MORE Winter Trailhead News 2021

Message from the President

Whew, 2020 is over! Personally, I can’t wait for the current freeze thaw cycle to end so we can get into riding, repairing damaged trails and hopefully past social distancing. Yes, you can ride trails when they are frozen or dry, not so much when they are wet or muddy. You’ll see freeze thaw explained in detail later in this issue. I’m glad to see many of our volunteers are taking a leadership role, expanding the freeze thaw conversation on social media and helping address the frailty of our trails during wet riding conditions.

As we slowly overcome the current pandemic, our trail liaisons will be asking for your help repairing trails this spring and into the summer. We also have several active trail building projects underway which you can also read about below. I’m happy to report MORE continues to connect with the riding community adding members and educating riders regarding advocacy and stewardship. While 2020 forced MORE to cut-back on rides and trail maintenance, many of our liaisons and key leaders found a way to social distance coordinated but apart maintenance so the rest of us could enjoy the solitude and safety trails bring to our mental and physical well-being. Thank you, creative leaders!

This year’s Winter Membership Meeting has been postponed and will hopefully occur this summer. An annual Membership Meeting is required in our by-laws and serves as a great venue for recognizing our key leaders. This year, we will do things a little different and begin recognizing our award winners on social media and our webpage in February. We think this is so important, we can’t wait until summer or fall to recognize the great work our volunteers and partners have been able to accomplish in 2020. - Ernie Rodriguez

Winter Membership Meeting (postponed!)

The MORE Annual Winter Membership Meeting is normally held in February each year. The meeting is a requirement as per our by-laws and an opportunity for members to come together and celebrate the year in review. Unfortunately, due to the continued health crisis we are forced to postpone the event until later in 2021 and we are hoping for a summer event. We will still recognize individuals with the 2020 awards as we feel the continuum with these honors is crucial to the key values of MORE.

We look forward to social gatherings later in 2021! Stay safe and get outside and ride (but heed the winter trail riding notes below!)

2020 MORE Awards

The Winter Membership Meeting is also the time when we recognize volunteers and key leaders and grant awards in multiple categories such as outstanding volunteerism at trail building, organizing and leading rides, demonstrated exemplary leadership, land manager in partnership with MORE, and the Scott Scudamore Lifetime Achievement award. Although we are not able to meet as a large group, we are working on a process to present the awards to the individuals (within COVID guidelines) and look forward to a social gathering later in the year to formally and publically recognize the following 2020 MORE Award Recipients:

Congratulations to the 2020 Award recipients!

Larry Cautilli - Scott Scudamore Lifetime Achievement Award
Gavin Buckly, David Jarrell, Archie Trader - City of Annapolis Land Manager of the Year
Martin Fernandez - Virginia Trail Builder of the Year
Tom Newton - Maryland Trail Builder of the Year
Bob & Linda Reed - Neighbors of the Year
Trail Work Leader of the Year - Brad Snakenberg
Sue Estes - Ride Leader of the Year
Individual awards for Kathy Mihm, Todd Bauer, Steve Pringle, Sean Johnson - Silver Spoke
Individual awards for Casey Bailey, Jacob Mullis - Responsible Rider Campaign

Winter Riding - Protect Our Trails!

Have you noticed any of these signs at your favorite trailhead the past few weeks?

The winter weather has done a number on our trails and MORE is actively working to prevent trail damage and educate trail users on riding in the winter and early spring season. Become an educated trail user – read the FAQs below and find more information on our webpage on MORE's Winter Riding Resources, including alternative ride options and resources to help you find out about real-time trail conditions.

What is freeze thaw?

When the temperature drops below freezing, the moisture in the ground freezes and because water expands as it freezes, the frozen soil gets broken up, resulting in less compaction of the trail surface. Once the air temperature rises above freezing, the newly broken up soil, in combination with the now melting ice, combine to make a muddy mess of the trail surface. These conditions are often worse where the sun warms up the trail during the day.

As a general rule, if the temperature drops below freezing (32°F) for more than a couple of hours, a freeze-thaw cycle will occur. And once the melting starts, it will take several to many days for the trails to dry out following a freeze-thaw cycle or a winter rain event. How long depends on many factors, including air temperature, trail conditions, soil type, evapotranspiration rates, sun exposure, and others.

When can I ride in the Winter?

You can ride trails that are DRY or FROZEN.

Depending on how cold it has been and how much rain or snow melt was recently added, it is usually okay to ride the trails if the air temperature is and has been well below freezing for several hours. For example, early in the morning after a night or more of below-freezing air temperature can yield a good, hard frozen trail surface; a “hard” freeze typically occurs with sustained temperatures of 28°F or lower. But it is important to plan your ride so that you are off the trail well before the melting begins.

How do I know I shouldn’t be on the trails and why does it matter?

