During the most recent visit on our southern California tour we worked with BLM, City of Palm Desert and local advocates in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. It was a great opportunity to team up with a federal land agency that is very open to providing quality mountain bike experiences.
Lunchtime rides are common practice at this company; we got to join one as we set out on our ‘rolling’ trail overview on Thursday afternoon. Aside from the incredible backdrop, we were most impressed by the people pedaling through it. Fun, smart, and positive, the folks from JensonUSA were a good barometer for everyone else we would meet throughout the weekend.
We had a splendid time working in Tucson, AZ over the weekend. The blue skies were amazing! Stay tuned for the recap…
Working with Dawn to Dust Mountain Bike Club we partnered with the US Forest Service to make improvements to the much-loved Brown Canyon Trail. Starting early on Thursday morning we didn’t waste any time finding a project for Saturday. The single-digit temperatures quickly seeped through our clothes and motivated us to get our work done and get back inside.
In the process of completing 39 visits, we (TCC East) put 38,000 miles on our Subaru Outback and touched almost every state in the Eastern US. For a couple of kids from the West the experience was beyond amazing.
We were humbled and inspired to work with everyone who participated in our Miami trail care crew visit; they were one of the most hardworking and enthusiastic groups of the year (30 people for a Sunday group ride for a 2 mile trail preview is proof). It reminded us that we should never take our trails for granted, not even for one single day.
When you have 90% flat terrain, you look for every opportunity to use any sort of elevation possible. In the process you will be pushing sustainable trail design to its limits. Far East is the kind of trail that stretches the guidelines with success. As much as it challenges its riders, it also tests the stability of the local soils. We spent Saturday afternoon stabilizing a few steep sections of tread in addition to improving sightlines and trail flow. The work was pretty routine, but a great opportunity to educate attending land managers about the unique experience that mountain bikers seek out on this style of trail.
Overview: The Santos Trail System is surprisingly diverse and a must-see for any mountain biker. There are plenty of fun and swoopy trails; there is also …
As an advocate don’t ever assume that every land manager understands everything about mountain biking. Take the time to help them learn. They may not know that ‘singletrack’ is what we seek and it’s possible that they don’t understand the concepts of ‘optional lines’ and ‘freeride’. Make every effort to define the sorts of experiences that mountain bikers seek. Heck, the best way to show them may be to take them on a ride. You’ll be surprised that a little communication and knowledge will go a very long way.
Vistas aren’t Coldwater’s greatest asset; it’s the proximity to Anniston’s diverse population is what will make the project phenomenal. Several neighborhoods adjacent to the mountain will have access to a multitude of trail experiences. Imagine a group of kids and adults alike who will have world-class trails out their backdoor…
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Tag: trailbuilding