On the Trail with IMBA

Howdy. We spent our last visit deep in the heart of Texas. We rode our bikes and talked about trails. We even tried our feet two steppin’ at the local honky-tonk bar. We loved Austin.

Traveling to the Hill Country of Texas was a first for both of us. And it is just like it sounds, hilly. Comprised of karst topography (ancient seabeds of limestone) the landscape is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Throughout the area various sections of rock are exposed, creating interesting and challenging features for mountain bike trails. For our weekly trail sampling, we found ourselves riding at Reimers Ranch, a great introduction to Austin area mountain biking.

We were lucky enough to stay at the White House during our visit – we even slept in the Oval Office. Our host, the president of the Austin Ridge Riders bicycle club, lives in charming white bungalow in Central Austin. Did I mention she has a great sense of humor? She started mountain biking as a ‘recovering runner’ who first got started with the Ridge Riders Ride Like a Girl program. It’s great to hear about someone who developed a passion for riding with the help of their local club.

The Ridge Riders are a great example of a club that has been able to tackle multiple projects while keeping a pulse on the local issues. Through grant writing, events, and trail stewardship they are an integral part of the riding scene throughout the Austin area. We had the pleasure of meeting a few members at the Thursday night social and were impressed by their commitment to enhancing mountain biking in the community. We look forward to hearing about their work in the future.

Rain spoiled an otherwise perfect Saturday. We had a large group of friendly folks who were eager to get out and build trail. Unfortunately, all of the positive energy could not overcome the saturated ground and we shifted our focus to an afternoon of trail design knowledge. Planning and design is often overlooked so Chris and I really appreciate the chance to talk about it in detail. It’s an important part of building a trail or trail system, something that can make it ultimately sustainable.

Urban riding was the theme for Sunday’s group ride. Our guide (and host for the weekend) took us on a very thorough tour of Austin’s bikeways, part of which is his normal bicycle commute. It’s always fascinating to get the local’s perspective, especially from the seat of a bicycle. We got a rich lesson in biology, history, and good ol’ Texas hospitality. The highlights include: the hanging gardens along Shoal Creek, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop (owned by that famous Tour de France champion), the largest urban bat colony in North America, and the capital building (just a bit bigger than the one in DC). We’ll have great memories of our visit to Austin. We hope our bicycle travels take us there again.

More pictures from the weekend: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=austin&w=61656055%40N00

I’ll be perfectly honest; Sedona, in terms of recreation, is not as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.  Despite being known for world class trails, the user groups have had some bad history.  Unfortunately, mountain biking has been at the core of many issues.  With the past hanging heavy, several key groups came together for an event that was ten years in the making.  In the end we dubbed it ‘the perfect storm’.

We arrived at the local coffee shop last Thursday morning just in time to sit down and catch the latest mountain bike related headline in the local newspaper.  To our dismay it read “Rogue riders damage forest’s ecosystem”.  It became very apparent that our visit to Sedona was well timed.

That afternoon we began our important multi-day journey by discussing the importance of mountain biking to the local community and economy.  Sedona is a major tourist destination in Arizona, second only to the Grand Canyon.  It’s not the ‘if you build it, they will come’ type of place.  They are already here and many of them are mountain bikers.  By the end of the day we had the Forest Service, the Verde Valley Cycling Coalition, Friends of the Forest, and others sitting around the table having meaningful conversation. 

Building upon the Thursday discussion was easy once each group came to the table and got on the same page.  On Friday we began the next task of setting up the Saturday field session: an advanced mountain bike specific trail.  Designing this type of route is a welcome rarity for a Trail Care Crew and we were thrilled to have the opportunity.  It would be a great way to showcase what type of experiences mountain bikers seek out and how their goals can be accomplished with regard to other users and the environment.

Saturday started with a standing room only crowd for the Trailbuilding School.  Having that kind of presence really motives and inspires the work we do.  Not only did we have a strong local presence, we also had long-time advocates and supporters from around the state.

After lunch we gathered at the access point for the Mystic Trail, ready to tackle a challenging project.  With names like ‘G-Outs’ and ‘The Diving Board’ you can start to picture the type of trail we were building.  And to achieve the goal of a route with gravity-fed technical features, it was imperative that we made it sustainable.  Luckily we had over 40 volunteers and they were all psyched to learn the finer points of building rock armored trails.  Working in four different areas, we moved and placed massive amounts of red sandstone.  I don’t know if it was the abundance of testosterone or the dry desert air, but an amazing transformation occurred, all in a matter of hours. 

As the sun set we packed up our tools and walked out together, no longer separated by our chosen outdoor activity.  Listening to the chatter around me I noticed that it didn’t focus on the users.  Instead, it centered around the Mystic Trail and the excitement of finishing the new alternative line. 

I’m always amazed at the power of trails.  They have the ability to create new and often unlikely alliances.

