NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION SingleTrackS 135.pdfSave the Trails SingleTrackS No. 135 | 3...

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NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION September 2014 #135 www.nemba.org S ingle T rack S S ingle T rack S

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Page 1: NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION SingleTrackS 135.pdfSave the Trails SingleTrackS No. 135 | 3 SingleTrackS NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike Association, is a non-profit 501

NEW ENGLAND MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION

September 2014 #135www.nemba.org

SingleTrackSSingleTrackS

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Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 135 | 3

SingleTrackSNEMBA, the New England Mountain BikeAssociation, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organi-zation dedicated to promoting trail access,maintaining trails open for mountain bicyclists,and educating mountain bicyclists to use thesetrails sensitively and responsibly.

SingleTracks is published six times a year by theNew England Mountain Bike Association forthe trail community.

©SingleTracks Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes

Contributing Writer: Bill BolesCopy Editor: Nanyee Keyes

Executive Director: Philip [email protected]

NEMBAPO Box 2221

Acton MA 01720

Board of DirectorsAdam Glick, President

Matt Schulde, Vice-PresidentAnne Shepard, TreasurerHarry Meyer, Secretary

Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBABrian Alexander, CeMeNEMBAJohn Anders, Midcoast Maine NEMBAEric Boudreau, Wachusett NEMBAMatt Bowser, Central NH NEMBAAaron Brasslett, Penobscot Region NEMBAPaula Burton, CT NEMBAEammon Carleton, BV NEMBAMatt Caron, Southern NH NEMBASteve Cobble, SE MA NEMBALeo Corrigan, RI NEMBAPeter DeSantis, Southern NH NEMBABrian Danz, Greater Portland NEMBAErik daSilva, Penobscot Region NEMBAJeff Doyle, Quiet Corner NEMBAAndrew Favreau, Greater Portland NEMBAHarold Green, Pioneer Valley NEMBADavid Hughes, Carrabassett Region NEMBAStacey Jimenez, Quiet Corner NEMBAChris Joosen, White Mountains NEMBAHank Kells, North Shore NEMBAChris Kezckemethy, Fairfield County NEMBAFrank Lane, North Shore NEMBAMarc Lombard, Pioneer Valley NEMBABill Markham, Berkshire NEMBAStuart McDonald, Merrimack Valley NEMBAHarry Meyers, Berkshire NEMBABarry Moore, Merrimack Valley NEMBAChris O’Toole, CeMeNEMBAKevin Orlowski, Central NH NEMBAPeter Poanessa, BK NEMBADavid Riding, SE MA NEMBAPete Schraeder, BK NEMBAJoshua Tauses, Carrabassett Valley NEMBAChris Thurrott, Greater Boston NEMBAAl Tinti, CT NEMBARyan Tucker, Fairfield County NEMBA

SingleTrackSAugust/September 2014, Number 135

Paper TrailTreadlines — 4Places to Ride — 6Chapter News — 14NEMBA Rides — 36Support our Sponsors — 38

SingleTracks Hey, get creative! We wel-come submissions, photos and artwork. This isyour forum and your magazine. Be nice, andshare!

On the Cover: Wayne Cunningham (nowsomewhere on the AT) rides the BurlingtonLandlocke Forest. Photo by PK.

Do you have a photo that would make a goodcover shot? Email it to [email protected]

Want to Underwrite in ST?SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targetedunderwriting which helps us defray the cost ofproducing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBAor email [email protected] for our media kit.

Moving?Don’t miss an issue! Change your address onlineat nemba.org or mail it into SingleTracks, PO Box2221, Acton MA 01720

GreenMountain

Trails, PittsfieldVT

Looking for a new place to explore?Check out Green Mountain Trails. 6

The AdamCraig Interview

We catch up with Adam Craig duringone of his visits back home Maine.

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NEMBAFest Dates Announced: June 19-21, 2015By Bill Boles

T R E A D L I N E S

There's no doubt that this year'sNEMBAfest was the best ever.Nearly 4000 people camethrough over the three days,including 67 industry partnersand scores of volunteers fromNEMBA, the Kingdom TrailsAssociation and the BurkeChamber of Commerce.

The new venue at the WildflowerInn was a hit with everyone:classic Vermont vistas, easyaccess the best trails that theKingdom has to offer, and a love-ly field adjacent to the expo forcamping. Combine this with per-fect weather and the longestdays of the year, and you prettymuch reached mountain bike nir-vana.

We're pleased to announce thatNEMBAfest 2015 will be at thissame location, so mark your cal-endars now: June 19-21, 2015.Be there!

Epic Rides on

Epic Trailswww.mtbadventureseries.org

Come ride the Kona Bicycle Mountain Bike Adventure Series andhave fun while raising money for local parks.

May 3 Middlesex Fells, MAMay 31 Happening @ Huntington, CTJune 20-22NEMBAfest @ KTJuly 20 Wendell State Forest, MA

Aug 17 Bluff Point, Groton CTSept 14 Great Brook Farm, MASept. 21 Leominster SF, MAOct 6 Bear Brook SP, NHOct 26 Wicked Ride of the East

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When Joe Desena (Spartan Race founder? Yes,*that* Joe Desena.) decided to build a mountainbike network on the mountain behind his bucol-ic farm in Pittsfield, VT, it was against the adviceof nearly everyone. The trailbuilder at the time,Jason Hayden, recalls taking "experts" to scoutthe area and coming back full of doubt. So, intheir typical take no prisoners style, they built itanyway. Back in 2006, Hayden would race aheadof a mini ex operator, himself past retirementage, marking trail as fast as it could be cut. Ahundred switchbacks and twenty miles later,Green Mountain Trails emerged almostovernight.

