). Found myself on a trail that didn't make sense, didn't seem to belong there. Sure enough, there was a bridge that didn't look familiar, confirming this was new. Followed it a bit, curious. Found myself on the downhill side of the microwave towers. Went the other way (west) until I came to an odd large-radius switchback. None of this made sense. What purpose does this serve, I wondered? Utter nonsense, I opined. And an existing trail was blocked off with branches. Weird. As you know from my topic title, I now realize, thanks to a little googling, that I stumbled into the new Timberline Bike Park. I had heard about that, but I was under the impression it was going to utilize existing roads.
A few humorous quotes from the official website:
"The Timberline to Town Trail is now open but be aware of snowy spots. Riders should respect the trail and existing vegetation to prevent erosion. For this reason, it is imperative that riders stay on the trail and do not make their own trails."
"It is of utmost importance that we protect Mt. Hood's water resources, prevent erosion, revegetate the landscape, and promote bee habitats while the bike park is under construction and operating in the future. Timberline's Trail Crew [is] working closely with Timberline's own Environmental Coordinator and the US Forest Service to make the Timberline Bike Park a sustainable and environmentally-conscious project."
"On March 31, the Oregon US District Court dismissed the Timberline Bike Park law suit. Timberline is very pleased with the Court’s decision." Actually, I believe this one.
"Other facilities slated to open with the Bike Park include a full service retail bike shop offering repairs, rentals and sales, as well as existing Timberline Food and Beverage concessions." Of course.
source: https://www.timberlinelodge.com/mountain/bike-park
