Prepare for Changes

It’s going to take me awhile to grieve. The lower trails are being logged, and they were near and dear to my heart. Nothing to do but keep building trail. Even with the logging, we will still have nearly 50 miles of single-track. It will just be a matter of knowing how to access them.

I’ve been riding trail at Growlers for 27 years. Prior to 1995, we rode gravel. Why? Because there was no trail. There were a few lines at Stella, but that was it for the local area.

The first trail I built was called the Melton Trail. It came off the gravel, headed west, then turned south and continued between what is now (or was until this month) BAP and Frosty Balls. My dad had a big brush mower. I hauled it up through the Melton side in my pickup. That thing was so powerful it could cut through a metal water pipe. It was also very heavy.

I got it started off the gravel, figuring that if I headed pretty much downhill I would destroy everything in my path. All was good until I got to the back end (where Trail of Tears and Frosty Balls intersect). Just as I was heading back up the hill, the machine died and I couldn’t get it started. Thankfully, I was a lot younger then. I had to get on my hands and knees to move the wheels a few feet at a time. What a workout to get it back to the top.

So many great memories of the lower trails. We had several FHOPs down there, as well as a time trial on Cousin Eddie. In those days, no one was in the physical condition people are in now. We had a few miles of trail. We rode those and were satisfied, but it wasn’t the kind of workout you get if you are heading for Outer Limits.

We were very fortunate to have no logging at Growlers for the first 20 years of my ride career. It’s a new paradigm now. The only question is how we deal with it.

I’ve made some predictions about how things are going to play out. I haven’t seen anything to change my mind. Here is the course I expect us to take.

• We keep the events going. The Climbing Championship was a big success. The Trials Championship is coming up. One way or another, we will do our best to have the FHOP, the Enchilada, and the Tour de Gulch. Those events bring us together as a community, and that is what is most important.
• We continue to build as much as can as fast as we can. We continue to get great turnouts for our work parties and get contributions from virtually everyone who rides at Growlers. We have no plans to stop.
• The previous bullet refers only to trails under canopy. Maybe things will change with the passing of a few years, but right now I have no plan to build more trail in areas that have been clearcut. We currently have five miles in clearcut areas and can’t keep those miles maintainted. This means new builds will be a ways from the trailhead.
• The days of driving in through the Melton side are over. If you plan to ride at Growlers, you will need to deal with riding up the Power Line Hill. That’s going to mean more parking pressure. Be sure you follow the rules. If you see someone parking where they shouldn’t it is your responsibility to get them squared away.
• It’s biting off a lot, but I am committed to working on trail at St. Helens and Scout Lake and to keeping the bike park in play.
• It will be increasingly important for riders to know the system and be able to put trails together to make up a ride. I will do my best to post get-to-know Growlers rides, but if you are relatively new it is on you to reach out and set up tours with GG veterans. There are no signs and no maps; that is not going to change You will need to decide how you are going to learn what we have so that you can take advantage of it.