Community Built Mountain Biking What does it take to open more access for mountain bikers?
It takes a community. NWTA is now over 500 members strong. That's 500 voices that are actively supporting our region's existing and future mountain bike resources. It also takes community leaders and activists, bikers and non-bikers alike, to stand up and support our sport. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes at the grassroots level and decision makers are starting to take notice.
As proof, I represented NWTA in Intertwine's 8th annual Policy Makers Ride this month alongside politicians (both Portland mayoral candidates included), state, regional and local agency directors, managers and staff. A big takeaway for me was how much local activists, neighborhood organizations and advocacy groups are pitching in and making things happen. Parks and recreation departments are cash strapped and don't have the means to build and maintain new places for outdoor recreation. But the need for more mountain biking is only growing. It took a community to approve, design and build our new pump tracks and they have become some of the most popular places to play in the City. At the Ventura Park pump track grand opening, Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish applauded the track in front of dozens of kids on their mountain bikes, all while speaking from under the NWTA tent.
In September, I will be representing NWTA at the Oregon Recreation and Park Association's annual conference in front of land managers and park staff throughout the state to explain all of this to a wider audience. I'll talk about the virtues of a mountain bike friendly city and how communities can work with mountain bikers to build stronger park and trail systems in our region and state.
If we want to free forest park, we need to keep up the pressure and prove how organized, reliable and effective we are as a community of mountain bikers.
Jon Pheanis
NWTA President |
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Updates
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How a Kids' Bike Camp Benefits All of Us
NWTA's growing partnership with Portland Parks
On July 9-12, twenty Portland kids spent the week learning how to ride mountain bikes at trails in and around  Portland. The official Portland Parks and Rec. course partnered with NWTA, which provided instructors, the Portland Bureau of Transportation who pitched in loaner bikes, Bicycle Transportation Alliance who helped with curriculum and logistics, and Primary Sponsor Bike Gallery, who threw in $1,000 to help lower the price for the kids. An after party at the Lumberyard capped off a great week. So what? In the long run, says NWTA's Director of Advocacy Tom Archer, the Mountain Bike Skill Builder Camp for Kids is the best sort of outreach we can create. "Not only does it build strong relationships with Portland Parks, but it gets parents involved," says Archer, who drew parallels with the growth of city skateboard facilities once parents got behind the effort. "Parents are usually strong advocates for change in any community. We want them with us."
The course was literally a tour of several of the significant mountain biking facilities NWTA has been involved with, beginning on Monday at the Ventura Pump Track. Commissioner Fish, head of Parks and Rec, gave a speech at the camp's inauguration. On Tuesday the kids rode at Cascade Lake's EasyCLIMB, built by the NWTA, on Wednesday they moved to Powell Butte, where the organization has been involved in trail planning efforts, and on Thursday, they rode the lower sections of Sandy Ridge, where NWTA has had a major hand. Furthermore, says Portland Parks and Rec. recreation manager Cole Robinson, NWTA was an exceptional partner. The camp filled to capacity, and "NWTA had a very strong vision, providing quality instructors, pitching in cash, and connecting us with co-sponsors."
Archer says plans are already underway for the second annual event next summer. Bike Gallery is also funding a camp video to be released in the fall, so the event will have further reach. It's an important piece of NWTA's campaign to provide more facilities for Mountain biking in-and-around Portland. "It's much easier to sell a trail that'll benefit kids than one that benefits adults," says Archer. For a full report on the Mountain Bike Skill Builder Camp for Kids, go here.
Trailfest 2012: Fundraising, Freewheeling and Fun! 
This year's Trailfest was another success proven by dozens of new mountain bikers and NWTA members and the smiles seen all over the region at our guided rides, kick-off party at the Lumberyard, and grand opening celebration of the Ventura Bike Pump Track. We raised several thousand dollars for trail advocacy, development and stewardship.Our first ever Pump-a-thon helped raise several hundred dollars to  benefit Mat Barton. There was tons of bike swag given away--special congratulations to Greg Everett of Portland, who took home the sweet Intense/Shimano Saint mountain bike.
