News Briefs

IMBA Trail News
Volume 16, Number 2
Early Summer 2003

New IMBA Trailbuilding Book

Attention dirt daydreamers and trailbuilding fanatics. IMBA is working on a revolutionary new trailbuilding book that will present the latest and best techniques of trail design, construction and maintenance. The new resource will be available in late 2003 and will expand greatly on the information presented in Building Better Trails - IMBA's acclaimed 64-page handbook (6,000 copies of the handbook have been distributed since 2001). The Federal Highway Administration's highly successful Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is sponsoring the project. During the past 10 years, the RTP has helped communities build and repair thousands of miles of trails involving 5,500 projects in all 50 states. Freelance writer Vernon Felton will pen the new book along with IMBA staff and trail experts from around the world. Now living in Buffalo, New York, Felton was chief editor at Bike magazine from 1999-2001 and holds a masters in Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley. Contact him at

Idaho Resort Hires IMBA

The IMBA Trail Solutions team is busy creating a 10-mile cutting-edge trail network at the unique new Tamarack Resort in central Idaho. Tamarack is developing 3,600 acres that will include the first new, major U.S. ski resort in 20 years. The project is IMBA's largest private trailwork contract to date. Joey Klein and Rich Edwards, veteran IMBA trail experts, are leading the design of new singletrack and a mountain bike challenge park as part of a multi-year trail development plan. The resort's master plan calls for 2,000 housing units, skiing and snowboarding on a mountain with 2,800 vertical feet, world-class mountain biking, golf, cross-country skiing and other outdoor sports. Tamarack is situated on Cascade Lake in Donnelly, Idaho- a two-hour drive north of Boise. The IMBA Trail Solutions program offers professional trail design, construction and consulting services in a fee-based format. For more information email Rich Edwards, program coordinator, at .

Zac Tools Closes

IMBA and trailbuilders everywhere recently lost a longtime ally when Zac Tools went out of business. In addition to supporting IMBA financially, Zac Tools provided discounted tools to IMBA clubs for eight years. Their patented pulaskis and McLeods with fiberglass handles and bolt-less handle attachments were widely regarded as some of the best all-around trailbuilding tools. Unfortunately, tough economic times and competition from lower-quality imports made it impossible for Zac Tools to be profitable. IMBA has not yet found another company to provide discounted tools to clubs, but we are working on it. Meanwhile, you can buy trail tools from Ben Meadows (www.benmeadows.com or 800-241-6401) and Forestry Suppliers, Inc. (www.forestry-suppliers.com or 800-647-5368). For more information, check the list of trailbuilding resources on IMBA's website at imba.com/resources. We will update this as new information becomes available.

Crews Help the Heartland

During the next couple of months, the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews focus on the Midwest and Canada with an exciting line-up of visits. On the docket in early June are simultaneous IMBA Hot Spot campaigns in Chicago and Minneapolis. These intensive 10-day visits are geared to invigorate mountain biking advocates in urban areas. Then our western Crew leaders, Mark and Lora, head to their native Ontario to rally mountain bikers in the Ottawa area, followed by a visit to IMBA's Backcountry Trail Patrol in Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest. Meanwhile, Scott and Aaryn zig-zag through the heartland. First, they present an IMBA Trailbuilding School in Jefferson City, Missouri, to land managers from throughout the state. Then come stops in Duluth, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information on these events and the entire Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew schedule, visit imba.com.

IMBA Board Transitions

Three long-time IMBA board members recently stepped down as volunteer directors. Carl Birkelbach (Chicago, Illinois), a 10-year board member and IMBA treasurer, provided IMBA with exceptional professional financial guidance and also played a key role in shaping IMBA's current organizational structure. Mary Monroe (Boulder, Colorado), an IMBA board vice president who also served for nearly a decade, guided IMBA's growing marketing, advertising and corporate partnership programs. Steve Anderson (Tucson, Arizona), was IMBA's president for two and a half years and a board member since 1995. He inspired IMBA's developing partnerships with key federal land management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Army Corps of Engineers. Hill Abell (Austin, Texas) was named interim IMBA president at the organization's January board meeting. Chris Kegel (Hale's Corner, Wisconsin) was named interim treasurer. IMBA plans to announce two new board member selections in conjunction with our June board of directors meeting, which will be held in Chicago, June 5-6.