Hayden, beset by obligations, delegated the trailwork to Matt Baatz, a long time mountain bikerwithout much building experience, who showedup at the farm in pursuit of a simpler lifestyle.He has spent the last five years fine tuning flowand sustainability while retrofitting the systemwith a few gnarlier options. One of the firstsigns that they had something special in the works is when the pop-ular blog MTBVT paid a visit in 2011 and deemed the trails, "a field ofdreams for mountain bikers" and "the best kept secret in Vermont."

The Green Mountain Trails have riding options for all abilities, pass-

ing by mountain streams and overlooks, with a beguiling panorama ofThe Green Mountains and pastoral valley at the summit that youwon't want to miss.

There are a thousand feet of climbing and descending. Though a

Green Mountain Trails, Pittsfield VTP L A C E S T O R I D E

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P L A C E S T O R I D E

majority of the trails are relatively smooth andflowy, there are several miles of rooty, rocky,technical singletrack. Over 100 bermed switch-backs make the long descents a blast for moun-tain bikers. Most of the uphills are gradual andforgiving on the quads, but challenging uphillsare also an option. Depending on your route,descents can linger for as long as six miles. Theentire trail system is free to the public.

Some of the system highlights are Noodle'sRevenge, an uber flowy, multi directional single-track with long switchbacks, Warman, a 20berm corkscrew, and Fusters a perfect balancebetween old school gnar and new school flowi-ness. Day trippers most often have a blast fol-lowing the GMT Loop encompassing NoodlesRevenge, Luvin It, The Summit, Labyrinth,Warman, Fusters and The Escalator. Check outwww.gmtrails.org for details.

New trails balance the abundance of easier flowwith old school gnar. Devil's Throat forges it'sway over steep rocks and narrow ledges to satethe skilled and intrepid. Bubba Trail is also full ofnatural, old school, features, but is less fearinducing. Within the confines of 700 acres, thesystem will probably max out at around 30miles, but trail development in the adjacent

communities of Rochester and Killington means that the potential forthis region remains unfathomable.

For gravity assistedrides, shuttle runsare also an optionwith parking avail-able at the top ofTweed River Driveand at RiversideFarm or AmeeFarm. The latterinvolves fording alow river whichmay not be pass-able after storms orin Spring. Weddings are a regular occurrence at Riverside Farm andmay effectively restrict that trailhead on Saturdays.

Pittsfield is an up and coming destination in itself. An enchanting mixof wilderness and farmland, the town is anchored by rustic bed andbreakfasts, inns and a historic general store with creative and heartyfare as well as craft beer and wines. The trails host beautifullyappointed canvas tents (similar to yurts) nestled in the forest. Moreprimitive camping options exist close to town.

Parking is available at Sweet Georgia Ps at Amee Farm on route 100(Barn Dance trailhead), next to the white barn at Riverside Farm onTweed River Drive (Noodles Revenge trailhead), or at the end ofTweed River Drive (Green Trail trailhead) mid mountain. In the case ofa wedding or other event, alternative parking is available at BikramYoga Pittsfield or the village green. Find trail conditions and more infoat www.gmtrails.org, and on their Facebook page.

For a map go to: www.nemba.org/trails/green-mountain-trails

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Finding the Flow at Home and AbroadInterview with Maine's own, Adam Craig

by Mark Condon

One of the most prolificmountain bike racers in U.S.history is one of New

England's own. An Olympian,World Cup racer, and winner of 18national championships, AdamCraig, 33, started his racing andcycling apprenticeship on the rocksand roots in Maine.

A native of the small New Englandtown of Exeter, Maine, who nowhails in Bend, Oregon, Craig attrib-utes much of his World Cup racingsuccess to the skills he learned rid-ing on the trails in the Mainewoods. SingleTracks caught up withCraig, a member of the GiantFactory Off-Road Team, to discusshis New England roots, racingcareer, and the next chapter of hiscareer-international Enduro racesand epic riding intertwined withmountain bike advocacy.

I N T E R V I E W

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How did you start mountain biking?

I started like any other kid riding in thewoods around his home. Exeter, Maine hadenough snowmobile and ATV trails to getme out and about in the early years. Once Idiscovered the trails around Bangor: EssexStreet Hill and The Bog, it was on!

What did you like about it?

It was fun! Exploring, figuring out new waysto get around, no matter how short and silly,and the challenge of actually riding theroutes we'd find.

Do you remember your first mountainbike?

My first proper MTB was a 24" wheeledGiant Awesome courtesy of Pat's Bike Shopin 1992. I ended up with this bike after aknee injury acquired riding my motocrossbike, which my Mom subsequently sold tofund the MTB. At the time I was bummed,but turns out she's pretty smart…

How'd you get into mountain bike racing?

The crew at Pat's Bike Shop was well into racing; anyone who fre-quented the shop couldn't help but pick up their enthusiasm. There

was a local "downhill" race at HermonMountain they told me about. I checked it out.7th place, Junior Beginner, 1993.

You are one of the most decoratedAmerican riders—an 18 time Nationalchampion—do you have a favorite racingmoment?

There've been a lot of great moments, the bulkof them happening at Mount Snow, Vermont,but the real standout was placing 5th at theWorld Cup finals in Livigno, Italy in 2004.Riding like I could do no wrong and chargingthrough the field to secure our first Americanpodium in years and years was a great feeling.And made missing out on the Olympics thatyear sting a bit less.

How did learning to ride and race inNew England influence your career?

