The trails in Post Canyon are both sustainable and ultra-challenging.
The Gorge Freeriders Association works proactively with land managers to keep their trails open.
Let 'er rip.

Going Big in Hood River

In addition to top-notch windsurfing, kiteboarding and kayaking, Oregon's Hood River County offers phenomenal riding. But when the freeride stunts in the area known as Post Canyon caught the attention of the county's Forestry Department a few years ago, cyclists had to improve their relations with the land managers in order to keep their favorite trails and stunts intact. The State Forestry Department announced it would form a trails committee to help develop policy for various recreational activities. Mountain bikers made sure they were at the table, and the committee members worked hard to represent the entire mountain biking community - including freeriders - at the monthly meetings.

"The freeriding scene in Hood River is highly developed, with the Gorge Freeriders Association (GFRA) leading the charge," says Jake Felt, a founding GFRA member. "We showed the committee we could work productively with other recreation groups, including hikers and equestrians."

As a result, Post Canyon now offers a huge array of freeriding stunts, ranging in difficulty from intermediate to downright nasty. "On the Egg Drop trail, we installed a 12-foot bridge that drops you onto a wooden platform, then shoots you over a 6-foot wooden kicker," says Felt. Other features range from a series of progressively more challenging drop-offs to a jump that launches riders across a road gap.

Construction in Post Canyon is done in accordance with the guidelines set forth in IMBA's Trail Solutions book. "The book is an awesome resource - the county definitely liked the idea that we were meeting established guidelines. That helped answer a lot of their questions about the durability and stability of the stunts," says Felt.

The suggestions offered in this and other IMBA trailbuilding articles do not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Trailbuilders and landowners are responsible for the safety of their own trails and facilities. Freeriding and dirt jumping are high-risk activities that can result in serious injuries. IMBA's goal is to help land managers and volunteers manage these risks by sharing information.