News Briefs

IMBA Trail News
Volume 14, Number 2
Early Summer 2001

Uniting Along the Divide

Of America's eight national scenic trails, only the 3,100-mile Continental Divide NST fully supports bicycling. The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA), a non-profit group spearheading the development of the trail, has invited bicyclists to ride the route in July as part of their "Uniting Along The Divide" event. The two-week event, which covers CDT sections in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, has two purposes. On sections that already exist - the trail is about two-thirds complete - teams will document significant scenic, historic, natural, recreational and cultural features. Where the trail does not yet exist, or is in a less-than-optimum location, teams will explore the area to find a proper route. Each team will be assigned to a 100-mile segment. The CDTA has asked IMBA to find cycling groups ready to take on this challenge. In addition, CDTA is sponsoring 40 trail projects over the summer and they welcome bicyclists. For more info, or to sign up, contact CDTA at 888-909-CDTA or visit www.cdtrail.org.

IMBA Meets Wilderness Society

National leaders of IMBA and The Wilderness Society met in Washington D.C. in late March to discuss ways to improve communication and work together. A key topic was potential Wilderness area designations across the country, which are problematic for bicyclists because they prohibit mountain biking. The 66-year-old Wilderness Society works to protect America's wilderness and to develop a nationwide network of wild lands. The group is currently developing Wilderness proposals for almost every U.S. state. One outcome of the meeting was a joint commitment to engage IMBA's grassroots activists in the site-specific review of Wilderness proposals early in the process. Another topic was IMBA's work on alternatives to Wilderness designation that would protect both public land and bicycle access. This gathering is the first in a series of meetings sponsored by REI.

Crew Connects in the Appalachians...

The granite slickrock and thundering waterfalls of Dupont State Forest provided a dramatic setting for a recent IMBA Trailbuilding School in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Jen and Rich Edwards taught trailbuilding skills to more than 60 people, and gave a presentation to a dozen key southeastern land managers. The Friends of Dupont Forest did a meticulous job organizing the event. The Friends have fought hard to prevent urban development in the area, and are responsible for maintaining 90 miles of trails and dirt roads. The group has performed more than 2,000 hours of volunteer trail work since December. IMBA members interested in checking out Dupont State Forest trails will have a chance later this year: the area hosts an IMBA Epic Celebration October 20-21. More info: www.imba.com.

...and the Great Plains

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visited Oklahoma this spring to work with IMBA's state rep Charles Duke and the Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship (OEF). Crew leaders Joey Klein and Nichole Williams presented a slideshow on trails they have seen around the world and led a trailbuilding techniques discussion with OEF members. Afterwards, they rode and assessed trails developed and maintained by OEF at Bluff Creek (Lake Hefner), Lake Stanley Draper Mountain Bike Park and Roman Nose State Park. Klein and Williams also met with Oklahoma State Parks and Recreation Director John Russmeyer and staff from 35 Oklahoma State Parks. Overall, it was a successful visit to a state with some of the best mountain biking advocates in the U.S. More info: www.imba.com.

IMBA Seeks Development Director

IMBA is looking for a fulltime professional to lead our fundraising efforts. The successful candidate will have non-profit development experience that includes writing grants, directing donor and planned giving campaigns and working with corporate partners. Strong writing and public speaking skills are essential. A passion for mountain biking is highly desirable. Salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits are supplemented by a highly desirable Rocky Mountain lifestyle in Boulder, Colorado. Cover letter and resume by June 25 to or mail to IMBA, P.O. Box 7578, Boulder, CO 80306.

Riter Returns to Olympic Course

The 1996 Olympic mountain biking course near Atlanta has suffered a roller-coaster ride since hosting that historic event, as the home city of Conyers has considered obliterating the trail by selling the land to developers. The situation has recently taken a turn for the better, however. The new Georgia Olympic Horse Park director has given the Southern Off Road Bicycling Association (SORBA) and Mike Riter, a leader of the first Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, approval to resume maintenance of the track. Late in '96, after the Olympics, Riter and his wife Jan performed extensive work on the race course to ready it for public use. That experience gave them credentials to earn Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew positions, where they served for three years. Today the Riters are is back in Georgia and Mike serves as Trail Education Specialist for SORBA and Gainesville University. More info: TDS.@mindspring.com

Bikes, Beer and Ghost Rides

With the recent announcement that Italian road racer Marco Pantani will not be racing in this year's Tour de France, "Il Pirata" will be looking for alternative events to fill his schedule. Fortunately for Pantani, IMBA supporter New Belgium Brewery once again will host the Tour de Fat, a non-competitive gathering of bikes and beer, this summer. While the Tour de Fat does not have grinding climbs to the summit of 2,500-meter peaks in the Alps, it does have a number of eclectic "stages," including a slow race, dual keg challenge, ghost ride and paperboy challenge. Best of all, proceeds from the event all go to local charities. The Tour de Fat will visit eight cities this summer - Lawrence, KS; St. Louis, MO; Albuquerque, NM; Seattle, WA; Missoula, MT; Ft. Collins, CO; Flagstaff, AZ; and Austin, TX. More info: www.newbeligum.com.

