On the Trail with IMBA

History came to life this weekend when we traveled to Chickasaw National Recreation Area, a small gem tucked away in south-central Oklahoma. It was a true national park experience; historic buildings, unique landscape, and scenic trails.

As one of the oldest tracts of land managed by the National Park Service, Chickasaw has some serious history. Perhaps most interesting is the strong presence of the storied Civilian Conservation Corps. It’s well known that the CCC was largely responsible for the reclamation and conservation of our nation’s natural resources during the Great Depression. Dubbed ‘Roosevelt’s Tree Army’, the CCC did many things beyond the construction of buildings and roads. They planted trees, developed ways to reduce soil erosion, and lucky for us, built trails. Every Saturday morning we pay homage to this group of people who built things that have stood the test of time. The ideas of the CCC were a strong theme throughout the weekend.

On Friday morning we started our TCC visit with a productive land manager session. As a very engaged group, the folks at the table were eager to chat about different ways to increase visitor numbers and expand trail opportunities. The ‘backcountry’ trails became the focal point of the discussion and we explored ideas about how to improve and maintain existing routes and the potential for developing new ones.

On Saturday we welcomed over forty eager Trailbuilding School participants to the Travertine Nature Center. To our delight, we gave our first auditorium-style presentation, and for me, standing next to the iconic National Park Service arrowhead was a very special thing. The group was quite diverse as many had traveled from all around the state to attend the event. Some were curious about the ‘backcountry’ trails while others were looking to re-discover an area that they had visited years ago. Overall, there was an exciting buzz in the air. No doubt, people were jazzed at the opportunity to work with the Park Service on mountain bike trails.

The enthusiasm continued during the afternoon session. We happily marched in along the Rock Creek multi-use system and set up camp on Trail 1. We split into three groups: rock armoring, re-routes, and maintenance. As sound of tools filled the air, my mind wandered to the idea of the CCC and the parallels to our presence in the forest. Every weekend we invest our time in being stewards of the land while teaching ourselves a new trade. The result is not necessarily always tangible, but can always be seen in the confidence that grows within the local trail community soon after we leave.
Sunday’s group ride was small as we explored Chickasaw’s ten mile trail system. We couldn’t help but be captivated by the beauty of the landscape, a mix between the western prairie and the eastern hardwood forests. Towards the end of the ride we made several passes through the newly re-routed section of trail, reminiscing about the previous day’s work. I think the Corps would have been proud, we brought their values to life in a trail that will remain for a long time to come.

When we checked into the Sid Richardson Boy Scout Facility last Friday, I entered uncharted territory. As a kid I had never been to summer camp, so the idea of sleeping in cabins and eating family style in the dining hall was exciting to me. Once settled, the weekend of trailbuilding festivities started out like any typical group situation; people joining together for a common purpose. Even though were all a little shy at first, we soon found ourselves making new friends. After all, we were there to share our passion of mountain biking on better trails.

Rick Buckley is the driving force behind the Lonestar Trailbuilding School. As director of the North Texas Mountain Bike Patrol, he has organized the event for the fourth year in a row. It’s a great collaboration between the Patrol, the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association and various local businesses. And through the efforts of those who attend, the Richardson Boy Scout Camp is adding trails, a little bit every year. The 2010 version of the school was enhanced to accommodate the growing need for trailbuilding education, basic and complex. We Trail Care Crews led our standard Trailbuilding School session while S & S Trail Services taught the rock armoring class. At the end of the weekend we had 750 feet of new trail with a beautifully crafted water crossing.

