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Freeing Forest Park: A Historic Moment in the On-Going Saga
This month, City Commissioner and Portland Parks & Recreation head, Nick Fish released a statement that the City will proceed with single track improvements in Forest Park. This really is a big success and the result of our ongoing campaign to "Free Forest Park." NWTA Advocacy Director, Tom Archer, sums-up the improvements in his article available on our homepage. Link here to check it out. 
Over the years, we've expanded our efforts to build capacity for mountain biking throughout the region, through different programs, places and events. But we've never given-up our focus on our region's largest urban forest, Forest Park. NWTA (previously PUMP) has been championing more access in the park for more than a decade, and as recently as this summer, the City had committed to making some improvements to Firelane 5; but still, nothing.
Then, earlier this month, NWTA met with City representatives in an effort to get the ball rolling again. Commissioner Fish's letter and message is the result of our capacity-building strategy, your persistence and dedication. Without the proof and substance to support our mission, our calls for more access in Forest Park would continue to be ignored.
Improvements to an existing mountain bike trail may seem like a small step. But meeting outcomes also included talk of a larger, more extensive network of single track in the park. We're getting closer to freeing Forest Park, and creating more mountain biking access. But we need to step-up our work, prove to the City and the community why we need more mountain biking trails and we need your help to spread this message.
For all of you who have said you'll be there ready to pitch-in the day we get the green light: get those shovels ready.
Jon Pheanis
NWTA President
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Updates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Greenlight to spend $60,000 grant funds for equipment!  Today (October 17, 2012), Northwest Trail Alliance received notice to proceed on spending about $60,000 of its 2012 Recreation Trails Program grant award. The NWTA relies on membership dues to help pay for the matching portion of grants like the Recreation Trail Program (RTP) grant. If you're not a member JOIN and we can put those membership dollars to work for you by acquiring additional equipment for trail construction (supporting the mountain biking community).
This recent allotment will be purchasing additional trail construction equipment (including a Ditch Witch SK755, Canycom tracked carrier, chainsaw/brushcutter, portable winches, and other goodies...) These tools to be purchased are supplemental trail construction equipment to support our existing Trail Development Partnership Program. This equipment is available for use by trained NWTA volunteers on approved trail projects as well as for rental directly to our partners for trail projects. For more information on this program http://nw-trail.org/TDPP . Props Go out to Belmont Station  At a recent fundraiser event held at Belmont Station "Beers made by Walking" enough money was raised to operate the ST240 for almost 34 hours! The typical rental charge for the machine would be $1232 (including a 10% discount towards a "mountain bike specific" project), but this cost has been donated to Oregon Parks and Recreation as an in-kind donation. The "Beers Made by Walking" event raised $1216 (WOW!) on Saturday Oct. 20th and the owner, Carl Singmaster, is donating that to NWTA specifically to cover the cost of operating equipment at Stub. Thanks Carl!! NWTA's ST240 machine was operated for 33.8 hours for construction of the "Link Pin" north switchbacks as part of the 2012/2013 trail project to link North to South mountain bike area. See http://nw-trail.org/forum/trail-care-trail-building/trail-project-updates/3341 for map that highlights that area worked (there's also link to YouTube video that is my walk-thru of what was done with machine). It's amazing that has worked out to be almost a 1-to-1 for dollar amount needed to cover. NWTA is only out about $16! Looking forward to Spring 2013 when machine can roll back into the woods at Stub to sculpt additional trails for the park.
Winter Stub Stewart State Park Work Party Dates and Updated Goals Announced We are hitting the ground running this year. In fact, we have 1/3 of a mile built already! Thanks to Joe and the ST240 who have been working hard over the recent weeks. Everyone is asking how close we are to linking up the North and South trails. The estimated distance is about 1/2 mile, but check it out for yourself on the map. Scheduled volunteer trail work parties will be 1st Saturdays from November 3rd, 2012 thru May 2013! We'll be linked up with south ridgeline trail by Spring *IF* you come help build trail to get it done.
Goal: Build connector between north mountain bike area (opened) with the south ridge line trail (not yet open)...
