In September, the blog BikePortland.org reported—later picked up by the weekly alternative newspaper the Portland Mercury—that there have been allegations of “trip wires” on the trails of Gateway Green, Portland’s newest—and only—25-acre mountain bike park. When Portland Parks & Recreation went to search the site, they found nothing. “On the day of the reported trip wires, Portland Parks & Recreation maintenance staff, park rangers, and partners with the Northwest Trail Alliance quickly went out and carefully surveyed the trails at Gateway Green,” says Mark Ross, media relations and public information officer at Portland Parks & Recreation. “They found no evidence of any trip wires. Perhaps someone removed them before staff arrived. In any case, we’re glad no one was hurt, and the problem appears to have been resolved.”
“Trip wires,” as reported by The Portland Mercury, are described in this case as “strung-up cords of some sort across the single-track trails that wend through a forest.”
To some, this might be a classic offering of good news and bad news. On September 14, word spread like wildfire among bikers utilizing the Gateway Green trails—mainly through BikePortland.org, which provided a photo of one set-up trip wire. The person (or people) who had set up the trip wires has yet to be brought to justice, and it’s unknown who dismantled the trip wires before Portland Parks & Recreation arrived.
Then there’s the good. Since inspecting Gateway Green, the Mid-county Memo reached out to Ross to ask if there have been any further sightings or communications regarding trip wires in the vicinity of the park.
“Happy to say that no, there have not been any,” says Ross.
Ross, on behalf of Portland Parks & Recreation, urges people to use caution and, if they see any hazards at Gateway Green, to report them via parkscanpdx.org.
For now, the identity of the perpetrator in this scenario remains a mystery.