The riding in New England forces each andevery person who perseveres on these trails tobe a pretty dang good rider. There's no other

option. Steep, rocky, rooty trails mean if you want to ride at all,you've got to figure it out. I'll always cherish finding flow at home.

You've raced many disciplines—mountain biking, cyclocross,

I N T E R V I E W

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I N T E R V I E W

singlespeed, Super D, marathon. How did you end up rac-ing so many?

I've never really considered myself anything but a bike rider. All ofthese niche events involve riding a bike, so I'd eventually end up try-ing them out, even if by accident, and, since they all involve riding abike, I'd end up having a good time, and maybe doing well. It's greatto get done with a summer of Enduro racing, traveling to exotic lands,cheating death at every switchback and look forward to a mellowromp around a city park on a 'cross bike.

After 10 years on the World Cup racing mountain bikes,you are transitioning to Enduro racing. Why the switch?

Ultimately, because I can. And why wouldn't I? All due respect to thelast decade of racing the World Cup, the allure of mountain biking isgoing to new places and riding new trails. Once I'd been to all thesame places for years at a time, the allure started to wear off a bit.Fortunately, the next big thing was there to keep it fresh. Enduro isthe essence of exploring on a bike.

What's the attraction of enduro racing?

The attraction of Enduro is two-fold. One, you get to ride a large sam-pling of the best trails in any given location, rather than simply aDownhill or Cross Country course over and over again. Second, whileriding these tracks, you get to really focus on the best part, figuringout the fastest, smoothest, smartest way to cover each descent. Thishas bred a whole new skill set, developed already to an impressivelyhigh level, of reading trail on the fly and riding it absolutely beauti-

fully.

On your web site, you talk about working with sponsors,media, and "John Q. Mountain Biker" to evolve the sport.What will that entail?

I have a lot of ideas for continuing to improve our already fantasticsport for folks on a lot of different levels. Trail access and infrastruc-ture is a big one, trying to keep some local, rootsy flavor in an other-wise IMBA-spec world. Another is helping pass on the knowledge I'mcontinually developing of the nuances of bike riding that will hope-fully put more smiles on more folks' faces. However, the reality is thatwhile I'm racing full time, there isn't going to be much time for any ofthis, and there are already a whole load of folks doing a great job onthese fronts, so I'll just have to wait until the time is right to start giv-ing back properly to this fine activity.

You've now ridden all over the world, all kinds of places,all kinds of terrain. How does mountain biking in NewEngland compare?

New England will always be tops for me. Not because it's perfect, butbecause it isn't. Everyone needs to appreciate trails that make youthink, work, struggle. It makes us all better riders and people.

You can find more about Adam Craig on Facebook and on his blog atadamcraig.net. And check out www.vimeo.com/92711830 for a videotaken by fellow Maine native Sebastian Boyington following Craigdown an Enduro race course in Chile.

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C H A P T E R N E W S

It's been a busy summer inthe Blackstone Valleyalready. Our beginner'srides on Tuesdays are get-ting to be quite a draw fornew riders and ourThursday intermediaterides are gaining momen-tum as well and are a greatway to challenge yourself abit more. All of our ridesare easy or moderate pace and nobody getsdropped. We've had a few beginners join us onTuesday nights and move on to our Thursday ridesas they gain skill and confidence.

Our members have also been busy with somemajor trail work projects. Peter, the son of our vicepresident, John Goeller, is building a bridge acrossthe swamp at Dunster Road in Holliston, leadinginto Vietnam as his Eagle Scout project for the BoyScouts of America. Peter, John and the Scouts havestarted clearing the corridor next to the fire road,widening it to make room for the bridge. The nextstage of the project involves cutting a huge pile oflumber to length before transporting it to thebridge site.

We also have a project underway with a couple of

our members, Bill D. and Mike C. at West Hill Damin Uxbridge. The main goal of the work is to bringsome illegally cut but otherwise fun trails up to asustainable state. We'll be working to repair sometrails, involving some reroutes off of private prop-

erty and rebuilding a substandard bridge. If therangers are happy with the work accomplished thisyear we've discussed adding even more sanctionedsingletrack.

—Eammon Carleton

Scouts helping to clear a path through the Dunster Road swamp in Holliston. Photo by John Goeller

Gettiung fat on the Thursday night ride in Northboro. Photo by John Goeller

Kevin Corsino riding Singletary. Photo by Eammon Carleton

BlackstoneValleyPresident: Eammon Carleton, eam-

[email protected], 508-987-7655Vice President: John GoellerTreasurer: Rich KordellSecretary: Anne ShepardWebsite: www.bvnemba.orgBV Facebook: “Blackstone Valley

NEMBA”Vietnam Facebook: “NEMBA Vietnam”

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C H A P T E R N E W S

The arrival of spring wasslow coming in theBrattleboro and Keeneareas. It was nearly Maybefore some of the driertrails were ready to be rid-den, and as of mid-May westill had plenty of spots toavoid on some of our wettertrails. Everyone did a greatjob staying off the wettrails. Thanks to all, it makes a great difference.

To pass the time we started some of our trail workprojects. A group of us spent a Sunday afternoonat Stonewall Farm hanging trail markers on the tra-ditional "race loop". And later, a smaller group ofchapter members worked on the new "beginnerloop" at Stonewall Farm. The farm approached thechapter last fall about helping create an easier loopfor beginners and kids to ride. Not as much climb-ing, less technical, and a touch wider. Keene, andmuch of New England for that matter, has a short-age or beginner level trails. Our goal was to buildsomething people could ride and not get discour-aged, yet still be fun. By utilizing some of theexisting trails, and creating a new trail, we nowhave a roughly 2.5+ mile loop. The new trailincluded ~250' of partial bench cut, and surpris-ingly we removed about 5 rocks total. We stillhave a couple bridges to put in, hang the trailmarkers, and get the map out - but the trail is openand being enjoyed already.

Weekly rides have started in both Keene (Tuesdaynights) and Brattleboro (Wednesday nights). Thefirst few have been well attended. It was great tosee so many new faces at the rides. Let's keep themomentum going. Watch Facebook and theGoogle Group, as the ride locations vary.

Alex Erez, a Boy Scout with Troop 302 in Keene, isworking toward his Eagle Scout Rank. For the rankof Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout must fulfill require-ments in the areas of leadership, service, and out-door skills along with completion of a service proj-ect. Drummer Hill is close to Alex's home and heruns the trails there, so he approached the chapterabout building trailhead kiosks. We had alreadyspec'd the project and had planned the work for2014, so the timing was perfect. Alex took overthe kiosk project and by April they were built. Bythe time this hits your mailboxes the kiosks shouldbe installed at two Drummer Hill locations.

In addition to the Stonewall Farm work, the chap-ter will be adding and repairing several bridges atDrummer Hill and Goose Pond, and helping outwith some new single track in Putney and bridgework in Brattleboro. Hopefully the Drummer Hillsignage and map project will see some movement

as well. The plan is to get the kiosks installed,build the Stonewall Farm bridges, and then startholding trail work days every other Mondayevening throughout the summer.

Peter spent some time walking Drummer Hill withKeene's Director of the Parks and RecreationDepartment. We've been given the go ahead to cutthe brush back at the parking area at Drummer Rdand Green Acres. The City will also bring in somegravel to improve the parking area, and replace therusty chain and cable with a new gate that has anopening to allow for bikes to pass through. 6 carsshould easily fit in the new and improved space.Peter also walked the blue/white blazed trail anddiscussed a reroute around the very washed outsection and the bridging of another piece. Theideas were well received. And finally, there will bea group of supervised, paid 14-16 year olds work-ing on the back side of Goose Pond this summer.Their focus will be building some low lying board-walks, and ditching to help channel the water bet-ter.

—Michael Davern

Peter Poanessa, Andy Ware, Josh Reynolds, Shawn Severance, Roger Nadeau, Jason Perron ridingWalpole NH. Photo by Ted Johnson

Installing a new info kiosk at Drummer Hill. Photo by Michael Davern

Brattleboro-KeenePresident: Peter Poanessa,

[email protected] President: Bob Shalit

Josh ReynoldsSecretary: Mike DavernTreasurer: Peter SchraderEmail List:

[email protected] Email: [email protected]

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The summer on the Capeis in full swing. Alongwith the high temps alsocome all the familiar facesto ride our trails with us.We hope some new facesbecome annual visitors toour group rides on theCape.

Our Facebook site hasproven to be very helpfulin communicatingbetween riders, local and beyond. We have beenseeing some riders for nearly 10 years and enjoyour few summer hours riding together. We haveseen quite an increase in our trail use by all usergroups. It seems that our Cape riders are also usingmore of our local trails.

I think one thing gets lost as we enjoy our "Home"trails. We all know the trails like the back of ourhand. To a new rider of any area, danger lurks outat every corner. Yes- we are rough, tough mountainbikers but as trail managers and fellow riders, weshould try to eliminate as many potentially harm-ful obstacles as possible. Vegetation continues togrow. Limbs and debris accumulate. We are allexcited to be riding in our summer clothes but weneed to continue policing and providing safe ridingfor all. Change the location where you normallytake a break and address some low branches, etc…Plan on going to a problem area and eliminatingsome "head hunters" before your full out ride. Weall do our share to maintain our trails but some-times we forget how important it is to continueyear round maintenance.

We recently had two situations come up where CCNEMBA assisted local walkers. The first was anelderly man who had become fatigued and disori-ented. Our local riders met the members of the FireDept and escorted them to the man who was takenout via pickup truck. The second one is a littlemore exciting. A woman walking her dog wasbeing stalked by a group of coyotes at five o'clockin the afternoon. A rider came upon the womanand called the rest of the group by cell phone. Thecoyotes dispersed upon the arrival of eight moreriders who then escorted the woman and dog toher car. Remember -always have your cell phonewith you. You never know what can happen out inthe woods.

— Perry Ermi

Cape CodPresident: Michael Dube, dubati@com-

cast.netVice President: Perry ErmiTreasurer: Paul RichardsSecretary: Christine ErmiFacebook Group: “Cape Cod NEMBA

Group”Yahoogroup:

[email protected]

MTB Selfie. Happy gals, Terri, Kris, Kate and Molly after a fantastic Willow St ride. Photos by Kris Ermi

This is how we do our chapter meetings- A group ride, barbecue and eat, then meet! In that order!

Friday Night Group Ride at Trail of Tears including a couple of Cape Cod summer visitors

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Summer is here and the rid-ing is easy…..and fun!Those of you who have beenriding the trails know what Iam talking about! Whilethere was some damagefrom the spring run-off, ourtrail network is well-designed and recoversquickly. The trail crews havebeen working hard buildingnew trail and putting somefinishing touches on other trails. For those of youwho may not have been able to ride in the Valleyyet, the best riding and weather is yet to come. Getyourselves up here to have some fun! Here is whatis happening:

Guided Rides:Your club is actively promoting mountain bike rid-ing in our region. The concept of Guided Rides isbeing championed by Ed Gervais and the club mar-keting committee. Mark your calendar for theweekend of September 20-21 for our first clubguided ride. Club members, and those interested inbecoming members, are invited to a guided ridethrough our trail network at a relaxed pace and isintended to provide riders of all ability levels anorientation to the trail network. Following the rideeach day will be a cookout and chance to learnmore about the club and our plans. Check ourwebsite for more details on this event.