Saturday morning started with some wonderful inspiration. As usual, we went around the room for introductions. We began with a cheerful guy sitting up front, eager to share his background. He told his story about how mountain biking helped him to lose 40 pounds and how he ‘wanted to give back’. In a single instant, he provided that unique kind of enthusiasm that could have inspired anyone to become an advocate. Like some kind of secret sauce, his words were so good, so infectious, that by the time we had reached the last person, we had heard a dozen similar stories. From there, the rest of class was easy. If only everyone had the mantra, ‘I just wanted to give back to the sport I love so much…’

The field session was equally rewarding. Before we put tools in the ground, we let the each group participate in the trail design process. For some, it made the afternoon that much more rewarding. Instead of just playing in the dirt, they got to bring the math and science together with a little art. With nature as their canvas, the classroom jargon come to life in the form of a fluorescent orange dotted line dancing across the landscape. Two hours later it was a pathway to happiness, health, and fun. One particular comment I heard sums up the energy of the day. “Wow, this is so cool. We just flagged this trail a couple of hours ago and now it’s actually here”.

The day wrapped up with an exciting night hike through some very unique limestone topography. It was quite the adventure; tip-toeing between cascading ponds and scrambling up limestone cliffs. As our head-lamps bobbed back and forth we talked and laughed together. A day of learning was behind us and the starry night floated above.

Summer camp is cool.

Click here to see a slideshow of the weekend.

A big thanks to all of the event sponsors: North Texas Mountain Bike Patrol, DORBA, Richardson Bike Mart, Bicycles Inc (thanks for the Thurs night social!), Mad Duck Adventure Sports, Boy Scouts of America (Longhorn Council).

If you’ve been to Austin, Texas before, you know that it’s a big city. Not necessarily a sprawling city, but a vibrant place with 271 square miles of buildings, restaurants, roads, urban fare, and millions of friendly people with their respective houses.

Along those lines, a few things I heard about Austin during our visit there last week were “the best riding in Austin is usually an hour drive away,” or “over 90% of Texas is private land,” or “postage-stamp sized parks are the norm in Austin.” This, among many compliments about Austin, of course.

The Hill Country Conservancy (HCC), led by George Cofer, is a nonprofit land trust committed to changing that. Chief among the HCC’s goals is to preserve Austin’s natural beauty and open spaces of the Texas Hill Country by providing recreational efforts in and around Austin for all to enjoy. This includes more mountain biking trails, which is music to IMBA’s ears. One of the HCC’s most significant efforts is to complete the Walk For A Day trail system, a soon-to-be 30-mile trail connecting Hays and Travis counties, “where one could run, hike or bike for an entire day.”

Accessible to beginners and experts alike, the trail will begin at Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, and 30 miles later will reach the Barton Creek Greenbelt, passing through thickly populated urban environments and several historic Texas ranches now owned and managed for water-quality and wildlife habitat by the City of Austin. Sunset Valley is one of the other key cities involved.

Although the trail is not yet built, the Walk For A Day trail process and the field planning have been in the works for years. And us Trail Care Crews were lucky enough to be included in the fun part of the process – trail design! We spent some time this past week training the HCC on sustainable trail building techniques, and rough flagging and pin flagging some portions for the trail for future construction.

There are many steps to accomplishing this effort, and the HCC is rigorously organized to reach its strategic goals – notably acquire all of the land necessary to link the trail system together and enhance the recreational opportunities for which Austin is already famous. The actual trail building also hinges on critical city council votes in a few of the communities involved in the program. Although acquiring those votes has been challenging, the HCC is staying true to its vision and will work until the entire trail has been built, “surrounded by cool clean streams, abundant wildlife, and breathtaking views.”

We were very excited to be included in this process to bring more trails to urban Austin. The Walk For A Day trail project is a model in stakeholder partnership, urban recreation planning, and how to wade through public policy development process with patience and drive. We’d love to come back to support the design of future sections, and soon thereafter to ride the whole trail!

Read more about the Hill Country Conservancy, and the Walk For A Day Trail here: http://www.hillcountryconservancy.org/land-projects/walk-for-a-day-trail/.

The rain seems to follow us wherever we go and Texas was no different. We endured a long drive across the western part of the state only to arrive in soggy Austin. By the end of the week, the sun finally fought its way through the clouds. We didn’t get to build any trail on Saturday, but we did get in a ride on Sunday. I guess you take what you can get…

A little eye-candy to start your week…