this edition:

• Upcoming Work Parties
• Decommissioning Meatball Hill
• Families at Family Man
• Lions, (no) Tigers and Bears … Oh My
• Whoopdee Status
• Uphill Traffic on Downhill Trails

Upcoming Work Parties

There are quite a few work parties coming up.There are many opportunities to help keep the trails we love in great riding shape. The list below includes opportunities ranging from “no experience necessary” to multi-day camping based efforts.

Post Canyon

• June 7 9:00 – 1:00. Family Man Staging Area. This is a brushing work party. Brushing is basically trimming back the vegetation along the trails. No experience necessary. Please remember your parking permits. While there is always good communication with the other local trail groups we did manage to schedule this on the same day 44 Trails is also having a brushing work party. The best laid plans…..

44 Trails

Here is a summarized list of 44 trails work parties for the year. You can find more info on their website: 44 Trails

• June 7 9:00 – 2:00 (a popular work party date). 44 Trails Hub near the intersection of FS17 and FS1720.  The team needs help with brushing and tread work. 
• July 12 9:00 – 2:00.  44 Trails Hub near the intersection of FS17 and FS1720. Project is TBD. 
• August 16 9:00 – 2:00.  44 Trails Hub near the intersection of FS17 and FS1720. Project is TBD. 
• September 17-20  7:00 – 5:00. 44 Trails is partnering with Trans-Cascadia to work on Boulder Creek near Government Camp. Details and signup are Trans-Cascadia Work Party 4.
  • Gourmet meals will be served.
  • Registered volunteers will receive specific location, detailed logistics and packing information by email in the weeks leading up to the event.

Falls Creek Area (NWTA)

This trail and work party is in close proximity to the Hood River area, and may be of interest.

• June 6 9:30 – TBD. Oldman Pass.  A trail adopter needs help with tread work, brushing and drainage. There are bigger future plans for this area which will be shared at the work party. This is a great area and would provide some varied riding opportunities in close proximity.

Decommissioning Meatball Hill

There have been questions and concerns regarding the decommissioning of “meatball hill” at the beginning bottom of Spaghetti factory. It was decommissioned by HRATS volunteers in cooperation with Hood River County Forestry (HRCF), despite its historic presence and the love, frustration, and challenge it created for riders over the years.

While there were requests from stakeholders within both HRATS and HRCF to create the new climb trail while also maintaining the original Meatball climb, that option was ultimately not feasible due to guidance provided by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), the Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Hood River Watershed Group, whose recommendations HRCF follows.

The hill was experiencing significant erosion and depositing sediment directly into a fish-bearing stream. After years of discussion between the trail adopter, HRCF, and HRATS regarding a reroute for “Meatball Hill,” changes were ultimately implemented due to the ongoing deteriorating condition of the climb. Additionally, the decision to decommission the hill was a key factor in obtaining approval for the Chuck Line Trail and allowing portions of the trail to encroach within the Riparian Management Area (RMA) of Post Canyon Creek.  

This topic will be discussed at the next HRCF Recreational Trails Committee (RTC) meeting, which is open to the public and scheduled for June 4, 2026, at 5:30 PM at the Hood River County Administration Building.

Additional information about the RTC meeting

As always HRATS Board meetings are public as well next meeting is Sunday August 9th, 2026 5:30pm Hood River County Library 

Families at Family Man

Have you made it out to one of these events yet? If not, there’s still plenty of time! These family-friendly evenings have been a huge hit, introducing kids to mountain biking, building confidence on the trails, and creating countless smiles along the way. Join us every Thursday from 6:00–8:00 PM through July 2 for fun, skills, and community.

July 2 is the second Familias at Family Man. This date will have added focus on our Spanish speaking community.

Lions, (no) Tigers and Bears … Oh My

We’ve recently received reports of both cougar and bear sightings in Post Canyon. While these encounters are relatively uncommon, they serve as a reminder that we share the forest with wildlife and should always be aware of our surroundings.

Recently, A cougar was reportedly seen near Trail 140 and 8-Track, while a bear was spotted on Kleeway. Notably, these sightings occurred on well-traveled sections of the trail system rather than in remote areas. That said, wildlife can cover large distances and these observations represent a single moment in time—not an indication that an animal remains in a particular location.

As always, ride alert, keep your head up, and be mindful of your surroundings. Most wildlife encounters are brief and uneventful, but awareness is one of the best tools we have for staying safe on the trail.

Whoopdee Status

Forestry activities continue to impact the outer loop at Whoopdee, which remains closed until further notice. We’ll keep the community informed and will send an immediate update when the trail is officially reopened. The good news is that Ronnoc and the climb-out remain open and ready to ride.

We’re also working on a temporary connector that could provide a 10–12 mile loop in the coming weeks, helping restore some of the riding experience while longer-term rebuilding efforts move forward.

Please continue to respect all trail closures. Riding closed sections not only creates safety concerns, but could also put future access to Whoopdee at risk and delay reopening efforts.

Uphill Traffic on Downhill Trails

We’ve recently received reports of riders traveling uphill on trails that are traditionally understood and ridden as downhill-only routes. Regardless of bike type, climbing designated downhill trails can create dangerous situations for all trail users, as descending riders may not expect uphill traffic and often have limited sight lines and stopping distance. As a general rule, if a trail is steep enough that most riders wouldn’t normally pedal up it on a traditional mountain bike, it’s likely intended to be ridden downhill. Please help keep our trail system safe by respecting established trail direction and yielding appropriately when encountering other users. 

HRATS

Categories: Advocacy, mountain bike