In the meantime the club has provided twoimpromptu guided rides. The first was held onSunday, June 29 at the request of the KingfieldPOPS organizers. The event attracted 14 riderswho joined club leaders to experience our trailsand bringing smiles to their faces. One of our boardmembers overhead the following: 'I saw the moth-er and son that you rode with. I overheard hertelling the table next to them all about how amaz-ing their ride was and how kind and patient andhelpful you were. I wish I had a microphone onthem, they could not have sung you and our trailsmore praise. I think you have converted at leastone more person to this amazing sport!'

On July 6, a group representing Penobscot RegionNEMBA rode the network with CRNEMBA trailleaders. The report from the PRNEMBA organizerwas 'The riding was truly awesome, criss crossingthe amazingly nice collection of "groomed" trails onthe Outdoor Center side and the "rugged" trails onthe Bigelow Mtn side. I drove the entire way homewith a smile on my face.'

On May 11 Alison Thayer led ten people, including

high school teens, from the Brunswick area on amountain ride in 'The Forks' as a part of the 'Teensto Trails' program. Thank you Alison!

Monday evenings during the summer, Alison leadsa hugely successful women's ride. Rides meet atvarious locations. Please contact Alison at [email protected] for more information.

Membership Drive:The club is actively seeking new members and tofind ways to better serve current members. If youare a current member and want to get involved,please contact one of the officers. There are manythings that you can do that do not require you tobe in the Valley, so let us know if you want to getinvolved.

We are actively soliciting participation and mem-bership from second home owners in the Sugarloafarea. We believe those families with home/condoownership will find mountain biking in the areaanother great reason to return in the non-wintermonths. We are also seeking club membershipfrom those local residents who are riding or wouldlike to ride our trails.

Trail Construction/Development(s):The Maine Bureau of Public Lands, which isresponsible for management of the BigelowPreserve, has granted CRNEMBA permission to

construct single track mountain bike re-routeswithin the trail corridor of what we know as theEsker Trail. Receiving permission to constructmountain bike trail is the result of a lot of hard andpersistent work by club members. The CRNEMBAboard will be considering what priority this trailconstruction will have as well as the resourcesrequired to accomplish this work. For now, this isgreat news and thanks to all who have worked tomake this happen!

Oak Knoll is well under construction! Work on thistrail began in June 2013, through a contingent ofvolunteers during a NEMBA TrailFest. This June, ahighly skilled local trail crew has continued theconstruction of this trail, and it is sweet! Whilenot yet open to the public, yours truly has riddenwhat has been built and it put a big smile on myface! Great work! Once completed, this trail willprovide approx. 2.8 miles of continuous singletrack riding from Newton's Revenge (near theNarrow Gauge Pathway) to the Stratton Brook Hut.

Over on the other side of the Valley, work contin-ues on T.O.A.D. and Buckshot. The trail crew hasbeen repairing some washouts and hardening somewet spots with incredible rock work. The flow ofthese trails provides some really exceptional rid-ing- it is as much fun to ride up (climb) these trailsas it is to ride down (well, almost!).

NEMBA TrailFestPast Chapter President Dave Hughes has been hardat work planning and coordinating another NEMBATrailFest for August 23-25. Maine Huts & Trails hasgraciously provided trail building volunteers withfree lodging and meals at the Stratton Brook Hut.This will be an opportunity to be a part of the con-struction of a trail that promises to be the crownjewel for Maine Huts & Trails and CRNEMBA as theanchor of what the club hopes to be a secondmountain bike riding 'pod' with its own network ofmountain bike trails to complement the trail sys-tem at the Outdoor Center. Please contact DaveHughes at [email protected] toregister or with questions. I hope you will join us!

—Peter Smith

C H A P T E R N E W S

Club Pres Pete Smith Greets riders for the Kingfield POPS Guided Ride

Massive rock work completed on wet spot at OakKnoll. Photo by Peter Smith

CarrabassettRegion Maine

President: Peter Smith,[email protected]

VP: Ed GervaisSecretary: Polly McMichaelTreasurer: Dana FriendFacebook: Carrabassett Region NEMBAWebsite: http://carrabassett.nemba.org

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C H A P T E R N E W S

Riding this spring in CentralConnecticut has been toughagain with another very wetJune and some extensiverain storms in July. We askthat you give the trails a dayor two rest after one ofthese big rain storms.

Central ConnecticutChapter Rides: LisaMaloney has been organiz-ing co-ed intermediate group rides on Saturdaysrecruiting many NEMBA members to help lead therides in various locations.

Including: West Rock, West Woods, Tyler Mill,Nassahegan, Supply Ponds, WHR and Rockland.Some of the leaders included Joe Locke, JasonEngelhardt, Margie Bowen, Stephanie ZoltewiczDiane Foelle, Amy St. Jean, Amanda Mayhew andJoshi Toth. After many of the rides, the groupstopped for lunch or a beer.

The rides continue through the beginning ofDecember. After the last ride, Lisa has a holidaylunch at her house. Last year it got snowed out(we did a hike instead), and a few brave people(those with SUVs) braved the snow to enjoy honeybaked ham, mac and cheese and lots of desserts!

Al Tinti's Central CT RAW rides were off to a slowstart this year due to injuries (Al's) and weatherissues. Al is back to riding and looks forward togetting the RAW rides going full steam through thesummer and early fall. The rides are in popularlocations in north central CT

CCT and NEMBAfest: Central CT NEMBAhad a good presence at NEMBAFest this year. Thenew venue on Darling Hill Rd was great, putting usclose to some of the best trails in the KT network,and the weather was just about perfect. The chap-ter's tent compound was the place to be onSaturday night. Sue Scheibenpflug had prepared afeast of many dishes, Nina Paim cooked Brazilian-style barbecue, and we had so much food we hadto invite people in to help finish it. The result wasa great party.

Trailwork Updates:Thanks to Jon Petersen and Tim Burton for leadingthe charge to finish Mag 5, a rugged challenge tocompliment the flowy loops at Rockland. It's beenan exciting 3 years of building and in that timewe've stitched together 11 miles of worth single-track and a community of users that keep it great.Thanks to Katie Urso for updating the map and forthe Winterfest donations which funded our sign-

board project. Get out there and ride!

Paula Burton continues work on Waldo and near-ing completion of the Thing 3 trail.

Upcoming Events:

Central Connecticut Chapter will be joining toforces with Southeastern Connecticut Chapter foranother round of the Mountain Bike AdventureSeries ride, the Bluff Point Experience on Sunday,August 17th. Riding Bluff Point is always a blastand afterwards nothing beats a refreshing dip inLong Island Sound.

The Fall Fiesta has been moved to Sunday, October12th, due to scheduling issues. Cooler weatherand Fall Foliage will be predominant at this year'sFall Fiesta and not to be missed.

—Mark Lurie

CCT NEMBA at NEMBAfest. Photos by Glenn Vernes

Group ride at Rockland Photo by Lisa MahoneyGroup ride Selfie. Photo by Lisa Mahoney

Central CTPresident: Mark Lurie,

[email protected], 203-364-9912

VP: Cory StiffSecretary: Al TintiTreasurer: Glenn VernesAt Large: Jason Englehardt & Art RotiBOD Reps: Al TintiCT Web: www.ctnemba.comFacebook: “CT NEMBA”

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The heart of riding seasonin Central Maine is in fullswing and things are goingreally well. The weatherhas been very cooperativeand we have not only donea lot of riding, but havealso done quite a bit of trailwork.

With our recent increase inmembership and proceedsfrom our largest fundraiser of the year, The BondBrook Tread Fest(Save the date:10/19/14) we havebeen able to begin to accumulate a healthy quan-tity of tools and equipment for our trail work. Oneof our goals as a chapter is to get to a place wherewe can provide all the necessary tools and equip-ment for our regular trail building nights. Threeyears ago we started our "TNT" events. TuesdayNight Trails have been a huge success and havepulled in a regular group of dedicated builders toboth maintain existing and create new trails. Thisyear alone we have logged over 480 hours puttingsteel to dirt. Until recently we have asked our vol-unteers to bring many of their own tools; we arenow turning the corner on that and can providemost of the equipment needed for a trail crew. Thelargest purchases include an enclosed box trailer tohouse our tools, and a walk-behind string trimmerto help us tame the trails that go through fieldsand grassy areas. The trimmer has proved toreduce the time we spend weed-wacking by asmuch as 75%, and the trailer makes it much easierto cart everything to our work sites.

Our "TNT" nights have remained popular and theideas is spreading. We recognize that weekendsare precious, but a Tuesday night is a great time toget out and give back to the trails without a lot oftime away from fun things like biking and barbe-cues. CeMeNEMBA has recently formed a loosepartnership with a group of trail builders inFarmington Maine. The F.A.T.(Farmington AreaTrailbuilders) is formed by a group of dedicatedlocals that wanted to see the town ski hill and sur-rounding land developed into a trail network forarea residents. . A majority of the F.A.T. membersare also NEMBA members. Recently a need wasrecognized to amass a large group in hopes ofpushing the first phase of their project closer tothe completion. The idea of the "labor swap" wasborn and the next week the CeMe crew of "usualsuspects" headed north to Farmington to help theircrew. The following week they returned the favor

and came down to Augusta for an evening to helpcomplete a new section of trail at Bond Brook. Thelabor swap accounted for over 100 hours of workand was a huge success. We are excited to con-tinue our partnership with groups like F.A.T.Singletrack opportunities are growing in our regionand part of the CeMeNEMBA mission is to assistthat in any way possible!

In June we had our annual Family Mountain BikeDay at The Res in Hallowell. This event has beenblessed with beautiful weather for two years in arow. We had over 30 people and pulled in somenew families that became members right on thespot. The event drew a large number of kids andso of course the first order of the day was to get

the kids on the trail. They came back dripping withsweat and with huge smiles. While the kids cooledoff in the reservoir the "big kids" hit the trail for along loop and when they came back the grill washot and we all enjoyed some tasty food and goodcompany.

As we turn the corner on summer and look to thefall we can only hope that things will continue justlike they have so far this season. We've had a lotof fun with our community of riders, we've builtsome great new trails, and the energy for biking inCentral Maine only continues to grow with eachseason.

—Pete Phair

Benching in new trail

CeMeNEMBA and Farmington Area Trailbuilders working Bond Brook.

CeMeNEMBA’s Family MTB Day at The Res

CeMe’s new trail trimmer

C H A P T E R N E W S

Central MEPresident: Chris RileyVP: Chris O’TooleSecretary: Garry HinkleyTreasurer: Carol Nunemaker Johnson Membership: Ellen WellsTrails: Brian AlexanderPR: Pete PhairFacebook: CeMeNEMBAWebsite: www.cemenemba.org

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20 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

C H A P T E R N E W S

Cancer patients and theirfamilies face many uncertainties including diagno-sis, treatment options and often times, financialconcerns. Trying to figure out how to pay for trans-portation to treatment, prescriptions, supplementsand other essential items can add stress to analready extremely stressful situation. The GeneGillis Fund at Concord Hospital's Payson Centerwas established in 2005 to help families in needwith the "little things" which can make such a bigdifference. Over the years the fund has been ableto help families with out-of-pocket expenses asso-ciated with their treatment, lightening their loadjust a little, and perhaps eliminating one of themany uncertainties they face.

"Pedaling for Payson" is a fundraiser which is theprimary source of money for the Gene Gillis Fund.It has grown consistently over the years, but hasnever before offered an opportunity for mountainbikers to participate.

CNH NEMBA has been working with the Pedalingfor Payson committee to add a mountain bikecourse to this year's event. The mountain bikecourse will feature a mixture of singletrack, woodsroads, and a "rest stop" at the Henniker BrewingCompany. Please join us on Saturday, September13, 2014 to raise money for the Gene Gillis Fundwhile at the same time enjoying the trails in andaround the Elm Brook Park. Following the eventthere will be live entertainment, cookout, and coldbeverages for all participants (reportedly this is thebest post-ride feed in all of New England).Participants are invited to register online atwww.pedalingforpayson.org. For more information,or if you would like to help with the mountain bik-ing event, please contact Nick Holmes [email protected].

Elm Brook Trails

On Sunday, July 13, 2014 members of the Chaptergathered at the Elm Brook Park to work on thetrails in preparation for the Pedaling for Paysonevent. Our efforts focused on reopening CanalStreet, a key trail that links the trail networks inthe eastern and western sections of the parktogether. We installed a boardwalk over the wet-lands in the spillway area, finished clearing thenorthern end of the trail, and provided some TLCto the remainder.

On July 7th we began construction of a new flowtrail at Page Hill. We rented a Kubota KX018 mini-excavator for one month to do the heavy lifting.The project is a major undertaking and has been inthe planning stages for over two years. By the timethis issue hits the stands the trail should be readyfor your tires to come ride it in! Stay tuned formore details in the next issue of SingleTracks.

—Nick Holmes

Central NHPresident: Grant Drew,

[email protected]: Matt BowserVP Franklin Falls: Mike GeldermannVP Great Gains: Christopher SchroederVP Hop-Ev: Nicholas HolmesVP Page Hill: Jesse McGowanVP Ahern: Grant DrewTreasurer: Barry GreenhalghPR Manager: Kevin OrlowskiBOD Reps: Kevin Orlowski, Matt Bowser

Chris Schroeder operating the mini-excavator. Photo by Jesse McGowan

Tom Lepesqueur machining in a berm turn.Photo by Chris Rogers

Grant DrewPhoto by Nick Holmes

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C H A P T E R N E W S

The Happening atHuntington 2014 is in thebooks. While we didn'thave the same big demotrucks as the past, WiltonOutdoor Sports andRidgefield Bicycle Co.stepped up with some greatoptions. Our other spon-sors and NEMBA partnersprovided some awesomeraffle contributions. Thanksto Cycle Center of Stamford, Patagonia ofWestport, Back Country Excursions of Maine,Coyote Hill Mtb Camp, and all of our other shopsand especially to our great volunteers. Everyonehad a blast riding some of the trails that NEMBAhas built, and Stratocaster, the new trail linkingSouth Pond loops to Rock'n'Roll was extremelywell received.

Riding has been great, we started with a wet earlyseason and besides some occasional monsoondownpours, June and July have been stellar for rid-ing. Perfect weekends not too hot or humid forriding, except Wilton Woods which is a naturalsauna and bug haven.

Mike Ahearn and Paula Burton have been busywith Farrington and Waldo build days during theweek, adding more great trail to what FC hasalready put down this year. I think its safe to saywe're lucky to have so many great, and different,riding areas that are well maintained in our littlecorner of New England.

Other work days have seen FC NEMBA volunteerscompleting a reroute at Mianus River Park onNational Trails Day with the Friends of MianusRiver Park and moving some massive rocks withthe local crew at Trumbull. Both areas were fallline and in need of solutions, one required andallowed for an extensive reroute and the otherneeded some de-berming and trail tread enhance-ment to mitigate the fall line. Our next workdayswill kick off again in September, look for anotherbig Farrington Day and a Waldo day to help pushforward those new build/new trail projects, plussome general upkeep and maintenance daysaround the County.

In other news, FC NEMBA has been engaging indiscussion with the Ridgefield ConservationCommission regarding unmarked trails at their

Hemlock and Pine property. The trails are user cre-ated, unapproved by the RCC, and in some casesencroach on sensitive vernal areas. We are active-ly working on proposals to combine, create,reroute, or close both marked and unmarked trailsto meet RCC's conservation goals, while still keep-ing the character and desirability as a great place toride. We appreciate the riding community'spatience to avoid unmarked trails, and the com-munity's eventual help working on trails at NEMBA

work days, as we strive to ensure mountain bikersare viewed as a positive and responsible member ofthe Ridgefield trail using community.

Remember to check Facebook and the website, orNEMBA emails, for regular weekly rides, trail work,and other riding opportunities.

Keep the rubber side down and happy trails.

—Ryan Tucker

Moving huge stones to rock armor a wet section at Trumbull. Photos by Dave Francefort

This trail is not going anywhere!

