MTBing for kids in OR (or nearby)

[::: :::]

MTB trails/areas for kids?
any suggested areas for kids riding within 3-4 hrs of pdx?

my son is eight. he's a decent rider, but bitches loudly at uphills...and he's just a kid, not a phenom. i had a fantasy of taking my son to black rock and camping for the weekend, but, if i'm reading correctly, there's a multi-mile uphill approach (kinda like sandy ridge).

so, i'm liking the idea of father/son camping/biking weekends for the summer season, but i want to set him up for awesomeness and no bitching/drama

are there more temperate areas to ride where a kid will have fun and not be put off by adult sized features? [think xc, easy flow trail, or skills areas]

we've done easyclimb, stub stewart st park & post canyon's family man (and not nearby: pig farms near whitefish) - these have all had great spots where he can have fun. I've heard phil's is a good candidate near bend.
(for reference on the too-hard side: we tried ski bowl lift-served, the loop at govie & the bridle trail down from govie to rhodedendron, & a lift-served day at whitefish...these were too much, too soon)

thanks up front for any help on this!

[superstator]

Phil's complex sounds right up your alley, maybe the lower McKenzie river trail.

I've done the MRT with young riders a couple times, and we were able to just treat it as an out and back, and once the going got too tough for them turn around and cruise back.

[markb]

For close to PDX definitely hit up Powell Butte. It's near town and has some nice zig-zag options that can give you an hour or more of non-technical riding. And you know you can ride on the fire roads in forest park? Again a nice intro and non-tech.

Maston between Tumalo and Redmond is flat and flowy with very few rocks to navigate. Real sandy though so that season's starting to end (great last night though after the snow). And the DRT over here the rest of the year.

Driving up above the steep section at the north end of surveyor's ridge gives something pretty rolly with only a few tech sections. The crosstown trail area behind Gov Camp is mellow too.

[TBS]

For XC, Eightmile Creek or Surveyors as an out-back (when he runs out of gas) might be reasonable. They are off Road 44 about 8 miles north of the HRM access road.

Think about Timothy Lake trail too. Same for Waldo Lake. Both are fairly flat trails, have built in camping, plus some fishing to break up the sufferfests.

Are the features in Scappoose too rowdy for him?

[::: :::]

For close to PDX definitely hit up Powell Butte. It's near town and has some nice zig-zag options that can give you an hour or more of non-technical riding. And you know you can ride on the fire roads in forest park? Again a nice intro and non-tech.

Maston between Tumalo and Redmond is flat and flowy with very few rocks to navigate. Real sandy though so that season's starting to end (great last night though after the snow). And the DRT over here the rest of the year.

Driving up above the steep section at the north end of surveyor's ridge gives something pretty rolly with only a few tech sections. The crosstown trail area behind Gov Camp is mellow too.

Powell Butte might work for an in-town ride - haven't been there in a long while
Forest Park fire roads may not have features but they are steep and require that you get up them first - probably not a good choice
I'll look up Maston & DRT
I haven't been up to Surveyor's Ridge in forever; I'll look into that one too. i remember it to be flowy except the north end ascent/descent to the ranger station
the crosstown in govie is the one i was referring to as the loop - it was really bumpy/rocky when we were there...he wedged his tire every 20 ft on that one...not fun at the time.

thanks, markb!

[::: :::]

For XC, Eightmile Creek or Surveyors as an out-back (when he runs out of gas) might be reasonable. They are off Road 44 about 8 miles north of the HRM access road.

Think about Timothy Lake trail too. Same for Waldo Lake. Both are fairly flat trails, have built in camping, plus some fishing to break up the sufferfests.

Are the features in Scappoose too rowdy for him?

I'll look up eightmile cr
We'll add the lakes to the list and see how they go - might be a little boring but maybe not...and lots to do otherwise while there - good suggestions!

Re: scappoose: I have no idea; i haven't been there yet, but we'll check them out. he's good on pump track features, but throw those into a descending line and he hits the brakes

thanks, telebobski!

[::: :::]

anyone been on the lewis river trail recently?
I was up there years ago and my memory of it is hazy