IMBA Seeks New Reps

IMBA seeks advocates interested in joining our network of volunteer representatives. IMBA has designated reps around the world, including 45 U.S. states and a half-dozen other countries. IMBA reps connect our main office and IMBA programs with our affiliate clubs and members around the world. Reps work with local land managers, clubs and other user groups to improve trail access. IMBA provides reps with training and other resources. Currently, IMBA is seeking reps in Utah, Hawaii, Maine, Pennsylvania, Alabama, British Columbia, the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec. In addition to the U.S. and Canada, IMBA has reps in a wide array of countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, Italy and the Philippines. If you'd like to represent IMBA in your corner of the world please email or call (303) 545-9011.

Storm Postpones Cali Epic

Mother Nature knocked the April Henry Coe, California IMBA Epic celebration off schedule. Two powerful Pacific storms converged over the Bay Area, making the trails too wet for trailwork and riding. To avoid environmental damage, IMBA postponed the event until September. Meanwhile, two more IMBA Epic celebrations are scheduled, so grab your chamois and head to Alliston, Ontario, June 14-15, and North Conway, New Hampshire, September 6-7. In Ontario, the local IMBA affiliate Middle Aged Mountain Bikers of Ontario (MAMBO) will be joined by Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, who are originally from Ontario, in a homecoming event of sorts. In North Conway, the New England Mountain Bike Association and IMBA New Hampshire rep Mark Jenks host a fall foliage celebration on the Nanamocomuck Trail, which is surrounded by some of the highest mountains east of the Mississippi River. IMBA Epic celebrations are free for IMBA members and limited to the first 100 registrants. To reserve your spot visit imba.com.

More Midwest Metro Trails

IMBA Hot Spots is heading to the Midwest as the program shifts focus to Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago. In the Twin Cities, the western Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, IMBA staff and the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists (www.morcmtb.org) will spend 10 days building a cornucopia of new trails. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away, the eastern Crew Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay, other IMBA staffers and the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (www.cambr.org) will hold high-level meetings with Chicago politicians in an effort to create new alliances in support of new trails near Chicago. The two campaigns take place on the exact same days, May 30-June 8. In other Hot Spot news, IMBA and program sponsor Clif Bar Inc. are teaming to create a new Hot Spot T-shirt, perfect for trailwork or urban nightlife. Look for details on this "Hot Spot" fashion statement soon.