It was truly fun in every direction. But no one had more fun than the dozens of young mountain bikers at the sold-out mountain bike camp. Be sure to check out our Flikr page for more stories and photos. Have an idea for next year, or want to help out? Send us an email and let us know.
Trail Gnomes - Fact or Fiction? by Andy Crump The Legend
Many riders believe that trail gnomes are native to biking systems. Armed with rakes and shovels, these lovable dwarf-like creatures labor undetected under cover of darkness with a single goal - to build and maintain single-track for mountain bikers. If true, this is especially convenient since it means no one needs to feel guilty about not lending a hand with trail building or maintenance. I'd heard the talk for years and decided it was time to uncover the truth. I contacted some of my local ride crew in May and we set up a plan. We would pack in gear, hide along trails with the most damage, and wait for the gnomes to appear. A few photographs and we'd have a story that would put us on the cover of Mountain Bike Magazine.
Hide-n-Seek with the Little People
Six weeks later, no one had seen a thing. Everyone was ready to write off the gnomes as myth, but I decided to give it one more try. At dark one evening, I packed my camera, strapped on my BluRay lights, filled my Camelbak with Vortex IPA from Fort George Brewing, and stuffed a growler of Ace of Spades from HUB in my backpack. I headed for the top of the trail system and picked a spot along the Golden Spike, the most remote trail in the system. I figured this was just the kind of place where a hard-working gnome might show himself. I began nursing the Vortex and dreaming of days before arthritis. At 2 a.m., I heard them coming. And they were hauling ass. That's because they weren't carrying tools, and they weren't walking. They were riding.
Busting the Myth
I snapped on both BluRays, jumped onto the trail and yelled, "Pull over now, midget deviants!"
A dozen gnomes went ass-over-handlebars. And when they got up, they weren't happy. They shook off the pain and edged in my direction. It was apparent that this wasn't the Munchkin crew from Wizard of Oz. Maybe I should have avoided the "midget deviants" comment. The leader stepped into light cast by my BluRays. He was wearing baggy shorts and a Nirvana shirt. "Dude," he said. "Why you tryin' to harsh our mellow?"
"Sorry about the lights," I said. "I came out to see if gnomes really existed. I never realized you'd be on bikes."
"Duh, moron, of course, we're on bikes. Manny just got the new carbon Tall Boy LT and we decided to give it a test drive." I was thinking that a Tall Boy didn't seem like a good choice for a gnome, but since I was outnumbered I decided to keep it to myself. I offered them the Ace of Spades and they quickly lost the attitude.
"It's cool you're riding," I said, "but where are the tools?"
The entire group burst into laughter. Finally, the lead gnome managed to suppress his giggling.
"Are ya kiddin' me, dude? You don't know it's all a con?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"Even a nimrod like you probably knows there are more than 75 miles of premium single-track in this area," he said. "And we've never worked on a single foot of it!"
I must have looked puzzled because he shook his head like he pitied me.
"Let me simplify it for you," he said. "We ride single-track that other people build and maintain, and we don't lift a finger to help." As the crew climbed onto their bikes and headed for the trail we call Stairway to Heaven, it finally hit me - the gnomes were just taller versions of a breed I'd seen many times - trail poacherus moronicus.
They ride every trail system but never get around to working on any of them. They hit new single-track each weekend, thus ensuring that they are not tied to any home trail system where they might be expected to step up and contribute. My brother says that trail poachers should be welcomed into the mountain biking community like a stubborn case of chlamydia. The ride home seemed to take forever. I'd succeeded in learning the truth, but it was an unpleasant discovery - there were no trail gnomes, there would be no magazine cover, there was no something-for-nothing.
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Announcements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--------------------------------- St. Helens National Monument to Open Trail to Mountain Bikes  Volunteers needed to help with improvementIn the first change in trail access in recent memory, St. Helen's National Monument officials say they will open a north-side trail to mountain bikes this summer. The Lakes Trail 211 is approximately five miles in length and leads to a waterfall at the east end of Coldwater Lake. The line is benign enough for beginners and beautiful enough to attract riders of all levels.
