Epics Wraps Second Season

IMBA Trail News
Volume 13, Number 5
Winter 2000

The IMBA Epics program successfully concluded its second season with celebration events in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Patagonia, Arizona, this past October.

In Harrisonburg, Virginia, mountain bikers gathered to celebrate the Southern Traverse IMBA Epic. Surrounded by National Forest, the Harrisonburg region offers hundreds of miles of prime singletrack. The awesome Shenandoah Mountain Trail is the area's gem, and the south end of this 90-mile-long route forms the backbone of the Southern Traverse Epic.

On day one participants split into three teams to tackle trail maintenance chores on the Epic route. The Shenandoah Mountain Trail was built sometime before 1940. Nature has taken its toll on the trail, and many portions need to be re-benched into the hillside. Local riders have formed a great partnership with Forest Service officials, and have earned approval to perform independent maintenance on many area trails.

On day two the group enjoyed perfect fall weather and spectacular colors as they pedaled this incredible route. Most of the ride follows the undulating ridgeline of Shenandoah Mountain and features narrow, sidehill singletrack rarely visited by anyone.

In southern Arizona, the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists organized a great weekend to celebrate the Kentucky Camp IMBA Epic. The route is a combination of two popular rides, the Greaterville Keyhole loop and the Kentucky Camp/Gardner Canyon/Flume Trail loop.

The first day, participants divided into groups to repair trail tread and switchbacks with the help of a Coronado National Forest representative. The SDMB has developed into a very successful club conducting trailwork events and group rides throughout southern Arizona. Their dedication to the area's trails is producing a mountain biking paradise.

The next day, riders took a 37-mile journey through the spectacular Sonoran desert, at times riding only 25 miles from the Mexican border. The route included technical desert jeep roads, singletrack, more than 4,000 feet of climbing and took almost seven hours to complete.

During the past two years, IMBA has selected 12 rides for the IMBA Epic designation. Our hope is that mountain bikers everywhere will add these IMBA Epics to their "must-ride" lists - trails to be pedaled when the opportunities arise. We want to spread the word about these special trails because they're the kind of rides that inspire all the access and advocacy work performed by IMBA staff, affiliated clubs and individual members worldwide.

We've also recognized each Epic pick with an Epic celebration - weekend-long opportunity to bring mountain bikers together to celebrate our sport and great riding. The first day we focus on trailwork, the second on riding and enjoying the fruits of our labor. These events have the added benefit of connecting local mountain bike clubs with IMBA staff, local land managers, and IMBA members to help form important partnerships.

Next year, IMBA will continue the IMBA Epics program. Stay tuned for an announcement of all new IMBA Epic designations and a schedule of celebration events.