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NWTA Newsletter -December '11
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A Look Back, A Look Forward
by Board President, Tom Archer
It's been a busy year for NWTA. Looking back there are many successes to celebrate - A successful Portland Trail Fest in April, ownership of the ST240 and launch of the Trail development Partnership Program, continued expansion and improvement of the Sandy Ridge system, new trail on the ground at Stub Stewart State Park and Cascade Locks and two, count 'em, two new bike parks on the ground at Eichler and Ventura Parks. No matter what your favorite style of riding, riding options continue to expand and improve. And more exciting projects are in the works. Next year we'll continue to add trail mileage at Stub, Cascade Locks, Sandy Ridge and possibly at Falls Creek trail in Washington. A new bike park will be constructed in Portland at the New Columbia housing project. A new shuttleable downhill trail, Thrillium, will come on line at Larch Mountain, WA. - and barring a legal challenge - work will begin on the Timberline bike park next summer. Needless to say, all these projects take time and resources to pull off, and we have some incredibly dedicated and talented members and supporters to thank for these successes. The fact that we are able to pull all these things off with volunteers is nothing short of incredible. A few of our board members attended the Pacific Northwest IMBA regional summit in October. A great opportunity to talk with IMBA staff and other folks working to preserve and enhance biking opportunities in their own backyards. A great stoke, and confirmation that we are on the right track in many ways. But there's more to do, and this is where we rely on you, our members and supporters, to help us further our mission. We've been very fortunate with the level of participation over the past few years and we're confident that it will grow even stronger in 2012 and beyond. As we do every year, we'll hold board elections at our general meeting in January. I encourage you to attend and cast your vote. Beyond that, please consider getting involved in one of the many fun and rewarding projects we have in store for 2012. Ride On, Tom Archer Board President |
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Announcements
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STOLEN! NWTA Xtera trailer and ST240 trailbuilding machine...
If you haven't heard already, our prized ST 240 was stolen over the thanksgiving weekend. We were sickened by the news and are hopeful it will be returned soon. To that aim, a $2,000 REWARD is offered for information leading to an arrest and the recovery of NWTA's trail construction machine and trailer. Oregon State Police (OSP) is investigating the case. Crime Stoppers case #11-45. Read more.
2012 Candidates for NWTA Board of Directors - Elections in January
2012 candidates have been announced!
Once again, we are excited by the caliber of candidates that have stepped forward this year. These people are interested in helping the Northwest Trail Alliance continue to grow and evolve as we work to create and maintain off-road riding opportunities and get out and ride! Make sure you show up for the elections at HUB on January 24th so we can vote and then welcome the new board members! Check here for candidate statements.
"Give the Gift of Trails"
It's the holiday season and if you're struggling to come up with just the right thing for that special someone...
Please consider giving a NWTA/IMBA membership to family, friends, or Fido this holiday season. It's only $30. Click here.
Just a reminder that we still have some work to do before we hit 1,000 members. Let's ramp up our efforts and ask that friend, neighbor, or co-worker to hit up some trails and sign up to be part of the NWTA family. If you've been looking for a new way to be involved, this is your chance! If you know someone who has been tossing around the idea of riding, don't hesitate- ask them to Join Us!
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NWTA Women's Group is Having Fun
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 The Women's Group had our final meeting of 2011 on November 29. The meeting "started" at Sandy Ridge. Six of us enjoyed a wonderful, sunny day on the trails and then headed into Portland for our official meeting at Hopworks at 5pm. We had 16 ladies in attendance at Hopworks and spent the majority of our time discussing the rides and events of this past year and as well as looking forward to 2012. The majority of the ladies present had attended at
least one women's group ride in 2011 and it sounded like everyone had a good time. There were requests for both easier and harder rides, and requests for epic group rides as well. It sounds like we need more ladies to step up and offer to plan rides next year so start making a mental list of rides you would be willing to lead. Being a leader doesn't mean you have to be the fastest rider or that you have to ride the trail perfectly, it just means you are willing to set a date, time, choose a trail and wear a smile.
I encourage all you crazy, mud-loving ladies (and gentlemen) that continue to ride during the winter months to post up your ride plans to either the NWTA Women's Group on Facebook or to NW-trail.org women's group forum. If you need help finding either the FB group or the NWTA forum, please email debbiec@nw-trail.org. We will meet again on Tuesday, January 31 from 5-7pm at Hopworks Brewery in Portland. The NWTA General Meeting will start at 7pm and this will be the night we get to vote for new board members. Please come join us, get involved in planning our rides for 2012, and vote another woman onto the NWTA Board. Looking forward to seeing all of you on the trails!
Debbie Causey
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NWTA in the Community --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: Cascade Locks easyCLIMB Trail Park
The trail gods were happy to help complete, over three days, a new family friendly trail loop that you can ride NOW! Over a combined 50 working days involving volunteers from all over the region this trail took shape to include many scenic views, beach access points, a fun flowy downhill section, and a fun section through the woods. More trail enhancement opportunities are planned for the spring including extending the trail further into the woods and adding more features. Click here for the full story.
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Trail Talk: Ventura, Work Parties, and...
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Trail Building Updates -
Sandy Ridge-
Construction has started on the new trailhead off Barlow Rd, including some beginner trails around the new parking area. Come join NWTA work on these new loops and see the trailhead as it develops. NWTA builds every 1st Saturday of the month through May (1/7, 2/4, 3/3, 4/7, 5/5)
Stub Stewart State Park-
NWTA continues to work on hand-cut singletrack XC trails in this State Park. Build days are the second Saturday each month through June (1/14, 2/11, 3/10, 4/14, 5/12, 6/9).
See http://nw-trail.org/calendar for more info.
Trail Stewards needed for our urban skills areas -
Do you live close to either of our new bike parks? NWTA is looking for a few riders who can help maintain our pump track @ Ventura Park and the jumps at Eichler Park in Beaverton. This would involve overseeing routine maintenance/inspection of the jumps and other features and organizing work parties as necessary to help ensure a safe riding area. Email toms@nw-trail.org if interested.
Friendly Reminder that trail building, maintenance and night riding are restricted at Scappoose/Rocky Pt.
The Scappoose/Rocky Point trails are great trails to ride. As with any trail system, there are rules in place that govern the usage and create the framework for the relationship between the land manager (in this case Longview Timber) and mountain bikers (NWTA members and the general mtb public). Please read the following note from Scappoose Trail Steward Andy Jansky regarding a couple of important points regarding recreational use of the trails off Rocky Point Rd. Continued access to these trails involves certain responsibilities on the part of us, as recreational users of this private land, and your cooperation is both needed and appreciated. Click here to read the note from our Trail Steward Andy Jansky
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Upcoming Events: Mark your Calendars
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General Membership Meeting - There will be no General Membership Meeting in the month of December. Happy Holidays! Next meeting is Tuesday January 31st at Hopworks. 6pm social and 7pm meeting. We'll vote for 2012/2013 Board members so come on out, show your support and meet your new representatives.
Sat, Jan 7th (TH at 10 am) Ladies Hospital Hill Ride - White Salmon, WA. Plan for a three hoour intermediate ride.
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