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	News Briefs IMBA Trail News Volume 16, Number 2 Early Summer 2003 New IMBA Trailbuilding Book Attention dirt daydreamers and trailbuilding fanatics. IMBA is working on a revolutionary new trailbuilding book that will present the latest and best techniques of trail design, construction and maintenance. The new resource will be available in late 2003 and will expand greatly on the information presented in Building Better Trails - IMBA's acclaimed 64-page handbook (6,000 copies of the handbook have been distributed since 2001). The Federal Highway Administration's highly successful Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is sponsoring the project. During the past 10 years, the RTP has helped communities build and repair thousands of miles of trails involving 5,500 projects in all 50 states. Freelance writer Vernon Felton will pen the new book along with IMBA staff and trail experts from around the world. Now living in Buffalo, New York, Felton was chief editor at Bike magazine from 1999-2001 and holds a masters in Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley. Contact him at Idaho Resort Hires IMBA The IMBA Trail Solutions team is busy creating a 10-mile cutting-edge trail network at the unique new Tamarack Resort in central Idaho. Tamarack is developing 3,600 acres that will include the first new, major U.S. ski resort in 20 years. The project is IMBA's largest private trailwork contract to date. Joey Klein and Rich Edwards, veteran IMBA trail experts, are leading the design of new singletrack and a mountain bike challenge park as part of a multi-year trail development plan. The resort's master plan calls for 2,000 housing units, skiing and snowboarding on a mountain with 2,800 vertical feet, world-class mountain biking, golf, cross-country skiing and other outdoor sports. Tamarack is situated on Cascade Lake in Donnelly, Idaho- a two-hour drive north of Boise. The IMBA Trail Solutions program offers professional trail design, construction and consulting services in a fee-based format. For more information email Rich Edwards, program coordinator, at . Zac Tools Closes IMBA and trailbuilders everywhere recently lost a longtime ally when Zac Tools went out of business. In addition to supporting IMBA financially, Zac Tools provided discounted tools to IMBA clubs for eight years. Their patented pulaskis and McLeods with fiberglass handles and bolt-less handle attachments were widely regarded as some of the best all-around trailbuilding tools. Unfortunately, tough economic times and competition from lower-quality imports made it impossible for Zac Tools to be profitable. IMBA has not yet found another company to provide discounted tools to clubs, but we are working on it. Meanwhile, you can buy trail tools from Ben Meadows (www.benmeadows.com or 800-241-6401) and Forestry Suppliers, Inc. (www.forestry-suppliers.com or 800-647-5368). For more information, check the list of trailbuilding resources on IMBA's website at imba.com/resources. We will update this as new information becomes available. Crews Help the Heartland During the next couple of months, the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews focus on the Midwest and Canada with an exciting line-up of visits. On the docket in early June are simultaneous IMBA Hot Spot campaigns in Chicago and Minneapolis. These intensive 10-day visits are geared to invigorate mountain biking advocates in urban areas. Then our western Crew leaders, Mark and Lora, head to their native Ontario to rally mountain bikers in the Ottawa area, followed by a visit to IMBA's Backcountry Trail Patrol in Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest. Meanwhile, Scott and Aaryn zig-zag through the heartland. First, they present an IMBA Trailbuilding School in Jefferson City, Missouri, to land managers from throughout the state. Then come stops in Duluth, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information on these events and the entire Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew schedule, visit imba.com. IMBA Board Transitions Three long-time IMBA board members recently stepped down as volunteer directors. Carl Birkelbach (Chicago, Illinois), a 10-year board member and IMBA treasurer, provided IMBA with exceptional professional financial guidance and also played a key role in shaping IMBA's current organizational structure. Mary Monroe (Boulder, Colorado), an IMBA board vice president who also served for nearly a decade, guided IMBA's growing marketing, advertising and corporate partnership programs. Steve Anderson (Tucson, Arizona), was IMBA's president for two and a half years and a board member since 1995. He inspired IMBA's developing partnerships with key federal land management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Army Corps of Engineers. Hill Abell (Austin, Texas) was named interim IMBA president at the organization's January board meeting. Chris Kegel (Hale's Corner, Wisconsin) was named interim treasurer. IMBA plans to announce two new board member selections in conjunction with our June board of directors meeting, which will be held in Chicago, June 5-6. IMBA Seeks New Reps IMBA seeks advocates interested in joining our network of volunteer representatives. IMBA has designated reps around the world, including 45 U.S. states and a half-dozen other countries. IMBA reps connect our main office and IMBA programs with our affiliate clubs and members around the world. Reps work with local land managers, clubs and other user groups to improve trail access. IMBA provides reps with training and other resources. Currently, IMBA is seeking reps in Utah, Hawaii, Maine, Pennsylvania, Alabama, British Columbia, the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec. In addition to the U.S. and Canada, IMBA has reps in a wide array of countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, Italy and the Philippines. If you'd like to represent IMBA in your corner of the world please email or call (303) 545-9011. Storm Postpones Cali Epic Mother Nature knocked the April Henry Coe, California IMBA Epic celebration off schedule. Two powerful Pacific storms converged over the Bay Area, making the trails too wet for trailwork and riding. To avoid environmental damage, IMBA postponed the event until September. Meanwhile, two more IMBA Epic celebrations are scheduled, so grab your chamois and head to Alliston, Ontario, June 14-15, and North Conway, New Hampshire, September 6-7. In Ontario, the local IMBA affiliate Middle Aged Mountain Bikers of Ontario (MAMBO) will be joined by Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, who are originally from Ontario, in a homecoming event of sorts. In North Conway, the New England Mountain Bike Association and IMBA New Hampshire rep Mark Jenks host a fall foliage celebration on the Nanamocomuck Trail, which is surrounded by some of the highest mountains east of the Mississippi River. IMBA Epic celebrations are free for IMBA members and limited to the first 100 registrants. To reserve your spot visit imba.com. More Midwest Metro Trails IMBA Hot Spots is heading to the Midwest as the program shifts focus to Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago. In the Twin Cities, the western Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, IMBA staff and the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists (www.morcmtb.org) will spend 10 days building a cornucopia of new trails. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away, the eastern Crew Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay, other IMBA staffers and the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (www.cambr.org) will hold high-level meetings with Chicago politicians in an effort to create new alliances in support of new trails near Chicago. The two campaigns take place on the exact same days, May 30-June 8. In other Hot Spot news, IMBA and program sponsor Clif Bar Inc. are teaming to create a new Hot Spot T-shirt, perfect for trailwork or urban nightlife. Look for details on this "Hot Spot" fashion statement soon.


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