Club Notes

IMBA Trail News
Volume 17, Number 3
Late Summer 2004

Northeast

New York City officials have tentatively agreed to allow mountain biking in some of the city's parks. The New York Adventure Racing Association, the Concerned Long Island Mountain Bikers and New York City's IMBA rep Matt LeBow are working with city officials to select two parks in the city that will allow mountain biking. Cyclists are also developing plans to create a new trail system at Staten Island's Landfill Park. For more info email .

Burlington, Vermont's Fellowship of the Wheel (a chapter of the Vermont Mountain Biking Association, www.vmba.org) is working on three projects in Chittenden County that will link trails in six towns and provide more than 50 miles of mountain biking.

The New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) held a leadership summit on Cape Cod for 60 of the group's movers and shakers. The summit focused on pushing the organization's advocacy efforts in new directions and increasing the group's effectiveness.

Mount Agamenticus NEMBA presented a mountain bike donated by K2 Bikes to the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Manager to aid his work in the more remote areas of this 50-mile trail network in southern Maine.

Pennsylvania's York Area Mountain Bike Association is building positive relations with area land managers and equestrians. The most recent result of this partnership is the creation of a new one-mile trail at Spring Valley County Park.

Southeast

The Airborne Mountain Bike Club and IMBA rep, Bill Klausmeyer, are working to open the Fort Pierce Trail on Florida's eastern coast. They pledged their support to land managers and community officials, donated countless hours assessing and maintaining the trail, and navigated the bureaucratic process to assure that this is one trail system that doesn't become developed or fall into disrepair. Please help support this project. More info: www.fortpiercebiketrail.info.

The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association's (SORBA) Central Savannah River chapter, IMBA South Carolina representative Bill Victor and IMBA Trail Solutions will work together to rebuild 10 miles of the Long Cane Horse Trail this fall. The SORBA chapter is also in the final stages of working with land managers for approval of 32 miles of trail called the Forks Area Trail System (FATS).

In Virginia, IMBA board member Woody Keen's Trail Dynamics crew and IMBA Trail Solutions will rebuild portions of the Chestnut Ridge Trail system on Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke County property this fall. IMBA assisted in putting together the trail specifications and is working with these public partners to create trail on National Park Service property that will be open to mountain bike use.

All these successes are happening because passionate advocates are showing up. Help in whatever way you can - join your local club and IMBA, or sign up to volunteer at trailwork days or to attend advocacy meetings - because what would we do without trails?

Midwest

Hey Minnesota, you've got a new trail! With support from the city of St. Cloud, the Mid Minnesota Cycling Club recently completed work on the Plum Creek Trail. Located at the Plum Creek Regional Park, this technical three-mile trail is designed for one-way traffic and provides a fun and exciting challenge for mountain bikers of any level. For info visit: www.midmncycling.org.

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists (MORC) are completing an eight-mile singletrack in Lebanon Hills and have received approval for a reroute of the Minnesota River Bottom Trail in Bloomington and trail improvements at Terrace Oaks Park in Burnsville. Get involved at www.morcmtb.org.

The Missouri-based Green Hills Trail Association will receive an award from the Missouri Conservation Department for their outstanding volunteer efforts on the Green Hills Trail at Indian Creek Community Lake. The group has been developing the trail for several years and will soon complete seven of the proposed 15 miles of trail. For info contact Doug Long: .

Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) continues to improve mountain biking opportunities in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. THOR recently began work on a 2.4-mile trail at Tranquility Park in Omaha. Seven miles of trail have also been established at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Trail markers and a trailhead kiosk will be installed later this summer. Contact THOR's Mike Resetar at (402) 813-2758 for more info.

Rockies

Ordinarily we don't like to flip our own burgers here at IMBA HQ, but it's too cool to not mention: IMBA's hometown Boulder, Colorado was recently awarded the prestigious gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. Boulder missed out on being the first city to reach platinum-level (the highest status the League bestows) due to limited mountain bike access to local trails. Guess we've still got some work to do.

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will lead a free Trailbuilding School for land managers in Golden, Colorado on Aug. 10 and 11. Similar events have brought together hundreds of land managers across the nation to share ideas and brush up on the latest trailwork techniques. Contact Terry Gimbel at to sign up.

IMBA has a new voice in Utah: Ryan Miller of Salt Lake has stepped up to become IMBA's volunteer field rep. He'll work as a liaison between local clubs, land managers and IMBA HQ. One of his goals is to involve the racing community in trail maintenance projects. To contact Ryan email .

The popular Tahoe Rim Trail recently got a boost by the formation of the Tahoe Rim Trail Ambassadors, a National Mountain Bike Patrol-affiliated volunteer group that will offer assistance in emergencies and educate riders about responsible riding. To join or get more info, contact Jessica Fritschi at .