* Blue line indicates trail built this month! At the bottom of the canyon is Genzer Creek, we will cross the creek and start building a switchback climb up the other side of the Canyon. Its a couple hundred feet up, and then we are on top of the ridgeline. At the top of the ridgeline its mature forest with nice views, little vegetation, and minimal slope, so building will go fast and easy from that point. Expect a special celebratory event when we do finally reach the other trail! Some of you might not recognize the loop at the top of the South trail. That was a little bonus that came last June, a full 1/2 mile of trail was built in just 2 days of work! That"s what can happen when you have 20 person build crews!  The Lumberyard Bike Park and Pub @ the Yard held a BBQ Bash co-sponsored by Teva It was, in part a fundraiser for the NWTA and $300 was raised which will help support the NWTA Kids Camp.
Cam McCaul was in the house Saturday, October 13th to shred the park. Teva was there to unveil and celebrate their new rideable art feature created by Adam Haynes. Product demos and giveaways happened throughout the event.
Additional support from: Feral Motion, Kali, and Russell Street BBQ
***Remember to check the NWTA trail forum and WIKI pages frequently for updates on closures and work parties.***
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Announcements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---------------------------------
Boulder Colorado is known as a progressive cycling Mecca. That wasn't always the case. How did Boulder become the cycling Mecca it is today? They had vision and got after it with lots of work by a dedicated group of cyclists. There comes a time when every cycling community has to decide its future. What will our future be? It's up to all of us to decide. Check out the video on how Boulder did it.
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Come out and join us and be part of building our cycling future.
Tony Daversa tonyd@nw-trail.org503-320-9460 NWTA Represented at the IMBA World Summit  NWTA participated in the sixth biennial IMBA World Summit in Santa Fe, NM, October 10-13. The IMBA World Summit is an international discussion for um for enthusiasts, IMBA members, land managers, tourism interests, trail builders, businesses and bike advocates focused on the economic, environmental and community development of Mountain Biking. Board member Tom Slovak attended on behalf of NWTA. During the Summit he attended various sessions which provided information about advocacy, team-building, leadership, trail-building and IMBA chapter development, as well as having the opportunity to network and share ideas with other IMBA clubs/chapters, land managers and IMBA representatives world-wide. Additionally, during the conference, Tom was also chosen as one of four speakers during a lunch session, an opportunity to tell the story of NWTA as an IMBA chapter in front of an international audience. Of course, riding was also part of the Summit, with opportunities to sear the sea-level lungs with a sampling of the high desert trails at 7,000' elevation-- both the Dale Ball network east of town and the La Tierra Bike Park on the other side of Santa Fe. The Summit was a powerful event and Tom brought back a Camelback full of ideas that will help the board further refine its mission to cycling and commitment to our members, to continue to make Portland and the surrounding area a great place to call our mountain biking home.
Let your Economic Voice be Heard -- Complete the Oregon Bicycle Travel Survey Our friends at Travel Oregon are committed to improving the state of bicycling in Oregon. Currently they want to hear from cyclists (mountain/road/etc.) about where we travel to mountain bike and spend our recreational dollars. If you've taken a trip in Oregon in the last couple of years to mountain bike, take a few minutes to complete the survey (linked below). Mountain cyclists only compose about 10% of respondents so far, so it's a great opportunity to have your voice heard.
More from Travel Oregon: Take the Survey: Make Cycling in Oregon Even Better! Travel Oregon, in partnership with bicycle and tourism partners throughout the state, is sponsoring a survey on the economic impact of bicycle related tourism to Oregon's economy. Information gathered from this survey will aid our understanding of the spending and travel patterns of bicycling visitors on Oregon's economy. The results will also help us distinguish bicycle related opportunities in Oregon. As a traveler in Oregon during 2011 and/or 2012, your insight is pivotal to our success and will enable us to deliver a richer experience in the future. Please help us by providing information about your experience in Oregon, including times that included riding or attending a bicycle related event. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes. The answers you supply will be used for statistical purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential. The link to the survey is provided below: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22GJ7L35WX6 There is more information here if you would like to learn more about the survey. 
Need a Ride from Portland to Stub Stewart For One of the Upcoming Work Parties? You can now take a bus from Portland to Stub Stewart State Park with your bicycle! A great way to access the paved and family friendly Banks-Vernonia Trail or the park trails including mountain bike area.
http://trimet.org/destinations/transittotrails.htm
New - Sundays are Family Day at the Lumberyard
Hey folks, we're partnering with the Lumberyard to provide discounts to NWTA members and their families. On any Sunday through the winter, receive a $10 discount on any day pass purchased between 12-5 (good for the remainder of the day). Plus, from 1-2 pm instruction will be provided to get your acquainted with the park and to hone those bike handling skills. If that weren't enough, happy hour pricing will be in effect. Just show your IMBA/NWTA membership card or other proof of membership at the door. What ya waitin' for? Load up the bikes and kids, and come ride with us at the 'Yard! 
