Earlier this week I posted a four-point plan for getting over the fact Portland’s no longer the top-ranked cycling city (According to Bicycling Magazine, that honor now belongs to Minneapolis.) Well, make it a five-point plan.

It just came to my attention that Timberline Lodge has contracted with Gravity Logic, the renowned consulting firm responsible for designing the world-famous Whistler Mountain Bike Park, to design a new lift-accessed riding course on Mount Hood. If you’re a mountain biker this means Timberline is about to become a veritable Mecca for the sport. Portland just an hour away, by default, will now be the jumping off point for some of the most exciting riding in the country—if not the world.

The project timetable calls for breaking ground in fall 2010, with the goal of opening next summer. But T-line is actively seeking input on the project right now. So drop’em a line. Check out Timberline’s website for more details.

In the meantime, here’s a little taste of what’s coming:

I wonder how Minneapolis is feeling now?