New Trails Near You

IMBA Trail News
Volume 15, Number 4
Fall 2002

IMBA's work - in fact, mountain bike advocacy in general - is a world of agency partnerships, educational programs, member services, volunteer empowerment and lots of acronyms.

But in this swirl of ideas, networking and information, one concept matters most: what happens when you throw you leg over the top tube of your bicycle, sit on the saddle and pedal out to ride off-road.

Are your local trails open to bicycle use? Are the rides satisfying? At the end of the day, these are the key questions. IMBA exists to make sure the answers are positive.

Protecting existing trail access will always be a primary focus for IMBA and our affiliated clubs. Creating new trails is not always appropriate. But there's no doubt that well-executed new trails - built properly and in the right places - make our sport much more appealing.

In this edition of IMBA Trail News we highlight some of the great new trail projects in which mountain bikers have played an important role. Obviously, the new paths described here are just the tip of the iceberg - IMBA and our affiliated clubs have a hand in creating hundreds of miles of new trails each year.

These trails are almost always shared by hikers and other trail users... and most quickly become highly coveted community resources. These trails are not only important today, but also tomorrow. They'll make it possible for people to get out into the natural world and connect with the land for decades to come.

Double O One

Platte River State Park, Nebraska
Length: 12 Miles

The Double O One is a 12-mile technical singletrack winding through the buttes of Platte River State Park. Just a few miles off I-80 halfway between Lincoln and Omaha, the trail system includes a waterfall, "gravity cavities", terrific views, and plenty of technical challenge. IMBA-affiliate THOR (Trails Have Our Respect) logged more than 500 volunteer hours building the Double O One Trail between 1999 and 2001. In 2000, the club organized a National Trails Day project at the Double O and tallied more than 100 volunteer hours in a single day. Platte River State Park is only 420 acres yet boasts some of the state's best riding. The Double O One is a popular race course and is rapidly gaining a reputation as a must ride for plains mountain bikers. For more info visit www.mtbr.com/trails.

Sawtooth Ridge Trail

Truckee, California
Length: 10 Miles

A 10-mile singletrack loop, the Sawtooth Ridge Trail rolls through Sierra forests high above the Truckee River near Squaw Valley. Beginner and intermediate mountain bikers will love the stellar viewpoints, moderate climbs and fun rhythm. Occasional technical features keep things exciting. Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leader Joey Klein teamed with the Tahoe National Forest to design the trail, providing a new option in the popular Tahoe area. Trail construction was completed in July 2002 after five years of planning and effort. The trail has been adopted by the Palisade Dustbusters and the Back Country outdoor shop. For details contact the Tahoe National Forest, Truckee Ranger Station.

Mid-Mountain Trail

Park City, Utah
Length: 14 Miles

The Mid-Mountain Trail is a 14-mile, high-altitude, contoured singletrack that connects two of Utah's largest ski areas: Park City Mountain Resort and the Canyons Resort. The trail, which was constructed with funding from the Snyderville Basin Recreation District, is built entirely on private land. The Mountain Trails Foundation coordinated design and construction, with cooperation from landowners and the two ski areas. Trail builders aren't stopping there, however. Plans include extending the trail to Deer Valley Resort and to the Olympic Ski Jump, which will bring its total length to 25 miles. More info: www.mountaintrails.org.

Schaeffer Farm

Germantown, Maryland
Length: 14 Miles

A recently completed four-mile, technical singletrack addition to the Schaeffer Farm trail system completed an amazing turnaround engineered by the IMBA affiliate Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE). One year ago, bicycle access at this suburban D.C. park was in question because of land manager concerns about unauthorized trailbuilding. MORE worked with the local cycling community, state legislators and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to avert restrictions and get permission for a trail expansion. The Schaeffer Farm trail system includes fun, hilly singletrack through woods and fields. For the more adventurous, there is also a mountain bike "half pipe." Yet another new, half-mile trail section is slated for construction in mid-October. More info: www.more-mtb.org.