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Trail Talk
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Let it Rain-- Trailbuilding Season is Upon Us!
What seemed like a record dry autumn has finally ended. Every year around this time, I get excited when those first rains hit the dry, loose trails that have been loved by riders throughout the past riding season. The newly moistened dirt, the smell of the dank forest-- these are the elements that get me excited every fall. They signal a time when fellow riders and volunteers come together to collectively repair, shape and improve those trails that we've ridden all summer.
Please join NWTA this winter and volunteer for one of our trail maintenance and build days. We've always got a lot of projects going on, including the hand-built singletrack at Stub Stewart park on the west side; the maintenance of the flow trails at Sandy Ridge on the east side; and our urban projects like Ventura pump track and the rehab of the Riverview property. Additionally, we have some new work planned to improve the trails at Hagg Lake and ongoing cooperation with our friends at Westside Trail Federation, Hood River Area Trail Stewards and Cold Creek Mountain Bikers.
For more information, keep an eye on our website and event calendar, or send me an email to get plugged into helping out at any of these trails. We also welcome volunteer groups who are looking for an opportunity to contribute as a larger effort, as well as local companies who are looking to sponsor our trail efforts and help encourage our attendance (volunteers love swag!).
Thanks and hope to see you working on the trails this winter!
Tom Slovak
Trail Care Directortoms@nw-trail.org One Year Anniversary for Cascade Locks easyCLIMB trail!
Activities
The easyCLIMB trail is one year old and has seen a lot of action and firsts. Here is a list of what has happened at this NWTA sponsored trail in the first 12 months.
· Monthly winter night bike rides (Dimwits Withbritelites)
· Night time trail building work parties (first and maybe last)
· Huge bonfires visible from space
· A Pedal Pedalpalooza event
· NWTA women's group trail building - GoldiLocks
· Short Track State Championship
· Cyclocross event - Double Cross
· Take a Kid Mountain Biking Event
· New trail marker signs, posts and kiosk
This year should prove to be even better. Several fall trail building parties are being planned and we have nice new way finding signs waiting for you to help install. The banks and berms also need shaped, and new trail needs your help to finish. The winter night riding season should kick off in November with the first Dimwits Withbritelights. The series is being moved to Saturday night, and we already have a commitment from our Fire Sponsor, Bear Mountain Forest Product for burnables. Please check the Facebook page for ride status, or send an email to andyc@nw-trail.org with "easyCLIMB mail list" in the subject to get on our VIP list.
History
A year ago the Port of Cascade Locks and Andy Jansky had a vision of trails on their property that would draw people to the city. What has happened since has been truly amazing. This is an example of how you can work with a city with a need and mountain bikers with a need. The need was to develop a family friendly trail system that kids to beginners could ride on. We are blessed with many riding opportunities in our beautiful state, but unfortunately there are not many trails that are family friendly. Kids are the next generation of riders that will help us build momentum with other cities, government agencies, and private land owners to allow access to land to build trails on.
This project is also an example of what you can accomplish when a large group of volunteers come together to build a trail network in a short amount of time that is highly organized. It started with flagging the trails one day, then building two miles of trails over two weekends. The trails were a little rough initially, so we needed to figure out a way to draw people to ride them. What started out as an idea to have a night ride turned into the weekly Friday night Dimwits Withbritelites rides. This isn't your normal night ride where most people freeze their butts off...the Dimwits greet you with a bonfire that you can stay warm around and cook your meal over. The night rides continued through out the winter and into the spring when we had a few Family evening rides and campouts, both of which were huge success with lots of families and kids came out to play.
The trails got a lot of use over the summer with a steady stream of families coming to explore the trails. There were also two races held on the trails that were big successes. Look to more races next year on the trails. In addition to mt biking on the Port property, a group of Frisbee golf players started to build a course which should draw more people to the area. Also, a group of Kite surfers and windsurfers cleared out a spit near Blackberry beach which should also draw more people.
