Zach Urness

Statesman Journal

Tour Catamount Trail, with shuttles from the trailhead to the trail’s starting spot, 11 a.m. May 1

4.5-mile cross-county trail built for mountain biker at Silver Falls State Parks, no waterfall views

Three years ago, Silverton residents Paul Prough and Dewayne Powell had an audacious idea.

The duo loved mountain biking at Silver Falls State Park but sometimes ran into trouble on a trail system crowded with different user groups.

“A couple of times I was speeding downhill and had to slam on the brakes to avoid running into people riding horses,” Powell said. “They were not happy with me. It was definitely a problem.”

To remedy the situation, Powell proposed building a mountain bike trail in the park’s remote backcountry, far from the waterfalls that lure almost a million people to Silver Falls each year.



The idea succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

A galvanized Mid-Valley biking community arrived in droves, volunteering time, money and machinery to construct what became known as the Catamount Trail.

Parks officials jumped on the bandwagon, keen to lure new and younger visitors.

The 4.5-mile route officially opens Sunday, May 1, with a celebration of an idea conceived by Powell but created through communal effort.

The Salem Area Trail Alliance, the nonprofit group that supported the project, will lead tours of the trail and offer bike shuttles beginning at 11 a.m. at the 214 Trailhead.

“It’s overwhelming to look back, see all the work we’ve done and know this trail will be here for my children to ride,” said Ty Hurl, a longtime volunteer on the project. “It’s a cool feeling, knowing that you helped create something a lot of people are going to enjoy.”

Considered an “enhanced” cross-country trail, the route has turns, berms and rock features that will make it fun for mountain bikers but won’t be too difficult for average cyclists. The trail will be open to hikers and runners as well.

“It has amazing scenery,” said Beth Dayton, a surgeon from Salem who helped organize volunteers and trail parties. “Really dense forest and huge old-growth trees.”

Catamount Trail is the first step in creating a larger biking network, said Silver Falls park ranger Steve Hernandez, who helped shepherd the project to completion.

Plans for an additional 3 miles of trail, including links to the Shellburg Falls area, are in the works. A pump track and improved trailhead might also be in the future.

“State parks is trying to attract new user groups, and this project is a good example of a way to do that,” Hernandez said. “There’s a lot of support for the next phase of this project.”

It’s not just new users that make projects like the Catamount Trail attractive to park officials.

Because the work is completed almost entirely by volunteers, who do everything from clearing trail to operating heavy machinery, the park saves money.

Dayton and SATA turned the volunteer energy into a sophisticated trail-creating force.

At weekend work parties, Dayton established ground troops (volunteers raking dirt, hauling stones and clipping roots), quartermaster corps (supplying food and drinks for after-work parties) and a special forces team (heavy machinery, power tools and big trucks).

Volunteers work through rain to build new Silver Falls trail

They leveraged business support as well. REI provided a $10,000 grant, LifeSource Natural Food provided food and Seven Brides Brewing offered up beer for volunteer parties.

When funds ran short, volunteers used their own materials.

“The best part is that we’re a big group of friends, so it never felt like work,” said Hurl, who volunteered not only time but heavy equipment from his construction job as well. “Everyone was excited to be outdoors doing something like this.”

That organization was important during the final push, when the team built three bridges in a short time. They cut all the pieces in advance, used the Northwest Youth Corps to haul huge beams and planks and installed them at remote sites.

“I’m still kind of in awe they managed to pull that off,” Hernandez said.

The result of that energy is a new trail — a place to mountain bike without the fear of slamming into horseback riders — almost three years from Powell and Prough’s idea.

“I have a lot of gratitude for all the people’s who’ve committed so much time and energy to this,” Powell said. “It took a village, but it’s a gorgeous trail.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.

New mountain bike trails help Oregon find flow, tourism

Catamount Trail

In a nutshell: An enhanced cross-country trail designed for mountain bikers but open to hikers and trail runners at Silver Falls State Parks. No waterfall views.

Length: 4.5 miles

Difficulty: Intermediate

Starting point: 214 Trailhead

Notes: Must ride up Lookout Mountain Road 0.4 miles, following pink paw prints, to reach beginning of trail.

Directions: From I-5 near Salem, exit onto Highway 22 headed toward Bend and Detroit. Follow Highway 22 7 miles to an exit for Highway 214 and follow signs to Silver Falls State Park. Just after entering the park’s boundary, watch for a sign on the right pointing to the 214 Trailhead. Follow this gravel road to the parking area. If you reach the South Falls Day-Use area, you’ve gone too far.

Trail opening celebration: Tour the Catamount Trail and take part in shuttles from the trailhead to the trail’s starting spot. Meet volunteers from Salem Area Trail Alliance that created the trail, 11 a.m., Sunday, May 1. Notes: Bring mountain bike and shoes for trail, and expect some mud.

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