On Sunday, August 26, 100 volunteers from a variety of mountain biking organizations will converge on the north side of Mount St. Helens on Sunday, August 26th, to open the trail under the banner of Friends of Coldwater. The focus will be on clearing and benching the trail, but there is also a very large slide near the east end that will require serious attention. This will be one of the biggest parties of the year with nearly 60 firm commitments so far.
The efforts of Brian Mahon and Growlers Gulch Racing have allowed us to ride the 230A Trail at South Coldwater Ridge, directly across the lake from the 211. When the 211 is opened, it - along with a two-mile hike-a-bike section at the east of the lake - will connect to the 230A, giving us a fantastic loop. We will have excellent support from the Forest Service, including radio communications, motor boat to shuttle tools and gear to the end of the lake, and parking passes for those of you with $5,000 carbon fiber bikes who cannot afford $5, along with food and some other surprises. We also have made an arrangement to camp in the staff area the night before so you won't have to drive up so early from Portland/Vancouver. Contact Andyj@nw-trail.org for details.
This is a rare opportunity to be involved in a historic trail day that we believe has the potential to transform the ride situation on the north side of the mountain. RSVP to Jim LeMonds at lemonds1@gmail.com. He needs to know who will be there so that we can plan accordingly.
Portland Short Track Series Grand Finale Monday Night 7/30 at PIR Come join Portland Racing for the 2012 Portland Short Track Series Grand Finale on Monday, July 30 for an exciting night of short track mt. bike racing. The night will be capped with an exciting 30 -eam relay race held as a fundraising event for fellow cyclist Mat Barton who was injured while racing earlier this year. The races are held on the Portland International Raceway infield. Look for the NWTA tent when you get to the event.
4:00pm - course opens for pre-riding
4:30pm- day-of-race registration opens & start of free clinics
5:40pm - course closed to pre-riding
5:40pm - free Kiddie Race (under the trees)
5:55pm - Cat 3 Men & Women (Junior & Beginners)
6:30pm - Cat 2 Women, Cat 2 Men 45-54, Singlespeed
7:00pm - Cat 2 Men U35, 35-44 & 55+
7:30pm - Pro, Cat 1 Men & Women
8:00pm - Team Relay. Helen's Fest III Located at the Marble Mountain Snow Park on the south side of Mount St Helens in the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument. A mountain bike festival of stewardship and riding the trails; we ride two days and perform trail maintenance on Saturday. Rides offered will be advanced beginner to advanced level. Back country camping; bring your: food, water, shelter and weather appropriate clothing. The Trek demo mountain bike fleet will be there! |
Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendar --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We're putting extra effort into organizing/hosting more group rides this year. Weekly outings to Powell Butte and Scapoose and campouts for the more adventurous. Keep any eye on our calendar for updates. Click on any of the highlighted titles below to link directly to more information... Tue, July 31th (6 - 8 pm) NWTA General Meeting - Field Trip! We will meet at the Hilltop Day Camp Area at Stub Stewart State Park at 6pm. We can then split into two groups, one to ride the XC trails and one to ride the Freeride lines. We will ride for about 1 1/2 hours, and then head to Cornelius Pass Roadhouse afterwards. As always, members and non-members welcome. Bring any bike ya got, there are options aplenty at Stub! There is a $5 day use fee to park at Hilltop. Wed, Aug 1st (6 pm) Moots Giveaway Party Drawing of a winner of a brand new MOOTS bike! There will be Hotlips Pizza, Hopworks beer and good times had by all! Tickets can be purchased at the event for $25. Winning ticket will be drawn at 7:30. Door prizes raffled through the night to buy a ticket in advance. Click here for info. Sat, Aug, 4th (8:15 am - 2 pm) NWTA Mt St Helen's Group Ride Join us for an intermediate/advanced