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IMBA Trail News
Volume 18, Number 4
Winter 2005

By Mike Van Abel, IMBA Executive Director

I rarely delete e-mail messages. So, while I live with an overflowing inbox, I also have a pretty good idea of the issues that have occupied my first full year at IMBA.

It's no surprise that the words "access" and "wilderness" occur hundreds of times in the subject lines of messages I've accumulated since last fall. In particular, discussions of federally designated Wilderness (which bans bicycle access) rank near the top of my e-mail collection. That's a good thing, because the issue epitomizes the access challenges IMBA faces.

Our goal with regard to Wilderness is to protect the land and maintain bike access. I'm convinced that IMBA has assembled a strategy to accomplish both. Through boundary adjustments and the use of alternative designations, we've built an effective toolkit for dealing with proposed Wilderness. In Virginia, Oregon and Colorado, this approach is likely to bring results that mountain bikers can feel good about, and other states have adopted similar tactics. Complicating IMBA's position on Wilderness is the high value we place on natural areas, and the knowledge that bicycling is a muscle-powered, quiet and environmentally friendly activity that is compatible with Wilderness values. It's a difficult issue - printing the messages about Wilderness I've received would create a very thick book.

My favorite e-mail subject matter is new trails. It feels like Christmas every time I open a message that tells of a trail or bike park opening - these onthe- ground successes are irrefutable evidence that our advocacy network brings results. I'm heartened by messages from land managers who say they were once averse to mountain biking but now embrace shared-use trails, or have formed a productive relationship with mountain biking volunteers. I often forward these feel-good messages to IMBA's board and staff; the most inspiring ones even get taped to the office fridge.

IMBA's flagship trail education program, the Subaru-sponsored Trail Care Crew is another e-mail catalyst. Each of the Crews' projects typically generates at least one thank-you note from a land manager, a couple of rave reviews from volunteer participants, and a report from the Crew about the advocacy and trailbuilding work they accomplished. The Crews will conduct more than 70 IMBA Trailbuilding Schools in 2005 - good for a few hundred messages.

Adding to the pipeline is news resulting from the work of IMBA Trail Solutions, our fee-based trail consulting program. This labor of love yields results that are felt far beyond new trails. I know this because I hear from land conservation leaders, tourism interests, bicycle industry members and diverse trail enthusiasts, including equestrians and hikers. The common sentiment is that trails designed by IMBA are durable and fun to use. I also get messages like this one from Kate Poulos, of Green Earth (a land conservancy in Carbondale, Illinois): "Our revitalized trails get more people out in nature enjoying their experience and inspiring them to love and respect our incredible forests, rivers and prairies."

I receive e-mails that are simply a celebration of our sport. I especially enjoy those with photos attached: a smiling kid on his first mountain bike ride. Photos of dirt-encrusted riders after a race. Images of riders caught in motion, off the back of the saddle, prepped to land a rocky descent get me psyched to ride (forwarding an action shot to the office staff usually yields a riding partner in short order).

It's been a rewarding first year for me at IMBA. Like you, mountain biking renews and invigorates my love for the outdoors. I am privileged to be part of an association with programs and people that inspire me. The sum value of my e-mail inbox - never to be deleted - is to cherish each ride.

Thanks for reading,
Mike Van Abel