Live, Learn, and Ride

We started our visit in Arnold, CA with a presentation we don’t give very often – The Economics of Mountain Biking.  In less than an hour we covered a few topics and generally outlined the following formula:

bicycle + people who spend money + destination with great trails = singletrack tourism

There’s definitely more to it than that but those components are key.  As reformed ‘road trippers’ and past poster children for singletrack tourism, Chris and I were really inspired to share mountain bike success stories to various local riders, business people, and local leaders.

So you’re probably asking yourself; where the heck is Arnold, California?  Well, it’s within a few hours of both Sacramento and the Bay Area in the foothills of the Sierra.  To our surprise, hidden amongst the big trees and sweeping vistas, there are miles of quality singletrack in the Calaveras District of the Stanislaus National Forest.

Our Trail Care Crew visit was another piece of the puzzle for the Arnold Rim Trail Association.  As a well organized and highly effective volunteer committee, the ART folks have great vision for the development of an awesome trail system.  Their primary goal is to establish a 30+ mile loop that connects the communities of Arnold and Avery.  With a third of the plan complete, the committee continues to move ahead.  One key to their success is the great relationship they have fostered with their local USFS land manager. 

Land managers, from local to federal levels, have challenging jobs.  They have to balance the responsibilities of huge land areas, small budgets, and the diverse needs of growing populations.  Through the course of a normal weekend we take time to help local clubs understand the complexities of public land management.  Fortunately, the ART crew recognizes this dynamic; a step that will take them farther than they realize.

After talking economics on Friday night, we reconvened on Saturday morning to discuss trails.  Our audience listened intently and soaked up the basics of trail design, construction, and maintenance.  The afternoon was spent re-routing a portion of the Arnold Rim Trail that was textbook fall-line.  It was one of the fastest crews we had ever worked with – they built 500 feet of beautiful trail in less than two hours!  The group wrapped up the field session with a ‘walk and talk’ up the rest of the existing trail.  On our way to the ‘Top of the World’ overlook we discussed the purpose of the re-route and the potential for some fun, swoopy new trail down the hill. 

Sunday was for pedaling and the girls actually rode harder than the boys (sorry guys – it’s true).  I hooked up with a small group of chicks and had a good ride and great conversation.  It was a welcome change from the usual topic of discussing my bicycle components.  The ride was stellar – sweet singletrack interconnecting a myriad of beautiful natural features.  I guess you get to see all of the good stuff when you ride with the locals…

After a much welcome break we’ll wrap up our California travels with a visit to Downieville.  Should be fun – its Halloween weekend and there is rumor of a party…

Keeping the rubber side down,

LK and CK

More pictures from the weekend: