Dreaming of sweet berms and log rides

By Alisen Charlten
The Jasper (Alberta) Booster
February 7, 2007

About 30 members of the Jasper mountain biking community came together on Jan. 31 to discuss their hopes and concerns for the Jasper Trails Project.

The discussions were led by trail building specialist and executive director for the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Mark Schmidt.

Organized by Parks Canada, the workshop gave mountain bikers a chance to learn about sustainable trail building and also give their input regarding changes to the local trail network.

During part of the workshop, attendees were given the opportunity to trace in their favorite trails using maps of the existing trail network that included both official and unofficial trails.

Like kids in a candy store, the groups outlined their favourite trails and added trails where they thought they could improve the options and connectivity of the system.

A noticeable tension filled the room when the discussion turned toward which trails fell within ecologically sensitive areas.

"I know this is a pretty heated topic. There will have to be some compromises," said Schmidt.

He reminded everyone that it's probable some trails will have to be relocated but that it was also likely that new trails would be created in appropriate spots.

Schmidt understands the changes are emotional for many users because they feel an ownership over the local trail system.

Trails Project manager Jen Dubois assured the group that the sensitive areas weren't absolutely off limits but that the impact of trails in these areas would have to be considered carefully.

A member of the Jasper Mountain Biking Association (JMBA) executive board, Tristan Overy, took it upon himself to make the mountain biking community's concerns known regarding the closure of trails.

He said their biggest fear lies in making concessions to close certain areas but getting nothing in return in the form of new and improved trails for mountain bikers.

His comments were followed by murmurs of agreement and comments about how this has been something that has happened to other park user groups in the past.

Those in attendance also cited the actions taken by Parks Canada against mountain biking in parts of Banff National Park.

"What you guys have put down is all very achievable," said Dubois.

She assured everyone that plans would be available well before actual work began on the trails so that all groups could have input regarding the changes that will be made.

"I'm very encouraged by the fact that you're all here. We're going to change the trail system for the better," said Schmidt.

Al Lane, also of the JMBA executive, echoed Schmidt's comments and encouraged the group to stay involved to ensure a positive outcome.

"You have a chance to be proactive, control the changes that are going on and be a part of that," he said.

JMBA president Wendy Hall told everyone that she has trust in what the managers of the Jasper Trails Project are trying to achieve especially after their decision to bring Schmidt in as an expert.

During the workshop, Schmidt led the group through an active discussion regarding what they wanted to see in the way of trail features for mountain bikers and also what the different levels of visiting mountain bikers (beginners, intermediates and experts) would be looking for.

Some of the features local bikers would like to see included trails with: good flow, natural features like fallen logs, passing areas, loops or options to vary the distance of a ride, technical and non-technical spots (for example, rooted or rocky areas), narrow single track trails, peaceful trails away from people, spots for speed, berms (banked corners) and above all variety.

To put their desires in perspective, a number of people made it clear they weren't looking for huge, man-made or extreme features to be built on the trails.

"We're not looking for a hairy 20-foot road gap," said Overy.

When asked to outline on the maps provided the best trails for beginner mountain bikers, participants concluded that there were limited options for first time riders.

The consensus was that even the Jasper Discovery Trail had sections that would be too steep and that most of the beginner riding was from Old Fort Point and around the lodge where routes aren't well marked.

When mapping out and discussing trails for intermediate riders, the groups found the current network was lacking in connectivity with few loops and hard to follow signage.

Most of the mountain bikers in the room considered themselves advanced riders. They found that although there were a variety of long distance rides (over 20 kilometres) there weren't many options for truly advanced trails in the official network.

"Most of the advanced trails on the map were red lines (unofficial trials)," said Hall.

Schmidt said he's encouraged to see that there is already money in place for the actual trail construction/ decommissioning work.

He said that often he sees groups putting all their dollars into developing a plan so that when it comes to implementing it they don't have anything left to make it happen.

He also was encouraged to see that Parks Canada already had a trail crew in place to build the trails.

Al Lane of the JMBA suggested a volunteer trail crew be made up of mountain bikers to help show the Parks trail crew what kinds of natural features can be incorporated to make a trail more mountain bike friendly. For example, leaving a fallen tree beside the trail and shaving the top flat would make a perfect natural feature for mountain bikers.

A hands-on trail building workshop will be taking place June 5 to 10. Schmidt will once again be teaching attendees about trail building but this time the learning will take place in the field.