Scappoose Trails -- Despite the recent rains removing the extreme fire danger, the Scappoose trails on Longview Timberland (LT) property-- the south side of Rocky Point Rd off hwy 30-- is still CLOSED to public access due to ongoing timber harvest operations. Please respect the closure of these trails on private timberland and pass the word on to fellow bikers, hikers and other recreational users of this land. It is expected that this closure will remain in place through the end of 2012, and perhaps longer. NWTA will provide further notification when the closure has been lifted. *UPDATED STATUS -- "North Side of Rocky Point Road, aka Scappoose, is now open. The area is open for hunting also, so please wear bright orange and don't act like a deer. The South Side of Rocky Point is still CLOSED. If you would like specific e-mail updates for Scappoose please send an email to AndyC@nw-trail.org with 'scappose mail list' in the subject Thank you." Other LT property in WA/OR that was closed due to fire danger is now open. As always, respect locally posted closures of this private land, such as the current closure of the Scappoose parcels.
The Most Famous Trails in Oakridge Need your Help
Please come and help rebuild the Oakridge Trails.
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This note is from our friends to the south GOATS... The Forest Service has declared the " Buckhead Fire" Controlled and we were allowed to go in and do work. This was a BIG PROJECT! and we had a chance to show off our collective skills. We had to do a large amount of tread work, reallignment, drainage, armoring, basically returning Alpine to " The best trail in the World" status again. It took two days of work with a solid crew to make the trail repairs. The trail is still closed to the Public! WE CAN'T RIDE IT!!!! Now that we've repaired it and let it sit for a couple of weeks then we can ride! Please respect the closure! There are plenty more opportunities to help through the winter with work parties planned for most weekends (weather dependent of course). GOATS will often provide food and beverages. We also have enough tread tools for about 15, bring tools if you have them. Hardhats or equivalent required. Keep an eye on the GOATS Facebook page for updates and news. Speaking of Trail Building...
2 slots are currently open for the 2-day November 10th/11th workshop for volunteer equipment operators who want to ramp up on using ST240 for single track trail construction. There are resources from IMBA Trail Solutions and Single Track Tools participating as expert operators to share insights/tips/tricks, and operators from partner organizations attending (including from BLM and SW Idaho Mountain Bike Association).  Contact joer@nw-trail.org if interested in this training or one-on-one equipment operator training at a later date. There are plans for a Spring 2013 training which will include training with focus on NWTA's new Ditch Witch SK755.
Topics for November training: Site work planning Machine prep Unloading/loading Staging equipment on project site Machine maintenance (specific to ST240 and general) Tips/Tricks for effective workflow HANDS ON/DEMO: Benching & grading techniques HANDS ON/DEMO: Working with the winch Q&A with the Experts* Operators from IMBA Trail Solutions and Single Track Tools(the maker of ST240) Safety discussed throughout training but no specific coverage.
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Event Highlights
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Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day a Phenomenal Success
With events held all over the region there was a little bit of something for everyone - even those "stuck" playing soccer all morning! Read on... From Cascade Locks...easyCLIMB Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day (TKMBD)
easyCLIMB celebrated its one year with the Dimwits hosting TKMBD for the first time. In preparation for that event, a small skills course, it is a bit rough, but will be a good place for the Dimwits to show off their skills in front of their friends this season. It features some skinnies, rock garden, ridge backs and various sized log overs and rock drops for your training and embarrassment needs. Before the painted line was dry and the dust had settled, kids started showing up and were ready for action. We counted at least 100 people throughout the day riding trail, playing on the skills course and looking for our food. People had a good time and there was something for everyone. Some crying in the woods, some dirty clothes and that was just from the Manager from the Port who came out to see the action on his bike. Since it was the first TKMBD hosted by the Dimwits, some of the finer points may have been overlooked, like organization. But we did have food and drink and combined efforts with the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing/Kiting Association at the end of the spit on Black Berry Beach. For those who ventured down there, it was fun and tasty and they had beer and music. So, next year we will refine the TKMBD and would like to have some help. Lessons learned for next year: · 3 o'clock works great - yes most kids have soccer games on Saturday IMBA. · Kids need some sugary snacks, let's find a sponsor for some sugary snacks, do you know anyone? · Remember some kids only last 1 hr and want to leave, so have some food close by. · Need something running the skills course and explaining what to do and directing traffic. · Let's build a little wood shelter for a BBQ, picnic table and to gather for a free stuff give stuff away. · Partner with a bike shop and give something away besides a good time. It is fun to see a bunch of happy kids get addicted to mountain biking in front of your eyes. Also remember a happy kid, is your upgrade path to a new carbon fiber bike. Remember NWTA is an organization of volunteers and we need your help. So if you can, please send an email to andyj@nw-trail.org.
