Buteo Drop Dig Day Recap: Big Rocks and Bigger Progress in the Columbia River Gorge

Buteo Drop continues to evolve thanks to a committed group of 40+ volunteers who have been showing up and putting in serious work in Cascade Locks. On January 10, crews focused on upgrading this popular section of trail with new features that add both challenge and flow.

Much of the day’s effort centered on moving and setting large rocks by hand. With no shortcuts available, volunteers relied on teamwork, coordination, and plenty of heavy lifting to place massive boulders exactly where they were needed. That effort is now paying off in the form of durable, well-built trail features.

The work included constructing a new rock feature aimed at advanced riders, reshaping bermed corners to improve speed and flow, and adding optional side jumps for riders looking to push things a little further. These upgrades build on the character of Buteo Drop while maintaining progression and choice on the trail.

Projects like this take time, patience, and a lot of physical effort. The results are trails that are not only more fun to ride, but also more resilient and better equipped to handle long-term use.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and put in the work on Buteo Drop. This trail continues to improve because volunteers keep showing up and investing in the Cascade Locks MTB Trails.

The next opportunity to get involved is Saturday, February 21. If you want to be part of building features like these, we would love to see you out there.

Special thank you to Ryan Gwillim and Andrew Stringer for taking great photos of volunteers building cool stuff.