Tracks on the Ground - Turn Around! Stay off the trails if you are leaving ruts in the trail. Riding in these conditions results in significant trail damage, and makes it take even longer for the trail to dry out.

What about when the trails are 95% dry, but there is an occasional puddle due to a drainage issue?

Remember the rule for the occasional puddle is to “ride through it” and keep single track single! Riding around the puddle only widens the trail and makes trail repair more difficult.

Where can I find more information about trail conditions in my area?

A great resource for the Montgomery County area is the Montgomery Parks Rain Out Line - Trails webpage, where real-time conditions for trails maintained by Montgomery County are updated regularly and up-to-date trail status is available for specific trail areas. Conditions on these trails are usually indicative of conditions for other nearby trails in Montgomery County, so if these trails are closed, other nearby trails are likley closed as well.

A good resource in Virginia is the Fountainhead Facebook page and Park Hotline: Fountainhead Park FB Page: Fountainhead Facebook Page and Fountainhead Park Hotline: (703) 250-9124

Additional information on local trail rainout lines and local Facebook groups that often discuss local trail conditions can be found at MORE Trail Status Resources.

Where else can I ride?

Some Alternative Ride Suggestions are provided at MORE Alternative Ride Suggestions, including a great gravel ride resource at GravelMap

Also, check out the 17-mile loop gravel/road ride in western Montgomery County, with stop descripions on the local history and geology available at MoCo Gravel Ride. Or, wait until spring and take the whole family!

Trail News

Cabin John Trails, Montgomery County

MoCo Parks has approved the first of a series of trailside features along the Highway Loop, located in the trail network north of Tuckerman Lane. This is a collaborative effort involving MoCo Parks, MORE, and a high school volunteer group, to design and build features as ridden counterclockwise. Our guidelines are to remain within a few feet of the trail, use natural looking materials where possible, only build where and what is pre-approved, and take a design approach that minimizes chances of injury. Types of features we’ve discussed include drops, boulder-overs, log-overs, rock gardens and several types of skinnies. So far there are a several types of skinnies in place, built by volunteer high school groups. Our first contribution is flagged and approved, awaiting lumber. For this first approved feature, we will use 3” thick live edge slabs on posts to create a straight and level skinny that leads to a 2ft drop. For the safety of slow rollers and first timers there will be a rideable exit ramp at the drop.

Greenbriar, Frederick Co

The new Yellow Trail work that was done by Greenstone Trailcraft is complete! It's two parts and it includes new bridges and some really fun elevation!

For future work, there is a newly awarded $60K grant via the Recreational Trails Program which will include lots of new good stuff. We will need to recruit a lot of volunteers to amass matching hours in order to earn the grant money. This will include work on the Snelling Fire Trail (trail-marked silver), the Water Tank Trail, and possibly the contractor work to reroute the Red Trail. In the meantime, we are continuing to have small trail work days that for now are coordinated via text to keep the numbers small (due to Covid).

Emmitsburg, Frederick Co

Emmitsburg Trails is seeking to expand trail access beyond Sunday's Only. This request is being brought to the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners for consideration in the January Town Meeting. Access for Class I, pedal assist e-bikes is also being considered. Plans are underway to repair and reopen the Red Trail. It was closed due to extensive damage occurring during forestry work.Planning for expanded on-site parking is underway. The success of the Monocacy Composite Youth Cycling time trial event showed how a 30+ space parking lot could function.

For more information, contact Tim O'Donnell at [email protected]

Gabrielson Bridge, Oakton, VA

Construction work has begun on the Gabrielson Bridge, over Difficult Run in Oakton, VA! The bridge itself has already been built and is awaiting transport via a flatbed from Minnesota. The bridge will set in place using a crane, with the process of setting and securing the bridge taking only a few hours. Keep on the lookout for construction activities in advance of the bridge placement for the next month or so, but the plan is to keep the adjacent trails unobstructed. Trail making signs have been posted in the area to direct trail users. The current schedule calls for the bridge to be installed in mid-February 2021.

Anne Arundel County, MD

In Anne Arundel County, MORE is working with the City of Annapolis to improve and integrate several forgotten hiking trails into the Waterworks trail system, totaling approximately 2 miles of new and/or reinvigorated multi-use single track.

South Germantown Bike Park

Montgomery Parks has purchased 3 wood and steel kickers from Progressive Bike Ramps. These are the focal point of a new advanced "Flow Line" at the bike park. The manufactured ramps provide a consistent experience, require far less maintenance than traditional dirt jumps, and do not erode or become rutted over time. The new flow line will allow riders to progress to the next level of jumps with gaps. But don’t come out to ride them just yet, due to frequent soft conditions, the bike park is closed for the winter and will reopen some time March or April.