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	Dreaming of sweet berms and log rides By Alisen Charlten The Jasper (Alberta) Booster February 7, 2007 About 30 members of the Jasper mountain biking community came together on Jan. 31 to discuss their hopes and concerns for the Jasper Trails Project. The discussions were led by trail building specialist and executive director for the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Mark Schmidt. Organized by Parks Canada, the workshop gave mountain bikers a chance to learn about sustainable trail building and also give their input regarding changes to the local trail network. During part of the workshop, attendees were given the opportunity to trace in their favorite trails using maps of the existing trail network that included both official and unofficial trails. Like kids in a candy store, the groups outlined their favourite trails and added trails where they thought they could improve the options and connectivity of the system. A noticeable tension filled the room when the discussion turned toward which trails fell within ecologically sensitive areas. "I know this is a pretty heated topic. There will have to be some compromises," said Schmidt. He reminded everyone that it's probable some trails will have to be relocated but that it was also likely that new trails would be created in appropriate spots. Schmidt understands the changes are emotional for many users because they feel an ownership over the local trail system. Trails Project manager Jen Dubois assured the group that the sensitive areas weren't absolutely off limits but that the impact of trails in these areas would have to be considered carefully. A member of the Jasper Mountain Biking Association (JMBA) executive board, Tristan Overy, took it upon himself to make the mountain biking community's concerns known regarding the closure of trails. He said their biggest fear lies in making concessions to close certain areas but getting nothing in return in the form of new and improved trails for mountain bikers. His comments were followed by murmurs of agreement and comments about how this has been something that has happened to other park user groups in the past. Those in attendance also cited the actions taken by Parks Canada against mountain biking in parts of Banff National Park. "What you guys have put down is all very achievable," said Dubois. She assured everyone that plans would be available well before actual work began on the trails so that all groups could have input regarding the changes that will be made. "I'm very encouraged by the fact that you're all here. We're going to change the trail system for the better," said Schmidt. Al Lane, also of the JMBA executive, echoed Schmidt's comments and encouraged the group to stay involved to ensure a positive outcome. "You have a chance to be proactive, control the changes that are going on and be a part of that," he said. JMBA president Wendy Hall told everyone that she has trust in what the managers of the Jasper Trails Project are trying to achieve especially after their decision to bring Schmidt in as an expert. During the workshop, Schmidt led the group through an active discussion regarding what they wanted to see in the way of trail features for mountain bikers and also what the different levels of visiting mountain bikers (beginners, intermediates and experts) would be looking for. Some of the features local bikers would like to see included trails with: good flow, natural features like fallen logs, passing areas, loops or options to vary the distance of a ride, technical and non-technical spots (for example, rooted or rocky areas), narrow single track trails, peaceful trails away from people, spots for speed, berms (banked corners) and above all variety. To put their desires in perspective, a number of people made it clear they weren't looking for huge, man-made or extreme features to be built on the trails. "We're not looking for a hairy 20-foot road gap," said Overy. When asked to outline on the maps provided the best trails for beginner mountain bikers, participants concluded that there were limited options for first time riders. The consensus was that even the Jasper Discovery Trail had sections that would be too steep and that most of the beginner riding was from Old Fort Point and around the lodge where routes aren't well marked. When mapping out and discussing trails for intermediate riders, the groups found the current network was lacking in connectivity with few loops and hard to follow signage. Most of the mountain bikers in the room considered themselves advanced riders. They found that although there were a variety of long distance rides (over 20 kilometres) there weren't many options for truly advanced trails in the official network. "Most of the advanced trails on the map were red lines (unofficial trials)," said Hall. Schmidt said he's encouraged to see that there is already money in place for the actual trail construction/ decommissioning work. He said that often he sees groups putting all their dollars into developing a plan so that when it comes to implementing it they don't have anything left to make it happen. He also was encouraged to see that Parks Canada already had a trail crew in place to build the trails. Al Lane of the JMBA suggested a volunteer trail crew be made up of mountain bikers to help show the Parks trail crew what kinds of natural features can be incorporated to make a trail more mountain bike friendly. For example, leaving a fallen tree beside the trail and shaving the top flat would make a perfect natural feature for mountain bikers. A hands-on trail building workshop will be taking place June 5 to 10. Schmidt will once again be teaching attendees about trail building but this time the learning will take place in the field.


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