The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) constitutes a tiny part of the massive federal Transportation Bill, but it’s vitally important to mountain bikers across the United States. It’s a program worth fighting for, which is why IMBA is calling on all of its chapters, clubs and individual members to take action and urge Congress to protect RTP and other Transportation Enhancements.
From the League of American Bicyclists:
We are fighting now against a mandatory sidepath provision in the latest version of the Transportation Bill. We are gathering signatures on a petition, which we will soon present to key Senators. We would greatly appreciate you forwarding the link to your members. Here it is, with a little explanatory blurb:
The draft of the Senate’s transportation authorization bill, S. 1813 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, includes language that would introduce a mandatory sidepath law on roads in our National Parks and other Federal lands. It requires cyclists on Federal lands to use a path or trail, instead of roads, if the speed limit is over 30 MPH and a trail exists within 100 yards, regardless of the condition or utility of the path. The provision sets a terrible precedent. Passing it would send the wrong message to transportation agencies that these policies are acceptable. Laws like this have been taken off the books in states over the past 30 years. This takes us in the wrong direction.
Please sign the League of American Bicyclists’ petition here: http://www.bikeleague.org/petition/
The next meeting of the Governor’s State Trails Council is Friday, October 28th,
at the Lapham Peak Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest,
W329 N846 County Highway C, Delafield.
The meeting will be held from 10am-3pm. Please RSVP to the DNR’s Joe Warren by W 10-26, if you’d like to attend.
608-267-7487
The deadline for bike clubs, local trail groups and land management agencies to apply for a 2012 Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visit is Friday, Nov. 4. Active organizations should not miss this opportunity to learn about sustainable trail building, club growth and community trails development.
Contact Katherine Fuller, IMBA Field Programs Coordinator
katherine.fuller@imba.com
303-545-9011 x101
http://www.imba.com/news/apply-2012-subaruimba-trail-care-crew-visit
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has announced that Santa Fe, New Mexico will host the 2012 IMBA World Summit. The gathering will be held Oct. 10-13, with pre-conference activities on 10-8 and 10-9. Excitement is already high, as reported in the Santa Fe New Mexican last week.
Contact Mark Eller
IMBA Communications Director
markeller@imba.com
303-545-9011 ext. 115
The NEW OM club has recently gained permission to build trails at the Cherney Maribel Caves County Park. This is the 1st trail in Manitowoc Co. that will be designed and built for mountain biking-specific use. We’re asking for volunteers who can work on S Sept. 24 and Su Sept. 25, anytime from 9am-6pm, and the 1st weekend in Oct., too (bring any tools that you can). Please visit our website when you get the chance. www.thenewom.com
Directions/location of the trail: http://www.maribelcaves.com/Location.html
Please let me know if you are able to help out.
Questions or concerns? Contact Wade at wade@ceaserobot.com or 920.905.2809
The next meeting of the Governor’s State Trails Council is Friday, July 8th, at the George Mead State Wildlife Area near Milladore. Meeting will be held from 10am-3pm. Please RSVP to the DNR’s Joe Warren by F 7-1, if you’d like to attend.
608-267-7487
I believe there is an event August 26th that may benefit the local WORBA trail builders. The Langlade Area Mountain Bike Association is hosting the IMBA Trail Care Crew trail building school. Read about the TCC school here: http://www.imba.com/tcc
Langlade, WI is the home of the Bear Paw WORS track and Nicolet Roche mountain bike trails. (I live in Waukesha and it is a short 3 hour drive). The August 26th weekend is going to be a great learning and social event. A full weekend of night rides, videos, photos, learning and socializing. Camping and lodging on-site.
The advantage to the WORBA trail builders will be education. There are always new people showing up for trail days. Having core people, and new people building trails, educated on sustainable trail design has great value. With many people modeling proper building techniques trail will be built faster and more efficiently; which will generate enthusiasm.
To register and to obtain more information, click the link, scroll to the bottom:
https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?id=135&reset=1
Early registration is appreciated.
Participate in all three days or just one. There is not a cost. Friday and Saturday will be the most meaningful participation days.
Friday will have a great IMBA presentation at 1:00 PM. ” Better Living through trails”. Is the goal to build a trail near your location, expand an existing trail or reinforce the positive aspects of your current trail? This presentation provides you with the tools and information to present the benefits of trail systems that make sense to land managers, local town boards, trail users.. etc.
Friday night will be a bikeumentory provided by the IMBA TCC crew followed by a night ride.