Patuxent Trails, Howard Co

Greenstone Trailcraft is working through the winter on benchcutting the 3 mile Scott Branch loop. They are on track to finish in March, weather permitting. Volunteer work is underway to clear the last 2.5 miles of trail in Phase 1 See the MORE calendar or Golden Volunteer for scheduled workdays this winter. Dirt Artisans has been awarded the benchcutting contract for this 2.5 mile section and will mobilize in late spring, after the trail is cleared. And MORE received another RTP grant for another ~3 miles of new trail plus enhanced parking.

Board of Directors - 2021 Update

Congratulations to the newly elected members of MORE’s Board of Directors (BOD)! The BOD votes are in and your new BOD members started activities in January 2021.

Membership Director – Rob Lowe – Rob is a returning Membership Director having served from 2018 to 2020.

Activities Director – Clay Deming – Clay is a new to the MORE BOD but has lived in the DC Metro area most of his life. Clay started mountain biking in the late 1990's. Clay and his wife have a 6 year old sMORE who loves riding, building ramps, and trails.

Communications Director – Kathy Mihm – Kathy also is new to the MORE BOD and has been an active supporter of MORE for several years. She has offered beginner skills clinics, worked to support and plan MORE Trails and the MoCo Epic, and provided support of several MORE trails projects.

And a huge Thank You and mountains of appreciation to outgoing BOD members, Sharon Maloid and Andrew Melito for their dedicated service to MORE these past few years!

The MORE BOD meets on a monthly schedule. Find out what your BOD is up to and MORE happenings through the monthly meeting minutes, which are available at: MORE Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for a Trail Boss!

MORE has an opening in the Trail Boss position. The Trail Boss is resposible for maintaining the work day calendar and coordinating the efforts of the many Trail Liasions. We have moved this position to a non-BOD level position, to alleviate the need to attend meetings allowing the Trail Boss to focus on trail work. If you are interested in volunteering for this position, or would like additional information, please contact Peggy Flaxman at [email protected]

Other Volunteer Opportunites! Want to give back to the great organization who builds and maintains over 753 miles of trails in 60 parks? Check-out the MORE calendar or Facebook page for rides and trail work. If you want to help out beyond our trails days, volunteer positions are always available and your help goes a long way. Contact MORE with questions or interest in helping grow our mountain bike community. Opportunities vary from advertising trail work days to physically building bridges on trails. Get involved in your mountain biking community - any amount of time will help!

IMBA Dig-In Campaign and Brookfield Community Park and Trails for Youth

MORE, in cooperation with Trails for Youth (TYO), has been awarded part of IMBA’s Dig-In Campaign to raise funds in support of expanding the bike skills area at Brookfield Park, located in Springfield, VA. For nearly two decades TYO has served at-risk youth within this community and this project will ensure sustainable recreation for these youth for years to come. The plan is to improve the existing small bicycle pump track at Brookfield Park and create an additional professionally built skills trail that will enhance the youth’s experience at the park. TYO’s goal is to transform the existing space in this park into a community focal point for all local youth to learn and embrace mountain biking in a safe and contained environment.

In 2014, when the master plan for Brookfield Park was amended, TYO requested and was granted a change to include the building of a small bicycle pump track. MORE enthusiastically supported this effort. The track was funded by TYO with matching funding from a Mastenbrook grant (Fairfax County Park Authority or FCPA). That was completed in 2018 and has been used extensively by the local neighborhood families and by TYO as a safe space for introducing youth to the joys of mountain biking. MORE added a liaison to Brookfield Park in 2019.

In this next phase, TYO is planning the construction of a mountain bike skills trail around the perimeter of the current bicycle pump track. We are working with FCPA and Progressive Bike Ramps to build and install wooden features to be ridden by all ages and abilities and MORE is once again enthusiastically in support of this effort by launching a crowdfunding campaign through IMBA’s Dig-In platform.

For more information, or better yet, to donate, click below

Donate Now

Membership Update

MORE had a great year for Membership from growth in New Members and Returning Members expired for a year or more, allowing us to grow to over 1500+ Members. During 2021, we are going to focus on continued growth by outreach to non-members via signage, social media and activities. We also are hoping to improve member retention/renewal rates, especially around event-driven months like October with the MoCo Epic hopefully returning in 2021.

Join or renew your MORE Membership

Please add your voice to MORE’s advocacy initiatives and join or renew today. Your membership helps:

Create a strong voice for advocacy in DC/MD/VA
Advocate for access to new and existing trails
Design and build new trails
Create a social network for riding bikes

Join/Renew MORE

MORE Trails and Bicycling in the News

Congratulations to Carlo Alfano in recognition of his efforts to construct a multi-use trail system, Rivers Edge, in Brunswick, MD, and a recent article in Patagonia.com/stories. Read the story here: At the Rivers Edge

And finally, check out this local news story that highlights some nice things that can arise when you mix a pandemic and bicycles in our world: WTOP - Pandemic Bike Repair Shop