Catalina Island, California: New Riding Opportunities

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew helped celebrate the opening of the East island to mountain bikers.

The slalom course in the riding skills clinic challenged the riders ability to make tight turns and ride slowly and smoothly with the peddles in the best position.
The slalom limbo bar got lower and lower during the day. At the end riders had to get completely off their saddle to be low enough to make it under.
The President of the Catalina Island Conservancy, Ann Muscat, joined Avalon's Mayor, Ralph Morrow and local mountain bikers in cutting the ribbon at the newly opened trails.
The group loved the opportunity to leave from town to get on the trails. The bike skills clinic gave people added confidence when it was time to hit the trails. The newly opened dirt road is eight miles long. It has a fair amount of climbing, and the views as you ascend are unbelievable.
Nat and Rachael join a group of riders in a post Clif Bar break photo. The entire ride offers views like this one.

October 2004: Nat and Rachael Lopes left their Subaru in Southern California for the weekend and sailed off shore to Catalina Island. The Catalina Island Conservancy invited the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew to the island to teach their local mountain bike community sustainable trailbuilding techniques and to join in the festivities with the opening of the East island to mountain biking. The Conservancy manages the 88 percent of the 77-square mile island that is undeveloped.

The newly opened dirt roads will enable riders to leave directly from the town of Avalon and ride into the interior of the island. Mountain bikers will have access to these roads that are closed to vehicles and offer incredible views of the mountainous undeveloped island and endless ocean.

Nat and Rachael's trailbuilding school on Saturday morning attracted local islanders as well as mountain bikers from over town (Catalina lingo for the mainland). For this special weekend, they also led a mountain bike riding skills clinic. Riders new to off-road cycling as well as seasoned riders enjoyed challenging their bike handling skills in a slalom course and slow-riding race.