Mt. Bachelor to open mtn. bike park Sept. 13

Mt. Bachelor announced Thursday it will open its new Downhill Bike Park to the public on Friday, Sept. 13, the first expansion under its first master plan update in 32 years.

The Downhill Bike Park will operate 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every Friday-Sunday, weather permitting, through the Columbus Day Holiday, Monday, October 13th.

Limited tickets for opening day on Friday, September 13 will only be available for sale online in advance, to ensure opening day will be a positive experience for all riders. the resort said.

Each purchaser of an online, opening day Bike Park ticket will be entered into a drawing for “Bike Park 1 st Chair.” The lucky winner will be on the first chair, along with up to two of their mountain biking friends.

To commemorate the Bike Park grand opening, Mt. Bachelor will host a kick-off event on Saturday, September 14th with live music, bike demos from top downhill manufacturers and a barbecue at the West Village Lodge.

Access to the Downhill Bike Park will be available from the top of the Pine Marten Express lift in Mt. Bachelor’s West Village Base area. The first-phase Bike Park is for intermediate and advanced downhill mountain bike enthusiasts.

Bike Park lift tickets will be priced for all ages at $29 for a full-day, $19 for an afternoon ticket starting at 1:00 p.m., as well as a non-transferable 3-Pack for $69 (valid any 3 days of Park operation through October 13, 2013).

Sightseeing chairlift tickets will also be available this fall, in addition to Bike Park tickets. The disc golf course and Pine Marten Lodge services close for the summer season after September 2.

All Bike Park riders are required to have a Bike Park lift ticket, helmet, closed-toed shoes, and a mountain bike with functional front and rear brakes. Riders are also strongly encouraged to ride full suspension bikes with a minimum of 5″ of travel and disc brakes, a full-face helmet, and additional body armor at minimum including knee, shin, and elbow protection.

Mt. Bachelor will offer initial downhill mountain bike retail items including helmets, gloves, jerseys, shorts and pads, as well as bike repair and maintenance services. Local bike shops and mountain bike manufacturers will be on-hand offering demos to try out the latest in downhill bike technology.

“Offering downhill mountain biking on Mt. Bachelor has been a dream for many of us for a long, long time,” said Dave Rathbun, president of Mt. Bachelor. “The day is now here where we can enjoy this incredible mountain in the summer and fall in a completely new way.

“Our trail building crew, in conjunction with the Gravity Logic design team and builders, the world’s preeminent downhill bike park planners, have done an amazing job to get phase one of the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park ready to ride.”

Following the approval of Mt. Bachelor’s Ski Area Improvements Project in April, trail construction commenced on July 1 with crews working seven days a week throughout the summer.

The initial trail offering this fall will consist of three distinct downhill routes open to the public.

Mt. Bachelor said it will continue trail construction daily this fall until winter returns and snow again covers the mountain. It is anticipated bike trail construction will continue over the next several summer seasons to complete the full build-out, which will consist of over 20 km of downhill bike trails.

Beginning in 2014, the Bike Park will be open daily during the regular summer season, and Fridays-Sundays in the fall.

For complete details, additional information, and photos of the Downhill Bike Park at Mt. Bachelor, visit www.mtbachelor.com/bikepark.