Pacific

Wilderness issues are coming to a head in the Pacific. California advocates continue their Wilderness efforts by sending regular action alerts, attending meetings, writing letters, and hosting IMBA Wild Rides (next one on Aug 7-8). Meanwhile, in Oregon, trail advocates have created a great statewide network, have garnered positive press in newspapers throughout Oregon and are in an active dialogue with congressional staff. Idaho's Wilderness proposal has just opened for public comment. Cyclists could lose 85 miles of singletrack around the Ketchum/Sun Valley area.

The Valley Mountain Bike Alliance in Palmer, Alaska, along with local downhillers have opened a 16-mile downhill trail at Hatcher Pass with plenty of jumps, bumps and lumps for your gravity-induced pleasure.

From Fairbanks to Anchorage to the Matanuska Valley, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner taught sustainable trailbuilding and raised awareness about mountain bicycling in Alaska this June.

Joey Klein, IMBA Trail Solutions, is leading construction of seven more miles of great singletrack and an enhanced jump park at Tamarack Resort in McCall, Idaho, that will result in an awesome new trail system. Joey just completed planning work at Silver Mountain Resort, near Kellogg, Idaho.

The Gorge Freeride Association, Inc. in Hood River, Oregon, has completed a map of 20 freeride trails in the Hood River County Forest. For more info check out www.gfra.org.

The World

Recently retired Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew members Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner officially opened IMBA's Canadian office, located in Collingwood, Ontario, for business in July. Mark and Lora will focus on Canadian access and advocacy issues to ensure Canadian mountain bikers, clubs, trails centers and land managers benefit from the many resources IMBA has to offer. To contact IMBA's Canadian office call (705) 441-6901 or email . Look for more detailed info in the next issue of ITN.

Congrats to Wales (UK) trailbuilder Dafydd Davis, who was recently awarded an MBE. What's an MBE you ask? It's an Order of the British Empire that awards civilians and service personnel for public service. Dafydd successfully persuaded the UK Forestry Commission (the British equivalent of the U.S. Forest Service), Welsh Tourism and the Welsh Assembly Government that mountain biking is good for the community and the local economy. Dafydd also helped build trail centers throughout Wales.

IMBA UK has completely revamped their website. Check it out at www.imba-uk.com.

A few years ago, IMBA did work in Mexico City to help build a trail system. Since then, however, our efforts and representation in Mexico have been lacking - until recently. IMBA has two new reps in Mexico: Lizette Rolland in Mexico City ( ) and Ivan Hernandez-Romero in Monterrey ( ). IMBA is planning an advocacy and trailbuilding trip to Mexico in 2005.

