[ORRando] Mt Hood area road conditions?

[Michael Wolfe]

On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Dan Silvernail <dansilvernail at gmail.com>wrote:

> Got a couple of questions for you all, regarding road conditions around Mt
> Hood.
>
> The reason I ask is that next Tuesday I am doing a similar ride to the
> Barlow Trail 300, but instead of starting in Sandy, I am starting in West
> Linn and I will be cutting off the Maupin section. (basically, W-Linn, OR
> City, Sandy, G' Camp, T-Lake, 224 to Estacada, on home)
>

Sounds like a nice ride.  I've done basically the same ride, except starting
at Mt. Tabor.  Do come back for the Barlow 300, as the descent on 216 and
the climb on NFD 48 are both first rate.


>
> Anyway, the first question is about road 5810 that comes off of road 57.
> Is it paved?  I ask because I will be descending and I don't really want to
> descend on gravel.
>

5810 is paved.  The Barlow 300 uses it.  The only caveat is, there's a
section around Anvil Creek where the road disappears completely for about
1/4 mile, becomes hard packed single track, and you have to ford the creek.
If you're completely uncomfortable with the surface, it only takes a few
minutes to walk it, and in high summer, the creek is dry.  (I did it in June
on a long wheelbase touring recumbent, fully loaded, and had no trouble
riding the singletrack and crossing the stream -- in the section with the
singletrack, the whole road right-of-way is clear.)  There will be a staffed
control there to assist folks on the Barlow 300, but it really shouldn't be
an issue.


>
> Second question:  have any of you ridden on roads 29, 31, 35 and Kiwanis
> Camp?  They parallel Hwy 26.  I don't really mind riding Hwy 26 but if I can
> take some alternate roads it would be a nice change of scenery.
>
>

The roads near Camp Creek campground, just past Rhododendron?  I've ridden
in that area (on a mountain bike ride), though I can't say for sure if I was
on those roads specifically.  It's kind of a maze back there, and the roads
aren't well marked.  I'd advise you to just stay on 26; the shoulder is
fine.

-Michael "won't have this kind of encyclopedic knowledge of the local roads
after I move up to Seattle next week" Wolfe
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