Strong Cyclist - Army Corps Partnership Leads to New Trails in Illinois

Pulaski time in Peoria.

The Trail Care Crew's Subie approached Farmdale Reservoir with high hopes thanks to the outstanding partnership between the Army Corps and local cyclists.
A group ride at Jubilee State Park hosted two of the most eye-catching cars in all of Peoria, the IMBA Subaru and the hot wheels of fellow Subaru-affiliate, the Subaru Gary Fisher Mountain Bike Team.
Completing 1000 feet of full bench cut on a 50-70% sideslope is a testament to the energy and passion of PAMBA, and the rich Illinois soil that "cuts like butter."
Two of central Illinois' leaders in mountain bicycling advocacy, Stacy Stinson and Terry Carter, swing a couple of tools together.

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Aaryn Kay and Scott Linnenburger rolled into America's heartland during the May 22-25 weekend to team with the Peoria Area Mountain Bikers Association (PAMBA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Celebrating the growing partnership between IMBA and the Army Corps, the weekend's activities focused on enhancing trails at the Corps' Farmdale and Fondulac facilities.

Farmdale's existing 10-mile trail system is a testament to attentive user management and a fruitful partnership between local mountain bikers and equestrians. During the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visit, the Peoria trail community banded together to re-route a trail that suffers from intense rutting and remains wet long into the riding season. The new route moved the trail out of the floodplain onto a gorgeous slope with views over the prairie.

With continually growing trailbuilding knowledge, endless energy, and fruitful relationships with land managers, PAMBA is destined for further achievement‹perhaps even expanding freeriding opportunities into something really big and burly.

Special thanks to Terry Carter and the PAMBA crew for their enthusiasm, Army Corps Ranger Todd Ernenputsch for an excellent weekend, IMBA's Illinois State Rep Stacy Stinson for helping open doors, Trek Fisher Rep Alan Enslow for providing thrilling test wheels, and local businesses Little Ades Bicycles and Bushwacker for supporting local trails.