1000 Volunteer Hours Donated
Project Zones: Willamette National Forest: Grasshopper
Project Map: https://caltopo.com/m/60PL
About This Project
In the never ending search for trails to ride and staying true to our blind race philosophy, word was out amongst our community that we were interested in finding and maintaining our backcountry trail networks. Our USFS contact on the Middle Fork Ranger District (Oakridge) was nice enough to share with us some of the trails he felt fit our event needs as well as checked the boxes on some of the USFS deferred maintenance backlogs. An unsaid exchange of volunteer labor for trail information, sweet, we were excited! The topography, the depth of backcountry and the uniquely meadowed landscape was such a sweet treat to stumble upon.
As we look back on our first time setting wheels on this trail, it felt pioneering. Moments where the trail would end and we’d be left searching for any remnants of what was once a more defined mountain top pathway.
The Grasshopper Stage of TC, as we ran it in the race was a Point to Point, beginning at Grasshopper Point to the bottom of Box Canyon and Road 19. It’s a nice little 12 mile bike ride with +2467 of Ascent and -4166' of Glorious Backcountry Descent. Just 12 miles huh? Yep, a comprehensive 12 that you’ll forever remember.
As the trail sat, it was unrideable. We needed to get it running if we wanted to use it for the event which meant cutting hundreds of downed trees and miles of brush work. A small group of us took a stab at this maintenance backlog in the Fall of 2015. For a few days we camped out at Box Canyon Campground, lit large fires, drank whiskey and consumed copious amounts of well executed camp cooking. We then proceeded to break ourselves off each day, working long days, with eyes wide open at the thought of cutting the trail out and turning it into one of the best backcountry rides in Oregon. To this day, the obsession to care for this trail continues. On any given day in the summer you’ll find one of us, likely alone, maintaining a sweet little piece of mountain bike paradise.
