Post Canyon big day route

Overview
One of the original gravity networks in the U.S., Post Canyon has matured into a dense network of singletrack that challenges experience riders with a variety of trails. This allows visitors to choose their own adventure, from a quick 60-minute ride to an all-day loop that drops you down to the trailhead after nearly 3,400 vertical feet of descending. The local trail builders are an enthusiastic group, peppering these evergreen hills with everything from bermed turns to steep roll-downs.

Route Details
From the Seven Streams Staging Area you get a nice warmup along the namesake creek. As you depart the valley the climbing begins in earnest towards the Family Man Staging area. The climbing route begins to mix in roads and trails so it is best to frequently check your navigation device as you ascend up 8 Track, Riordin Hill Road, Sexy Beast, and the odd moto track. The climb is a workout but offers a good balance between technical challenge and efficiency, with scenic spots along the way to rest your legs and lungs.

The top of the ride crests at Dirt Surfer, a relatively new trail that packs a lot of fun and vertical into two miles. Quick drops, roots, berms, and some quick punchy climbs spit you out into a fast section with plenty of airtime. A quick jaunt up the road lets you revel in the highlights with your friends and then it’s back to business with a short, steep drop that reminds you the areas freeride roots are not too far below the surface.

The adrenaline keeps flowing as you pedal into Borderline, a half-mile segment chocked so full of berms that you’ll be dizzy when you exit it. A little mixed climbing and descending (keep an eye on that nav device) gets you to a technical, fast ridgeline descent with drops, G-outs, and roots. You’ll be grinning ear-to-ear as the last few massive berms dump you out at your car, ensuring you’ve wasted absolutely none of that painful climbing. While you may be tired you can take solace in knowing that Hood River, with its plethora of restaurants, brewpubs, and outdoor dining, is minutes away.

Riding Season
Its lower elevation and location along the east side of the Cascades ensures that Post Canyon opens before many others trails in the state, frequently at its best in early spring and late fall. Mid-summer can be a hot and the trails get loose so head up to the singletrack around Mt. Hood in July and August.

Post Canyon is a working forest so trails are frequently closed or rerouted as trees are harvested. Fortunately, the trail stewards are quick to arrive after the loggers have departed; if you’re lucky you may be the one to get fresh loam tracks on someone’s newest creation. Check with one of the several bike shops in Hood River for current conditions.