Sandy Ridge - It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Sandy Ridge - just saying that brought up visions of riding nirvana.  That's what I thought because of what I had heard from other riders and read in magazines like Mountain Bike Action.  Once a quarter, a group of like minded riders plan a surprise trip.  We don't know the location or plan, we are just told to show up at a certain date and time and away we go.  The most recent trip turned out to be Sandy Ridge.  Of course the day we road it, Sandy Ridge was the only place in the state where it rained.

Sandy Ridge is located at the base of Mt. Hood just past Sandy, Oregon on HWY 26.  After passing through Sandy look for a left onto Sleepy Hollow Road at the sign that says "Sandy Ridge."  After a short drive you come to the parking lot with plenty of parking and a non-flush toilet.  Sandy Ridge is built around a paved four mile climb and a number of trails (green, blue, black diamond) braking off and intersecting each other. 

This difference about riding Sandy Ridge is that these trails are built for mountain biking, they are not hiking trails converted to riding trials, they are pure mountain bike rides.  Switch backs are banked for fast turns, lots of little jumps and pump track experiences.  It rained or misted the entire time, but you wouldn't know it on the trails.  The trails are covered by the trees with a very rocky consistency, so they hold up well and drain well.  We did get muddy though, from the splatter.

Seven of us approximately 27 miles and climbed 5000 feet all with nothing but smiles, hoots and hollers! We finished the day off with great burritos at "Two Brothers" Mexican restaurant.  All the way home the conversation was all about how much fun the day was and when could we get back their again to ride.  The following link takes you to the map of the trails:

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/sdo_sandyridge_map2013_508.pdf