‘Mt. A Jump Line’ looks to turn ‘worst mile’ of watershed system into the best one
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
There’s something new at the Mt. Ashland Ski Area but, it doesn’t involve skiing.
Instead, it’s something that ski hill managers hope mountain bikers will literally — and figuratively — jump at the opportunity to enjoy.
The area’s Bull Gap Trail now provides access to what is being touted as the “Mt. A Jump Line.”
A jump line in mountain biking refers to a designated area on a trail specifically designed for riders to practice jumps. The lines are built to ensure that riders can improve their jumping skills without the risk of falling off the bike. Jump lines include features such as tables, drops, and other obstacles. Riders can choose from various jump lines based on their skill level — from beginner to advanced — so trails with jump lines can be used for all riders.
Overall, jump lines are regarded as essential for developing riding skills and providing a safe environment for mountain biking enthusiasts.
Mt. Ashland’s Bull Gap Trail begins at the Mt. Ashland parking lot and travels past the Lithia Chairlift, where just outside the ski area, riders will be able to preview Mt. A’s Jump Line ahead of its official opening at a date to be announced in September.
“We’d like to congratulate our friends at (Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association) for eight years of hard work in bringing the jump line that dreams are made of to the Rogue Valley,” Mt. Ashland officials said in a Facebook post.
Work on the road-to-trail conversion began in late June. According to the RVMBA Facebook page, efforts to raise funds to revamp Bull Gap Road began in 2018. So far, $150,000 has been raised through an Oregon RTP grant and club contributions. Another $15.000 is needed to complete the project.
Mt. Ashland has been part of one of the nation’s longest mountain bike shuttle runs, with the top-to-bottom run dropping almost 6,000 vertical feet with 1,000 feet of climbing. The top section of the trail where the work has been done was regarded as “boring” because it goes down Bull Gap Road to the singletrack. As a result, a network of unofficial, or rogue, trails were created.
“This looks to take the worst mile and make it the best mile of the watershed system,” Ryan Hawk, RVMBA president, said in an interview with “Singletracks.”
The first mile will follow the existing Bull Gap Road, but according to Hawk, over the next mile the conversion will feature “a bunch of tricks … and make it a really great downhill jump line.”
The trail is being called a work in progress because more signage will be added in coming weeks, “but you can expect jumps to start off in the 4-5-foot range before progressing to the 20-foot range at around the mid-point of the trail,” according to the website.
Phase 2 construction on Bumblebee will begin Monday. Access to the Bull Gap Trail will remain open, but bikers are asked to “please keep speeds very low through the ski area, watch for heavy equipment, and consider walking until past the Lithia Chair.”
More information is available at @rvmbaorg and at www.mtashland.com.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net.
