IMBA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tackle Texas

It all starts in the classroom - Mark and Lora teaching sustainable trailbuilding.
Mark discusses layout, including a great view of Canyon Lake.
Canyon Lake USACE Park Ranger Travis Motal takes a ride on the new trail.
At Lake Georgetown, lots of rock and a steep turned called for a switchback to be built.
The switchback nearing completion.
Rockwall switchback complete! A proud group of Lake Georgetown volunteers.

Canyon Lake

In mid-February, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Lora Woolner and Mark Schmidt kicked-off the first official visit outlined in IMBA's new memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Canyon Lake, Texas. Unpredictable weather provided flash floods the day before and an ice storm the day after, but sandwiched in between were three days of sunny skies, temperatures in the 70's, and great trailbuilding and riding.

The Central Texas' Canyon Lake project played host to a one-day workshop specifically designed for land managers. Participants from the Cities of San Antonio, Austin, and New Braunfels, as well as, representatives of Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lower Colorado River Authority, and Hays County Parks attended.

That weekend, IMBA conducted a trailbuilding school open to cyclists, other trail users and the general public. Four IMBA-affiliated clubs, including two new clubs, BikeMojo.com and the Camino Real Cycling Club, joined land managers for two more days of trail education.

The rocky, ledgey limestone surrounding Canyon Lake is ideal for mountain biking. Participants designed and flagged nearly 3,000 feet of trail and constructed almost 1,000 feet of new trail.

Special thanks to IMBA webmaster, advocacy leader, and Central Texas resident James Buratti.

Lake Georgetown

The following weekend the Crew headed north of Austin to the Corps project at Lake Georgetown. IMBA's new Central Texas' rep Dewayne Buratti and the Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club hosted a two-day trailbuilding school, which attracted more than 30 participants.

Volunteers built 400 feet of trail that will link-up a series of parks surrounding the entire lake. Once complete, it will connect more than 20 miles of trail in all.

Everyone in attendance agreed the weekend would be remembered for two things: a beautiful new rockwall switchback and Dewayne's famous cheesecake. Participants were clamoring for more information and asked Mark and Lora to return next year and conduct an advanced level trailbuilding school.