Michigan Gets New Chief

Roger Dyjak has been named the new Executive Director of the Michigan Mountain Bicycling Association (MMBA), replacing Dwain Abramowski, who served as E.D. since MMBA's inception in the late '80s. Dyjak was formerly a ranger with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, aiding in trail design and construction statewide. The MMBA - one of the largest mountain bike advocacy groups in the world with more than 1,500 members - has ambitious goals for the next five years. These include raising membership by 30 percent, increasing funds for programs by actively seeking grants, and expanding their Mountain Kids program. One current, critical issue for the MMBA is access at Pontiac Lakes State Recreation Area, where equestrians and mountain bikers have reached a resolution to redesign and construct a trail system with separate use trails. More info: www.mmba.org.

Nature Conservancy Docent Program

The IMBA-affiliated Nature Conservancy Trail Assistance Bicycle Patrol, based in Orange County, California, is offering mountain bikers a unique way to ride new trails. Twenty mountain bikers from the group are patrolling a 17,000-acre Nature Conservancy property near Laguna Beach. The cyclists have earned "docent" status by attending a nine-week college level naturalist course that covers wildlife, native plants, geology and cultural history. Upon completion of the course, the docents offer guided tours to Nature Conservancy managed lands that have not yet been opened to the public. The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest private conservation group. The group works with communities, businesses and individuals to protect land and water around the world. For more info call the Nature Conservancy's Irvine County Open Space Reserve at 714-832-7478 or email .

New Club and Trails in Ohio

The Ohio Valley Mountain Bike Club (OHVMBC) is working with land managers to improve access in eastern Ohio. The club is building a three-mile trail in Ohio's Barkcamp State Park - the first trail in this park to be opened to mountain bike use. This scenic and technical trail is slated for completion in June. OHVMBC's work will hopefully set a precedent and lead to the opening of more trails to mountain bikes in the traditionally restricted Ohio State Parks. More info:

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	News Briefs IMBA Trail News Volume 14, Number 2 Early Summer 2001 Uniting Along the Divide Of America's eight national scenic trails, only the 3,100-mile Continental Divide NST fully supports bicycling. The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA), a non-profit group spearheading the development of the trail, has invited bicyclists to ride the route in July as part of their "Uniting Along The Divide" event. The two-week event, which covers CDT sections in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, has two purposes. On sections that already exist - the trail is about two-thirds complete - teams will document significant scenic, historic, natural, recreational and cultural features. Where the trail does not yet exist, or is in a less-than-optimum location, teams will explore the area to find a proper route. Each team will be assigned to a 100-mile segment. The CDTA has asked IMBA to find cycling groups ready to take on this challenge. In addition, CDTA is sponsoring 40 trail projects over the summer and they welcome bicyclists. For more info, or to sign up, contact CDTA at 888-909-CDTA or visit www.cdtrail.org. IMBA Meets Wilderness Society National leaders of IMBA and The Wilderness Society met in Washington D.C. in late March to discuss ways to improve communication and work together. A key topic was potential Wilderness area designations across the country, which are problematic for bicyclists because they prohibit mountain biking. The 66-year-old Wilderness Society works to protect America's wilderness and to develop a nationwide network of wild lands. The group is currently developing Wilderness proposals for almost every U.S. state. One outcome of the meeting was a joint commitment to engage IMBA's grassroots activists in the site-specific review of Wilderness proposals early in the process. Another topic was IMBA's work on alternatives to Wilderness designation that would protect both public land and bicycle access. This gathering is the first in a series of meetings sponsored by REI. Crew Connects in the Appalachians... The granite slickrock and thundering waterfalls of Dupont State Forest provided a dramatic setting for a recent IMBA Trailbuilding School in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Jen and Rich Edwards taught trailbuilding skills to more than 60 people, and gave a presentation to a dozen key southeastern land managers. The Friends of Dupont Forest did a meticulous job organizing the event. The Friends have fought hard to prevent urban development in the area, and are responsible for maintaining 90 miles of trails and dirt roads. The group has performed more than 2,000 hours of volunteer trail work since December. IMBA members interested in checking out Dupont State Forest trails will have a chance later this year: the area hosts an IMBA Epic Celebration October 20-21. More info: www.imba.com. ...and the Great Plains The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visited Oklahoma this spring to work with IMBA's state rep Charles Duke and the Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship (OEF). Crew leaders Joey Klein and Nichole Williams presented a slideshow on trails they have seen around the world and led a trailbuilding techniques discussion with OEF members. Afterwards, they rode and assessed trails developed and maintained by OEF at Bluff Creek (Lake Hefner), Lake Stanley Draper Mountain Bike Park and Roman Nose State Park. Klein and Williams also met with Oklahoma State Parks and Recreation Director John Russmeyer and staff from 35 Oklahoma State Parks. Overall, it was a successful visit to a state with some of the best mountain biking advocates in the U.S. More info: www.imba.com. IMBA Seeks Development Director IMBA is looking for a fulltime professional to lead our fundraising efforts. The successful candidate will have non-profit development experience that includes writing grants, directing donor and planned giving campaigns and working with corporate partners. Strong writing and public speaking skills are essential. A passion for mountain biking is highly desirable. Salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits are supplemented by a highly desirable Rocky Mountain lifestyle in Boulder, Colorado. Cover letter and resume by June 25 to or mail to IMBA, P.O. Box 7578, Boulder, CO 80306. Riter Returns to Olympic Course The 1996 Olympic mountain biking course near Atlanta has suffered a roller-coaster ride since hosting that historic event, as the home city of Conyers has considered obliterating the trail by selling the land to developers. The situation has recently taken a turn for the better, however. The new Georgia Olympic Horse Park director has given the Southern Off Road Bicycling Association (SORBA) and Mike Riter, a leader of the first Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, approval to resume maintenance of the track. Late in '96, after the Olympics, Riter and his wife Jan performed extensive work on the race course to ready it for public use. That experience gave them credentials to earn Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew positions, where they served for three years. Today the Riters are is back in Georgia and Mike serves as Trail Education Specialist for SORBA and Gainesville University. More info: TDS.@mindspring.com Bikes, Beer and Ghost Rides With the recent announcement that Italian road racer Marco Pantani will not be racing in this year's Tour de France, "Il Pirata" will be looking for alternative events to fill his schedule. Fortunately for Pantani, IMBA supporter New Belgium Brewery once again will host the Tour de Fat, a non-competitive gathering of bikes and beer, this summer. While the Tour de Fat does not have grinding climbs to the summit of 2,500-meter peaks in the Alps, it does have a number of eclectic "stages," including a slow race, dual keg challenge, ghost ride and paperboy challenge. Best of all, proceeds from the event all go to local charities. The Tour de Fat will visit eight cities this summer - Lawrence, KS; St. Louis, MO; Albuquerque, NM; Seattle, WA; Missoula, MT; Ft. Collins, CO; Flagstaff, AZ; and Austin, TX. More info: www.newbeligum.com. Michigan Gets New Chief Roger Dyjak has been named the new Executive Director of the Michigan Mountain Bicycling Association (MMBA), replacing Dwain Abramowski, who served as E.D. since MMBA's inception in the late '80s. Dyjak was formerly a ranger with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, aiding in trail design and construction statewide. The MMBA - one of the largest mountain bike advocacy groups in the world with more than 1,500 members - has ambitious goals for the next five years. These include raising membership by 30 percent, increasing funds for programs by actively seeking grants, and expanding their Mountain Kids program. One current, critical issue for the MMBA is access at Pontiac Lakes State Recreation Area, where equestrians and mountain bikers have reached a resolution to redesign and construct a trail system with separate use trails. More info: www.mmba.org. Nature Conservancy Docent Program The IMBA-affiliated Nature Conservancy Trail Assistance Bicycle Patrol, based in Orange County, California, is offering mountain bikers a unique way to ride new trails. Twenty mountain bikers from the group are patrolling a 17,000-acre Nature Conservancy property near Laguna Beach. The cyclists have earned "docent" status by attending a nine-week college level naturalist course that covers wildlife, native plants, geology and cultural history. Upon completion of the course, the docents offer guided tours to Nature Conservancy managed lands that have not yet been opened to the public. The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest private conservation group. The group works with communities, businesses and individuals to protect land and water around the world. For more info call the Nature Conservancy's Irvine County Open Space Reserve at 714-832-7478 or email . New Club and Trails in Ohio The Ohio Valley Mountain Bike Club (OHVMBC) is working with land managers to improve access in eastern Ohio. The club is building a three-mile trail in Ohio's Barkcamp State Park - the first trail in this park to be opened to mountain bike use. This scenic and technical trail is slated for completion in June. OHVMBC's work will hopefully set a precedent and lead to the opening of more trails to mountain bikes in the traditionally restricted Ohio State Parks. More info:


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