I had always wanted to “complete” the Surveyors Ridge Trail, having never walked the far northern section, which begins near Pine Mont Road about 10 miles south of Hood River. Two forays in years past were stifled when (1) I arrived at the trailhead at the same time as a fleet of motorcycles which buzzed up the trail kicking up a huge cloud of dust, making the idea of a sortie rather unprepossessing; and (2) a timber sale had closed the trail temporarily.
Indeed, this section of the trail is really a rubbly old road that doubles as a motorcycle track and is also traveled by mountain bikers and horses. There are no signs forbidding motorcycles, and specifically designated motorcycle paths peel off the Surveyors Ridge Trail here, so I assume it’s legitimately one of those ‘big tent’ trails that embraces all types.
It was a quiet Monday when I arrived this time and headed up the route in shady woods. Only a small paper sign marked the trail and the 300 motorcycle trail also comes in here. There’s a large clearcut on the lower section of the trail, and I took the first singletrack to stay in the forest. Up on the ridge, I hit a clearcut and the Surveyors Ridge Trail again, getting views to the Washington peaks.
I took very meandering biker diversion on the east side of the ridge which I would not recommend and then hit the main trail at the only official sign I saw. Several road tracks start branching off, so you have to be careful to stay at or near the ridgecrest. Soon the trail became a tunnel of green on the last long ascent to Bald Butte (luckily, I didn’t meet any motorbikes here, coming or going).
It was prime time for wildflowers, with the balsamroot going off in the exposed summit area. Of course, the view to Mt. Hood is magnificent, and there were excellent views down the Hood River Valley as well as to peaks on Waucoma Ridge (Indian Mountain, Green Point, Defiance). I encountered five motorcycles on the quiet Monday (two singles and a group of three), all polite and gone before I knew it. Don’t go on a weekend, though.
** For wildflower IDs,, you can run your cursor over the image.
Bald Butte from the north 6-5-23
- adamschneider
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Re: Bald Butte from the north 6-5-23
It's too early for Penstemon procerus; that's probably P. subserratus.
Re: Bald Butte from the north 6-5-23
Yes! Thank you. That one had completely slipped my mind . . .
Re: Bald Butte from the north 6-5-23
FWIW, there are lots of moto-legal trails near Surveyor's, but Surveyor's itself is officially closed to motos.
Re: Bald Butte from the north 6-5-23
The 300 motorcycle trail transitions to the 300 ATV/motorcycle trail a.k.a. Survyeors Ridge Trail at the north trailhead, at least according to the Hood River County Tree Farm Map. It looks like the Surveyors Ridge Trail is coded O.K. for ATVs all the way to the summit of Bald Butte.