RATS Ensure Great Riding in Fairfield, California

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew helps add mileage at Rockville Hills Regional Park

Hard-boiled eggs never looked so appetizing! Thanks to RATS and the City of Fairfield for hosting breakfast and lunch on both days of the school.
Jim Jacobsen of Fairfax, California lends a hand with his mechanized wheelbarrow.
The heat didn't stop these hard-core bench-cutters! By day's end they completed more than 500 feet of new sustainable trail.
Proud IMBA Trailbuilding School participants pose on top of a newly-constructed rock bridge. A 1,200-pound rock slab crowns this creek crossing.
The icing on the cake of this great weekend was excellent riding. Rockville's "Outside Loop" is a textbook example of perfectly bench-cut, contour trail, while the "Rock Garden" and "Waterfall" satisfy the most daring.
Thanks to all who helped make this one of the best-organized Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visits to date!

In late March, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Lora Woolner and Mark Schmidt joined forces with the City of Fairfield and the Rockville Alternative Transportation Society (RATS) to assess and improve the beautiful singletrack trails in Rockville Hills Regional Park. With almost 700 acres, the park boasts more than 25 miles of trails for both hikers and bikers, with opportunities for all skill levels.

A welcome reception and mountain biking forum set the stage for what would be an exciting weekend of trail design, construction and riding. Cyclists from throughout the region discussed community cycling issues, and Mark and Lora gave a lively presentation on IMBA and its guiding principles.

The weekend also featured an IMBA Trailbuilding School that started in the classroom at Solano Community College. After hitting the books, everyone went out on the trail to apply their newfound skills in trail assessment and design. Using clinometers and pin flags, the group identified problem areas and proposed maintenance solutions and re-routes where necessary. Then the work began. Despite searing temperatures, volunteers logged a solid eight hours of trailwork.

Through the City of Fairfield's unique "Adopt a Park" program, the RATS are committed to maintaining the trails at Rockville Hills Regional Park. They meet at the trailhead every third Saturday for trail maintenance, and welcome new members. For more information, contact Teri Geiger at the City of Fairfield: