Bruce County, ON: Family Freeriding?

Ontario takes a leap with new Mountain Bike Adventure Park

Mark and Lora worked with this incredible trails team to create a boulder causeway, a dirt jump line, and a double teeter-totter for the practice area.
The practice area provides riders with the opportunity to perfect the skills they will need on the trail, in an open space that is close to assistance if necessary.
The core trails are wide and naturally technical, with optional man-made features, like this suspension bridge, to the side.
The skid steer brings large rocks for creating the boulder causeway
A seven year-old rider practices his technical skills on the easier option of the completed causeway. The more advanced line is to the right.
The jump line consists of two berms and three tabletops. Each tabletop has a beginner and more advanced option.
Mark drives one last screw into the base of the double teeter-totter.
Chainsaw wizard Ken Goldsmith adds some traction to a log ramp during the advanced IMBA Trailbuilding School Mark and Lora taught during their visit.
More than 20 volunteers smile in front of the sign for the Albemarle Tract. Plans for the park include an obstacle called "Ride the Sign".

Bruce County, Ontario is embracing freeriding by building their own version of the North Shore on the rugged Bruce Peninsula. The Bruce County Mountain Bike Adventure Park, located at the Albemarle Tract, will be the first of its kind in Eastern Canada, featuring trail opportunities for all levels of riders. When complete, the park will feature 20km of trail and more than 40 technical trail features.

Rocky, forest corridors provide the core loop, with optional spurs of ultra-technical singletrack and man-made features to the side. The idea is that families and groups of varying skill can ride together and each person will find the experience he or she is looking for.

In July, 2004, Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, veteran Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders and coordinators of IMBA's new Canadian office, had the opportunity to work with Bruce County's trail staff to create three of the main features in the practice area near the parking lot. Mark and Lora's work was organized under IMBA's Trail Solutions consulting program.

Grand opening of the park is scheduled for September, 2004. For more information, stay tuned to the Bruce County website: http://www.naturalretreat.com/mountainbiking.htm

To read more about building your own technical trail features, visit http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/wood_guidelines.html

For all of IMBA's freeriding resources, visit http://www.imba.com/resources/freeriding/index.html