Mt. Hood area getting a OHV overhaul.

[TeamCF]

Just saw this in the Sandy Paper today.

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects/

 

So the Mt. Hood forest is gonna get a OHV overhaul.

At least we get to have some sort of say in it.

 

I've known for a couple years they were gonna do some class 2 trails out in the LaDee Flats area (the closed but still wheeled area east of Estacada). But progress has been slow. Even found a trail map at one point showing where they were gonna be on the FS website.

 

And I have a map from the Mt. Defiance area around Hood River that has the class 2 trails marked on it already but they are not open yet. The dirtbike/ATV trails are open and you can get the map in the parking area.

 

But this whole plan will determine the final outcome of what goes where and how much we get.

 

Just thought I'd pass this along for the peeps near me.

[Spiffy]

awesome news! I like wandering around the mt hood forest and some ohv areas for our subarus would be great...

[TeamCF]

Oh yeah.

As usual it looks like the dirtbikes/ATVs will be getting the majority of the trail miles set for them. But there are supposed to be some for us too.

 

And something is better than being locked out completely.

[cmiller]

cool, can;t wait to check them out when they open:slobber:

[mthoodsub]

Awesome!

 

Hope all goes well with this. Cant wait to see the new trails:banana:

[mthoodsub]

I just read through some of the doc

 

As of now OHV use is allowed on some 2400 miles of road, and 49 miles of trails(mostly motorcycle).

 

They offer 4 Alternatives

 

Alternative 1- Do nothing

Alternative 2- 6 locations,124 miles of road and 97 miles of trail

Alternative 3- 8 locations, 223 miles of road and 102 miles of trail

Alternative 4- 3 locations, 59 miles of road, 40 miles of trail.

 

Thats all BEFORE the 13 pages of Table of Contents:eek:

[TeamCF]

Yeah it's alot of reading. I've looked at most of it but I need to just download the whole thing and bug my eyes out one night at it.

 

I was looking at one of the maps they have showing the whole area.

One of the alternatives looks like they will be closing off a bunch of areas, but also opening up a bunch of areas to "open cross country travel" (according to thier chart of different colored areas).

As well as the planned trails.

Meaning (if they use the same definiton as the BLM for it) that as long as you don't needlessly tear things up or go into a extra sensative spot, you can just turn off the road and head on through the brush. (basicly blazing a new trail if others end up following)

 

I really don't see the hippies letting that plan happen though.

 

There is a place in eastern OR that is BLM owned that is like that. It's a set up OHV area, but if you respect it you are allowed to venture off trail, just don't plow down small trees and such. They allow it so the occasional stock rig can bypass certain parts of trails. And so if you see something you like off in the distance, you can just head right for it. Sounds odd, but it's true. (at least as of the last time I checked and was supposed to go out there with a group of Jeeps this past spring)

 

I guess in the end we will see.

Like I said. Something is better than nothing. They do state in there though that they do not want to Mt. Hood to be known as a destination for OHV use.

They do not want to compete with TSF.

 

Gotta get some letter writing done.

 

I can't help but see an Alternative 5 get pulled out of someones butt at the last minute though.

 

"Altenative 5: Same as alternative 1 but add more locked gates."

Edited September 11, 2009 by TeamCF