Moore Fun Trail

Fruita, Colorado
Length: 4.4 Miles

The Moore Fun Trail is a super technical, sustainable 4.4-mile gem near Fruita, Colorado. Utilizing Flintstone style rock gardens, ledgy switchbacks and sheer slickrock faces, the BLM, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association, Grand Valley Mountain Bike Patrol and local Fruita trailbuilders designed and constructed a trail that demands a rider's total concentration. The Moore Fun Trail is the double-black diamond jewel in the Kokopelli Trail system, which includes more than 40 miles of singletrack. The trail is named for long-time IMBA advisor Bob Moore, a former BLM Colorado state director who led the agency into a variety of mountain bike projects and partnerships. Info: www.fruitamountainbike.com

Ouachita Trail

Oklahoma To Arkansas
Length: 137 Miles

Grab your bike trailer, a case of CLIF Bars and go for an epic ride in Oklahoma and Arkansas! Thanks to years of good work by the IMBA affiliate Ozark Off Road Cyclists, two-thirds of the spectacular Ouachita Trail opened to mountain bikers in the spring of 2001. Of the trail's 222 total miles, 137 are rideable - 50 miles in Oklahoma and 87 in Arkansas. Mountain bikers gained access after a three-year impact study on a 50-mile section of the route. More info: www.ouachitaadventures.com.

Hickory Knob

Mccormick, South Carolina
Length: 7 Miles

The Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) is one of IMBA's largest and most successful affiliates. Among SORBA's many recent accomplishments was the completion of this seven mile singletrack route in Hickory Knob State Park. The intermediate route hugs the banks of Strom Thurmond Lake. Just a few miles down the road from Hickory Knob, Baker Creek State Park offers 9.5 miles of primitive, technical singletrack open to mountain bikers. The trail was the brainchild of SORBA and Baker Creek Park ranger Todd Rexrode, who IMBA South Carolina Rep Bill Victor calls, "The best park ranger in South Carolina." More info: www.sorba.org

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	New Trails Near You IMBA Trail News Volume 15, Number 4 Fall 2002 IMBA's work - in fact, mountain bike advocacy in general - is a world of agency partnerships, educational programs, member services, volunteer empowerment and lots of acronyms. But in this swirl of ideas, networking and information, one concept matters most: what happens when you throw you leg over the top tube of your bicycle, sit on the saddle and pedal out to ride off-road. Are your local trails open to bicycle use? Are the rides satisfying? At the end of the day, these are the key questions. IMBA exists to make sure the answers are positive. Protecting existing trail access will always be a primary focus for IMBA and our affiliated clubs. Creating new trails is not always appropriate. But there's no doubt that well-executed new trails - built properly and in the right places - make our sport much more appealing. In this edition of IMBA Trail News we highlight some of the great new trail projects in which mountain bikers have played an important role. Obviously, the new paths described here are just the tip of the iceberg - IMBA and our affiliated clubs have a hand in creating hundreds of miles of new trails each year. These trails are almost always shared by hikers and other trail users... and most quickly become highly coveted community resources. These trails are not only important today, but also tomorrow. They'll make it possible for people to get out into the natural world and connect with the land for decades to come. Double O One Platte River State Park, Nebraska Length: 12 Miles The Double O One is a 12-mile technical singletrack winding through the buttes of Platte River State Park. Just a few miles off I-80 halfway between Lincoln and Omaha, the trail system includes a waterfall, "gravity cavities", terrific views, and plenty of technical challenge. IMBA-affiliate THOR (Trails Have Our Respect) logged more than 500 volunteer hours building the Double O One Trail between 1999 and 2001. In 2000, the club organized a National Trails Day project at the Double O and tallied more than 100 volunteer hours in a single day. Platte River State Park is only 420 acres yet boasts some of the state's best riding. The Double O One is a popular race course and is rapidly gaining a reputation as a must ride for plains mountain bikers. For more info visit www.mtbr.com/trails. Sawtooth Ridge Trail Truckee, California Length: 10 Miles A 10-mile singletrack loop, the Sawtooth Ridge Trail rolls through Sierra forests high above the Truckee River near Squaw Valley. Beginner and intermediate mountain bikers will love the stellar viewpoints, moderate climbs and fun rhythm. Occasional technical features keep things exciting. Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leader Joey Klein teamed with the Tahoe National Forest to design the trail, providing a new option in the popular Tahoe area. Trail construction was completed in July 2002 after five years of planning and effort. The trail has been adopted by the Palisade Dustbusters and the Back Country outdoor shop. For details contact the Tahoe National Forest, Truckee Ranger Station. Mid-Mountain Trail Park City, Utah Length: 14 Miles The Mid-Mountain Trail is a 14-mile, high-altitude, contoured singletrack that connects two of Utah's largest ski areas: Park City Mountain Resort and the Canyons Resort. The trail, which was constructed with funding from the Snyderville Basin Recreation District, is built entirely on private land. The Mountain Trails Foundation coordinated design and construction, with cooperation from landowners and the two ski areas. Trail builders aren't stopping there, however. Plans include extending the trail to Deer Valley Resort and to the Olympic Ski Jump, which will bring its total length to 25 miles. More info: www.mountaintrails.org. Schaeffer Farm Germantown, Maryland Length: 14 Miles A recently completed four-mile, technical singletrack addition to the Schaeffer Farm trail system completed an amazing turnaround engineered by the IMBA affiliate Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE). One year ago, bicycle access at this suburban D.C. park was in question because of land manager concerns about unauthorized trailbuilding. MORE worked with the local cycling community, state legislators and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to avert restrictions and get permission for a trail expansion. The Schaeffer Farm trail system includes fun, hilly singletrack through woods and fields. For the more adventurous, there is also a mountain bike "half pipe." Yet another new, half-mile trail section is slated for construction in mid-October. More info: www.more-mtb.org. Moore Fun Trail Fruita, Colorado Length: 4.4 Miles The Moore Fun Trail is a super technical, sustainable 4.4-mile gem near Fruita, Colorado. Utilizing Flintstone style rock gardens, ledgy switchbacks and sheer slickrock faces, the BLM, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association, Grand Valley Mountain Bike Patrol and local Fruita trailbuilders designed and constructed a trail that demands a rider's total concentration. The Moore Fun Trail is the double-black diamond jewel in the Kokopelli Trail system, which includes more than 40 miles of singletrack. The trail is named for long-time IMBA advisor Bob Moore, a former BLM Colorado state director who led the agency into a variety of mountain bike projects and partnerships. Info: www.fruitamountainbike.com Ouachita Trail Oklahoma To Arkansas Length: 137 Miles Grab your bike trailer, a case of CLIF Bars and go for an epic ride in Oklahoma and Arkansas! Thanks to years of good work by the IMBA affiliate Ozark Off Road Cyclists, two-thirds of the spectacular Ouachita Trail opened to mountain bikers in the spring of 2001. Of the trail's 222 total miles, 137 are rideable - 50 miles in Oklahoma and 87 in Arkansas. Mountain bikers gained access after a three-year impact study on a 50-mile section of the route. More info: www.ouachitaadventures.com. Hickory Knob Mccormick, South Carolina Length: 7 Miles The Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) is one of IMBA's largest and most successful affiliates. Among SORBA's many recent accomplishments was the completion of this seven mile singletrack route in Hickory Knob State Park. The intermediate route hugs the banks of Strom Thurmond Lake. Just a few miles down the road from Hickory Knob, Baker Creek State Park offers 9.5 miles of primitive, technical singletrack open to mountain bikers. The trail was the brainchild of SORBA and Baker Creek Park ranger Todd Rexrode, who IMBA South Carolina Rep Bill Victor calls, "The best park ranger in South Carolina." More info: www.sorba.org


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