More pictures from the weekend: http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=sedona&w=61656055%40N00

In one week we’ve gone from the deep forests of the Sierra to the stark beauty of the Mojave.  Welcome to the West, baby…

I love the desert.  To some it seems like a wasteland, but to me it’s beautiful.  There’s no place else where you can witness life in such a delicate balance.  Working in Red Rock National Conservation Area was a great privilege and a chance to experience the desert in an entirely new context.

Our work in Red Rocks focused on the Cottonwood Valley trail system, a network of fun and flowy singletrack action.  At first glance, it might be easy to look beyond the flatter rolling terrain of the area, thinking that drainage would never be a problem.  Contrary to popular belief, it does rain in the desert.  When it happens, it comes in inches per minute not inches per hour.  As a result, a seemingly benign trail can become a rutted trench in no time flat. 

The weekend project was dedicated to re-routing one such trail.  After working in the forests of the Pacific Northwest and California, we had to remind ourselves that vegetation is not quick to regenerate here.  So, on Friday, we flagged a design that minimized the impact to existing flora.  Instead of taking plant material out, we simply used it to anchor the trail.  This wasn’t difficult since most everything around Red Rocks comes with sharp points, spines, or painful needles.  I tested this scenario first thing Saturday afternoon as I backed into a large yucca – ouch!

Our small group of land managers and local mountain bikers were one stellar crew.  They quickly split into two groups; one to create a new trail, and the other to make the old route disappear.  Once again, we were amazed by the level of effort given by our newly empowered trailbuilders.  Within a couple of hours we had 600 feet of well crafted singletrack and 200 feet of reclaimed trail.  And I have to say, the reclaimed trail blew our socks off.

The one component that makes reclamation successful is vertical deadfall.  What!?  Vertical deadfall is the art of placing deceased bushes or trees upright, as if they were still alive.  It’s a great way to break up the visual corridor where an old trail once passed through.  I think it’s quite an art and the folks on the Red Rock crew created a masterpiece.

Thanks to all of our artists/trailbuilders.  Your work will be appreciated by all those who use the trails throughout the Cottonwood Valley trail system.

More Photos from the Weekend:

http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=%22red+rock+national+conservation+area%22&w=61656055%40N00

To mountain bikers, there are two places to ride. There are trails, and then there are experiences. Downieville, California is an experience that will blow you away.

History?
You betcha. In the weeks leading up to our visit we were told frequently that Downieville had the unique distinction of being the only town in California to hang a woman. In the awkward (and silent) moment that usually passed, I always wondered if they were preparing me for my Downieville experience or just sharing some fabled history. In any case, this small town of 3,500+ does have many stories to tell; most relate to the gold rush days or how mountain biking breathed new life into a struggling community.

Beyond the Classic
Downieville is most widely known in cycling circles for its namesake race, The Downieville Classic. And this event is not your ordinary mountain bike competition. It involved two days that combine cross-country and downhill racing disciplines. The best part? Riders that take on the all-mountain category must do so on the same bike, exchanging no parts between races. Cool…
There is more to the The Downieville Classic story than just big name riders at a world renowned event. It’s also the main fundraising affair for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, the local non-profit bicycle advocacy organization. Fueled by dedicated volunteers, SBTS builds, maintains, and supports many of the trails in the surrounding Tahoe and Plumas National Forests. It’s an amazing group, one that since 2003, has contributed over 20,000 volunteer hours to a recreation area that sees approximately 200,000 users a year.
To illustrate the commitment to the natural resources that provide a venue for the event, organizers of the race require sponsors to get involved with the Stewardship. This year, they upped the ante and developed a youth program in which pro riders took young mountain bikers out to discuss a variety of subjects. The most important topic was the idea of giving back to the sport that they love. It must have made an impression; we heard that following the conclusion of the workshop, many of the participants gathered in the shop to sign up the next trail work day.
(Check out a great article about The Downieville Classic and the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in the latest issue of Decline Magazine.)

Fun is the Name of the Game
When I asked Wayne Hoffman, President of SBTS, about how the core group keep themselves excited about sustained advocacy, he quickly replied “we keep it fun”. He went on the share that F-U-N should be at the top of the priority list rather than towards the bottom. If that’s the magic ingredient for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, then everyone involved with a club (not necessarily even mountain biking) should take note.
Working the Stewardship throughout the weekend turned out to be many things, but most of all, it was inspiring. They are responsible for so many things; events, fundraising, trailbuilding and maintenance, grant writing… the list goes on and on. And what’s really awesome – they do everything well. Their events run smoothly, their trails are challenging yet very sustainable, and they generate positive energy within the community. We will be proud to tell their story as we continue our travels.

So, if you’re wondering whether Downieville lives up to the hype, it does. It’s all that, a bag of chips, and a couple of tasty beers.

More photos from the event: