Recap: Resurrecting Rhozone - an Orogenesis & Hoodland Trails Collective Collaboration
This past weekend a hearty group of 20+ volunteers descended upon a long forgotten stretch of trail in the southernmost reaches of The Mt Hood National Forest. The area is affectionately referred to as “The Rhozone” as it is framed in by the Rhododendron Ridge Trail which spans the length of the ridge dividing this zone almost equally between Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson. With epic views of both mountains, deep loamy forest, rocky outcroppings, and beautiful Rhododendrons lining the trail - it is truly a spectacular place.
We set up basecamp in a nearby rock quarry amphitheater with amazing stargazing opportunities and ample room for parking and camping. From here we were able to access the trail and split into groups to better tackle the project of clearing overgrowth and downed trees throughout the trail corridor. We connected the corridor so that the trail was more visible and had a good “line of sight”. The trail was easy to identify as the path was well established, the bench cuts were still holding up, and the old “blazes” or trail markers were visible on trees along the trail.
This trail was originally built with great consideration for effective and efficient travel through the landscape and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was built specifically for mountain bikes! Although, it is actually an abandoned section of the PCT. It travels through some of the most beautiful forest and integrates perfectly with the surrounding landscape - leading to a wonderful trail experience. Our camp manager made sure everything was safe and secure while we were out on trail working both days and the camp vibes were high throughout the weekend.
We had volunteers coming from as far away as Seattle and Smith Rock with most coming from the Portland Area and the Mt Hood community. It was a diverse group of people with a wide range of trail work experience and backgrounds. We had great weather on both days with a mix of foggy mist, light drizzle, and warm sunshine. It was perfect for camping, working, and riding!
Shuttle support was provided by Oregon Territory Outfitters and all volunteers were provided with a shuttle ride on the trail after work each day. The riding was amazing and we were able to really enjoy the fruits of our labor as we got to ride the trail after clearing it. These trails will need a lot more love to bring them back from the brink but with more volunteer work parties like this one we will be able to enjoy them for generations to come.
To learn more about “The Rhozone” please sign up for the Orogenesis newsletter below, as well as the Hoodland Trails Collective website to find out when the next work party will be.
Trailforks has all current conditions and ride info.
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