level ride. Meet at 8:15 in the Ace Hardware parking lot in Woodland, WA at 8:15 am. Tim Wilder will be leading the ride from Blue Lake Trail to Loowit Trail on Mt St Helens, ~ 10 miles as an out and back with possible extensions. Expect varied trail conditions. Contact: tim.wilder@comcast.net. Wed, Aug, 8th (5 pm - 8 pm) Riverview Work Party Please join Portland Parks and Recreation, NWTA and Sellwood Cycle in River View Natural Area for an evening of trail work. We will meet at the top of the Natural Area at SW Brugger St. and SW Palatine Hill Rd. For directions click Click here for more info. Aug 10th - 13th NWTA Oakridge Shuttle Tour Details can be found on the Calendar at nw-trail.org. If you have additional questions, please email Sun, Aug 19th (9 am - 1 pm) Adult CPR and First Aid Certification The next Adult First Aid & CPR class sponsored by the NWTA will be held on 19 August at the PBS Engineering + Environmental Conference Room in Portland. The focus will be on safe, effective CPR and treatment of injuries commonly sustained while mountain biking. $50 for NWTA members/$60 for non-members. Contact Dan Werle danwerle@gmail.com or phone 503 719 3226. Mon, Aug 20th (6 pm - 8 pm) Cyclocross Clinic Join Wenzel Coaching for a series of 3 clinics August 20, 27 and September 10 at 6 p.m. Riders of all levels are welcome, just starting out or an experienced racer looking to develop more advanced skills. We'll break up into groups to work on different skills. We'll keep things moving. Most of all, we'll make it fun, as well as a learning experience. Click here for more info. Sat, Aug 25th Co Ed Adventure Ride with Susan Martin Details will be posted to nw-trail.org Calendar and N.W.T.A. Women's Group on Facebook in the next week. Sun, Aug 26th (10 am - 1 pm) Women's Group Ride at 8 Mile Meet at the 8 Mile Crossing Campground. The ride is ~ 7 miles with additional extensions. This will be a beginners ride. An initial climb leads to a fire lookout and fun swooping downhill back to the campground. Contact Gwyn Blanton at gwynblanton@yahoo.com with any questions. Tue, Aug, 28th (6 pm - 8 pm) General Membership Meeting Everyone is welcome! 6 pm committee meetings and social hour. 7 pm News from the trail. Hopworks Urban Brewery Banquet Room. Members and nonmembers always welcome. Cheers! Sept 7th - 9th Waldo Lake Campout Weekend is September 7-9. Dennis is the ride leader and will post details in August. Tuesdays (6 pm - 8 pm) Weekly Tuesday Powell Butte Ride This ride happens weekly except when it conflicts with general meeting or weather. Variety of speeds and styles welcome the goal is to show a responsible MTB presence and enjoy the trails, of course. Contact Dennis - 503.860.2095 - dennisv@nw-trail.org Wednesdays (6 pm - 8 pm) Weekly Wednesday Scappoose Rides The Co-Ed Wednesday rides will continue on a weekly basis through the end of September, but will be an Informal Ride, meaning they will NOT be NWTA guided rides. This is your opportunity to show up at the gate on Wednesdays at 6pm and ride with someone new. Ride length will vary each week, but all riders must be back to their cars by dark as we want to respect the landowner's rules against night riding. For directions to the trailhead or other questions, email debbiec@nw-trail.or or brianb@nw-trail.org.
Fridays (6 pm - 10 pm) Dimwits Withbritelights Semi-Weekly Rides Rides begin at the easyCLIMB trail system at Cascade Locks. Semi-regular Friday Night Riding events depending upon the weather. We will announce a ride on the Monday prior to the Friday night ride. There will be a big bonfire to keep everyone warm, so bring a beverage and maybe something to cook over the fire. Check the Dimwits page on Facebook for ride status.
Check the NWTA website frequently, new things are always being added to the calendar! |
| Call for Content
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We want your stories and ideas! Do you have an event to advertise, a ride or trail report or other idea that you would like to see in print? Send story ideas and information to: newsletter@nw-trail.org.
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