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	Club Notes IMBA Trail News Volume 17, Number 3 Late Summer 2004 Northeast New York City officials have tentatively agreed to allow mountain biking in some of the city's parks. The New York Adventure Racing Association, the Concerned Long Island Mountain Bikers and New York City's IMBA rep Matt LeBow are working with city officials to select two parks in the city that will allow mountain biking. Cyclists are also developing plans to create a new trail system at Staten Island's Landfill Park. For more info email . Burlington, Vermont's Fellowship of the Wheel (a chapter of the Vermont Mountain Biking Association, www.vmba.org) is working on three projects in Chittenden County that will link trails in six towns and provide more than 50 miles of mountain biking. The New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) held a leadership summit on Cape Cod for 60 of the group's movers and shakers. The summit focused on pushing the organization's advocacy efforts in new directions and increasing the group's effectiveness. Mount Agamenticus NEMBA presented a mountain bike donated by K2 Bikes to the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Manager to aid his work in the more remote areas of this 50-mile trail network in southern Maine. Pennsylvania's York Area Mountain Bike Association is building positive relations with area land managers and equestrians. The most recent result of this partnership is the creation of a new one-mile trail at Spring Valley County Park. Southeast The Airborne Mountain Bike Club and IMBA rep, Bill Klausmeyer, are working to open the Fort Pierce Trail on Florida's eastern coast. They pledged their support to land managers and community officials, donated countless hours assessing and maintaining the trail, and navigated the bureaucratic process to assure that this is one trail system that doesn't become developed or fall into disrepair. Please help support this project. More info: www.fortpiercebiketrail.info. The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association's (SORBA) Central Savannah River chapter, IMBA South Carolina representative Bill Victor and IMBA Trail Solutions will work together to rebuild 10 miles of the Long Cane Horse Trail this fall. The SORBA chapter is also in the final stages of working with land managers for approval of 32 miles of trail called the Forks Area Trail System (FATS). In Virginia, IMBA board member Woody Keen's Trail Dynamics crew and IMBA Trail Solutions will rebuild portions of the Chestnut Ridge Trail system on Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke County property this fall. IMBA assisted in putting together the trail specifications and is working with these public partners to create trail on National Park Service property that will be open to mountain bike use. All these successes are happening because passionate advocates are showing up. Help in whatever way you can - join your local club and IMBA, or sign up to volunteer at trailwork days or to attend advocacy meetings - because what would we do without trails? Midwest Hey Minnesota, you've got a new trail! With support from the city of St. Cloud, the Mid Minnesota Cycling Club recently completed work on the Plum Creek Trail. Located at the Plum Creek Regional Park, this technical three-mile trail is designed for one-way traffic and provides a fun and exciting challenge for mountain bikers of any level. For info visit: www.midmncycling.org. In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists (MORC) are completing an eight-mile singletrack in Lebanon Hills and have received approval for a reroute of the Minnesota River Bottom Trail in Bloomington and trail improvements at Terrace Oaks Park in Burnsville. Get involved at www.morcmtb.org. The Missouri-based Green Hills Trail Association will receive an award from the Missouri Conservation Department for their outstanding volunteer efforts on the Green Hills Trail at Indian Creek Community Lake. The group has been developing the trail for several years and will soon complete seven of the proposed 15 miles of trail. For info contact Doug Long: . Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) continues to improve mountain biking opportunities in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. THOR recently began work on a 2.4-mile trail at Tranquility Park in Omaha. Seven miles of trail have also been established at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Trail markers and a trailhead kiosk will be installed later this summer. Contact THOR's Mike Resetar at (402) 813-2758 for more info. Rockies Ordinarily we don't like to flip our own burgers here at IMBA HQ, but it's too cool to not mention: IMBA's hometown Boulder, Colorado was recently awarded the prestigious gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. Boulder missed out on being the first city to reach platinum-level (the highest status the League bestows) due to limited mountain bike access to local trails. Guess we've still got some work to do. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will lead a free Trailbuilding School for land managers in Golden, Colorado on Aug. 10 and 11. Similar events have brought together hundreds of land managers across the nation to share ideas and brush up on the latest trailwork techniques. Contact Terry Gimbel at to sign up. IMBA has a new voice in Utah: Ryan Miller of Salt Lake has stepped up to become IMBA's volunteer field rep. He'll work as a liaison between local clubs, land managers and IMBA HQ. One of his goals is to involve the racing community in trail maintenance projects. To contact Ryan email . The popular Tahoe Rim Trail recently got a boost by the formation of the Tahoe Rim Trail Ambassadors, a National Mountain Bike Patrol-affiliated volunteer group that will offer assistance in emergencies and educate riders about responsible riding. To join or get more info, contact Jessica Fritschi at . Pacific Wilderness issues are coming to a head in the Pacific. California advocates continue their Wilderness efforts by sending regular action alerts, attending meetings, writing letters, and hosting IMBA Wild Rides (next one on Aug 7-8). Meanwhile, in Oregon, trail advocates have created a great statewide network, have garnered positive press in newspapers throughout Oregon and are in an active dialogue with congressional staff. Idaho's Wilderness proposal has just opened for public comment. Cyclists could lose 85 miles of singletrack around the Ketchum/Sun Valley area. The Valley Mountain Bike Alliance in Palmer, Alaska, along with local downhillers have opened a 16-mile downhill trail at Hatcher Pass with plenty of jumps, bumps and lumps for your gravity-induced pleasure. From Fairbanks to Anchorage to the Matanuska Valley, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner taught sustainable trailbuilding and raised awareness about mountain bicycling in Alaska this June. Joey Klein, IMBA Trail Solutions, is leading construction of seven more miles of great singletrack and an enhanced jump park at Tamarack Resort in McCall, Idaho, that will result in an awesome new trail system. Joey just completed planning work at Silver Mountain Resort, near Kellogg, Idaho. The Gorge Freeride Association, Inc. in Hood River, Oregon, has completed a map of 20 freeride trails in the Hood River County Forest. For more info check out www.gfra.org. The World Recently retired Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew members Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner officially opened IMBA's Canadian office, located in Collingwood, Ontario, for business in July. Mark and Lora will focus on Canadian access and advocacy issues to ensure Canadian mountain bikers, clubs, trails centers and land managers benefit from the many resources IMBA has to offer. To contact IMBA's Canadian office call (705) 441-6901 or email . Look for more detailed info in the next issue of ITN. Congrats to Wales (UK) trailbuilder Dafydd Davis, who was recently awarded an MBE. What's an MBE you ask? It's an Order of the British Empire that awards civilians and service personnel for public service. Dafydd successfully persuaded the UK Forestry Commission (the British equivalent of the U.S. Forest Service), Welsh Tourism and the Welsh Assembly Government that mountain biking is good for the community and the local economy. Dafydd also helped build trail centers throughout Wales. IMBA UK has completely revamped their website. Check it out at www.imba-uk.com. A few years ago, IMBA did work in Mexico City to help build a trail system. Since then, however, our efforts and representation in Mexico have been lacking - until recently. IMBA has two new reps in Mexico: Lizette Rolland in Mexico City ( ) and Ivan Hernandez-Romero in Monterrey ( ). IMBA is planning an advocacy and trailbuilding trip to Mexico in 2005.


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