Saturday is the trail school. One reason the Roche approval process went so quickly was that we could represent that many of us had been to the IMBA trail building school. Practical, hands-on experience in building sustainable trails. I believe every well-rounded mountain biker, (and trail enthusiast) can benefit from knowing and recognizing what constitutes well built and sustainable trails.
Saturday night LAMBA will also present the entries (so far) for our photo and video contest. (Submit links to your videos, and submit the actual photo to contest@adventuregroove.com). Hint. Take photos/video while your are there, you just may win a Go Pro HD camera, a Shiner Bock bike or Smith sunglasses.
Please spread the word to attend. This event will have value to WORBA and I promise you will love the single-track.
Charlie Johnson
LAMBA President
Hey all,
I am looking forward to another great riding season on the Roche. Our trail is going to be improved, expanded and promoted in some big ways this year.
LAMBA received a federal grant to purchase tools, machines and signs for the trail. LAMBA is sponsoring Video / Photo contest. The IMBA trail care crew will be spending a weekend with us. Lastly, the Forest Service has agreed to allow an expansion of the trail North of Hwy 64.
The grant is approximately $9,000 and we are hoping the dollars arrive soon to give us time to install the signs.
The video / photo contest will accept entries July 1 and will conclude at the Oct 1 Biketoberfest event. $800 in prizes will be up for grabs so save your footage.
We are preparing pdf flyers that can be printed and spread around.
June 18th will be a separate video weekend. Camera or not, show up to ride and the agreement is, all footage will be shared. Bring a thumb drive. Details to follow.
August 25-28th the IMBA trail care crew will be arriving. Please be sure to attend that weekend for a great slideshow, shared knowledge and some good riding.
New trail! How many chances does the average rider get to design a trail? If you are interested in being part of this experience contact me and I will let you know when we will search for new routes.
Late last Fall the section known as “campsite” was rerouted and is now waay more fun and it turns out, easier to ride that big hill. We have one re-route planned in the tornado section (800 feet?). As always, many hands make light work. The reroute will be only 800 feet but has the potential to rival the rthym section at Rays!
YOU are the people responsible for the Roche trail being the experience it is. Looking forward to seeing everybody on the trails soon.
Want Better Trails?
……then ya gotta Help build them!
The John Muir Trail System ‘All Volunteer TrailBuilding Crew’
[ known as * The eSpeCially CrAzy IrRegular TrailBuildin’ Crew * ]
( and anyone can be a part of it )
will begin its 2011 Spring TrailBuilding Season on
Saturday, March 19
You’ve enjoyed the Trails…..
NOW come and “Give a little Back” to the Trails that you Love!
Last year we “Thankfully” enjoyed Another increase of Volunteers; all who wanted to Help make Better Trails. With their dedicated work, they made many, MANY improvements and also built a LOT of New Trail on the John Muir, the Connector, and the Emma Carlin Trails – the John Muir Trail System!
For those of you who helped last year, we again Thank You very much for your efforts. We got LOTS of new trails Opened; some interesting, some challenging, but all much safer than what we had before. It was done with some hard work, some sweat, and a lotta Laughs…… AND we had a lot of FUN too!!
This year OUR main Goal is:
ReBuilding MORE of the Emma Carlin Trails – the hidden jewel in Our Trail System!
Last year WE Built a LOT of New Trail at the deteriorating Emma Carlin Trails, and what WE did get completed, turned out to be quite AweSome!!… but, WE have More to do. OUR plan for this year is to continue Building New and exciting Trails at the Carlin that will be self-sustainable for many years to come and allow the deteriorating areas to ‘Re-Forest’.
BUT, there are still some areas on the John Muir Trails that needs OUR attention, and OUR plan IS to get to some of those areas this year as well.
So……… we are still gonna need a Large Volunteer Work Crew to continue this revitalization. I’m confident that with YOUR support and HELP, we will see ALL of this year’s planned improvements realized, and WE will have even Better Trails to Enjoy!
Come out and Help! Let’s see what More we CAN get Done this year!
We will start the WorkDays Saturday, March 19, and will continue with our ‘Volunteer Workdays’ every Saturday thru April and May, to June 4th – National Trails Day – and OUR WorkCrews TrailBuilding Celebration!
Our Meeting Time and place, in March, will be at the John Muir TrailHead Parking Lot, at 8:30 am, BOTH Saturdays, with our ‘Leaving Time’ to work at 9:00 am, and typically ending at noon. In April, Our Meeting Place will switch to the Emma Carlin TrailHead Parking Lot – same times.
We will supply all the tools. We suggest that you have work gloves, and we recommend that you wear long sleeved shirts and long pants (WE be cuttin’ trail through the woods!)
Come Out and Help, Please!
….and have some FUN!