To Stub Stewart State Park...
NWTA helped host a fun 2012 Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day event at Stub Stewart State Park which was attended by about 60 participants. Thanks to partnership with Oregon Parks & Recreation Dept as well as Hillsboro Parks & Recreation and additional event sponsors Bike Gallery and JustFruit the event was smooth and well supported. After kids played around for a bit on NWTA's wooden skills course at Hilltop Day Use area and a short bike skills review from Coach Bud Harris with Hillsboro Biking, two large groups headed out to enjoy the mountain biking trails of Stub State Park.
 During part of ride, some got a chance to hike down to where the ST240 was on project site digging more single track for linking over to the south mountain bike area in the park. Here's a picture of it at location where kids got to see it doing its thing and also had a chance to run the controls to pick up a large boulder (which they couldn't budge when trying to lift with their arms!)
There was also a demo of the freeride skills area by a couple of the young riders who showed others how to do the drops, berms, jumps, and wooden wall ride features. More is getting built this winter by Westside Trail Federation! Go tohttp://westsidetrailfederation.org to volunteer with construction efforts! After the ride, we settled in at the Mountain Dale cabin village for lunch (provided by Bike Gallery) and a video...
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| Volunteer Opportunities
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It's Not All About the Shovel... Looking for a way to be involved with NWTA advocacy efforts for a local riding area? Do you have friends in high places? Want to be a volunteer on a citizen board or committee that makes decisions about how parks and open space is used? Contact our advocacy director tom@nw-trail.org and we can find a place where you can make a difference. YOU CAN influence how far we all need to drive from the Platinum City to ride a Mountain Bike. Like it or not, trail riding starts by participating in the public process. What an awesome trail we're heading down!
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Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendar
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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...
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
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 bon-fire 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.
Oct 26 - 28th Fall Barbie Ride Join the Disciples of Dirt for a fun-filled weekend of riding, camping, eating, drinking and hanging out with friends. Fall Barbie Camp is an annual event and will be held at the usual fall location on the beautiful Metolius River, ten miles west of Sisters. Everyone aged 18 or older is welcome. There will be group rides Saturday and Sunday. See the DOD website for directions
Sat, Oct 27th (12 pm) A Spooktacular Bike Ride Join Friends of Gateway Green for a family-friendly, fun, and festive Halloween-themed bike ride at noon on Saturday, October 27th. Come dressed in your scariest, funniest, weirdest costume - even dress up your bike! Check the NWTA website frequently, new things are always being added to the calendar! Contact Laura at gatewaygreenpdx@gmail.com. Tue, Oct 30th (6 pm - 8 pm) NWTA General Membership Meeting 6 pm Committee meetings - come find a way to get INVOLVED or just grab a beer and talk bikes. 7 pm Trail news. 7:15 pm Mt St Helens - Coldwater Trail (Trail #211) work party success story! Let's discuss what's next!
Hopworks Urban Brewery Banquet Room, 2944 SE Powell Blvd. Members and non-members are always welcome. Hope to see you all there!
Sat, Nov 3rd (9 am - 1 pm) Stub Stewart XC Tail Build- First of the Season! Come join us for the kickoff of this winter's build season! You will get a good look at the progress that has already been made from the North, and get a good idea of just how close we are to joining the two trails. Sat, Nov 10th (9 am - 11 am) Powell Butte Trail Maintenance (Friends of Powell Butte) Powell Butte often gets overlooked in the city of Portland-- it's got great singletrack and depending on where you live, you can ride there and then ride the trails there. Consider riding your bike there on a Saturday to help out the trails in the park. The Friends of Powell Butte host this monthly trail maintenance day. Sat and Sun, Nov 10 - 11 (9 am - 4pm) ST 240 Operator Training at Cascade Locks Training will include hands-on demos of benching & grading techniques as well as working with the winch, plus Q&A with Operators from IMBA Trail Solutions and Single Track Tools (the maker of the ST240)! Tue, Nov 27th (6pm - 8pm) General Membership Meeting 6:00PM Committee meetings-come and find ways to get involved! Or just grab a beer and talk bikes. 7:00PM News from the trail. 7:15PM TBD. Cheers! Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd. Members and non-members are always welcome. Hope to see you all there!
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| 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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