FairfieldCounty (CT)

President: Ryan Tucker,[email protected], 203-919-9439

VP: Mike AhernSecretary: Mike BurkeTreasurer: David Francefort

At Large: Rich Coffey, ChrisKezckemethy, Kyaeira Tucker

BOD Reps: Ryan Tucker, ChrisKezckemethy

Website: www.fcnemba.org

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22 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

C H A P T E R N E W S

Word for the wise: don't useyour face as a rogue hoe.Other lessons: if the guy infront of you falls rounding atight bend on a ridge, don'tlaugh until you've made itsuccessfully past same tightturn. Final takeaway: ifyou're the ride guide (orsweep) and you have to fall,

do it someplace where your entire group isn'tassembled and watching. End of today's wisdom.

Okay, so where was I? Yeah, riding — the afore-

mentioned fail notwithstanding — has beensuperb these past few weeks in the Greater Bostonarea and beyond. Predominantly dry trails, com-fortable temps, and lots of great people to share

the experience. Our rideseries has been extremelyactive, with rides justabout every weekday, andsometimes two a day.When combined with theofferings from theMerrimack Valley gang,local riders have a pletho-ra of choices to matchevery skill and endurancelevel.

Trail BuildingMost of the activity in thepast month or so hasbeen focused on BeaverBrook North in Waltham.In conjunction with theDCR and the WalthamLand Trust, we've built a1/2 mile climbing trailthat replaces an erodeddirt road that wentstraight up the fall line to

the top of Mackerel Hill (ending at the watertower). The new trail takes full advantage of theterrain, with arcing climbing turns and flowybenches through fern-filled woods. As the firstnew trail in many years built in this friendly park— enjoyed weekly by our Beginner/Novice socialriders — this marks yet another successful collab-oration between GBNEMBA and local land man-agers. Come check it out!

NEMBAFestThe annual NEMBAFest, held on the summer sol-stice weekend at Kingdom Trails in VT, was a phe-nomenal success. Close to 1,500 mountain bikersfrom across the region gathered and enjoyed threeexquisite days of camping, great music, dozens ofvendor offerings, and of course the amazing KTtrails. GBNEMBA was well represented and mem-bers took on leadership roles, organizing and lead-ing group rides and performing volunteer dutiesthat helped make the entire weekend run smooth-ly. And of course we have our own Philip Keyes tothank for his tireless organizing efforts and leader-ship in making this event a weekend to remember.

It's mid-July and GBNEMBA members are postingpics and accounts of rides from some fabulousplaces. Hope you're out there getting yours!

— Bill Cohn

Hanging out at NEMBAfest. Photo by PK

The Redbone’s Bike Party is always a great time! Photo by Adam Glick

The Monday night PYT Ride, co-hosted by Merrimack Valley and GreaterBoston NEMBA is becoming increaslngly popular, especially with post-ride

pizza courtesty of JRA Cycles. Photo by Dan McCormack

Greater BostonPresident: Adam Glick,

[email protected] , 781-354-7845

VPs: Maciej Sobieszek and Rick Forzese

Secretary: Bill CohnTreasurer: Claire Grimble

Website: www.gbnemba.orgfacebook: “GB NEMBA”

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C H A P T E R N E W S

With the Maine summerin full swing, GP NEMBAmembahs are feelinglucky to live and ride herein Vacationland! Thetrails are dry, the beachesare hot, and the water is(still) cold.

Speaking of beaches-fatbikes are wicked fun toride on sand. . .

Our first social event rideand fund raiser-Bikes and Brews-was held on June7, with complete event support provided by GPNEMBA board member Pat Hackleman's company,GearWorks Inc. He and his staff, led by SingletrackSister Deanna Backman, set up and pulled off agreat day for the Chapter. About 50 people turnedout to get guided tours around Portland/Falmouthtrails, and then to enjoy some local beers at RisingTide Brewery. The fact that we had perfect weath-er certainly added to the success and happy vibe ofthis event, which raised several hundred dollars forthe Chapter Trail Project Support Fund. Anotherevent is planned for August 23 based out ofElsmere BBQ in South Portland-learn more athttp://www.gearworksproductions.com/gear-works/bikes-brews

A good chunk of the funds raised at the first Bikesand Brews event wound up getting turned intobridges in Falmouth. Following a successful trailday in Falmouth on June 21, local riders led by JimThibodeau, Mike Monaghan and Erik Mushial wereauthorized by the town to create more than 140feet of bridging to cross a perennially wet area andimprove trail linkages the week after. GP NEMBAwas more than happy to provide a $300 grant tohelp cover the cost of materials.

In other news, GP NEMBA is partnering with theBicycle Coalition of Maine to bring the IMBAInstructor Certification Program to Maine. 4 GPNEMBA board members, 1 Penobscot NEMBAboard member and rider from Presque Isle's MaineWinter Sports Center will be taking the training inearly August in Cape Elizabeth. Stay tuned for ourreview of the training in the next issue.

To learn more about dirty business in the GreaterPortland region, please contact us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on facebook,www.facebook.com/gpnemba, which we updatewhen we're not riding. . . . Remember—keep therubber side down!

—Jim Tasse

Saturday morning novice ride at Yarmouth. Photos by Rob Lavoie

Bikes and Brews fundraiser put on by GearWorks, Inc. Photo by Emily Helliesen

Chris Carlton and a lot of other volunteers came out to help build trail in Falmouth.Photo by Brian Danz

GreaterPortlandPresident: Jim Tasse

Vice President: Andrew Favreau

Treasurer: Emily HelliesenBoard: Brian Danz, Jim Tasse, Caleb

Hemphill, Chris Carleton, PatHackleman, Brian Stearns, MitchWacksman

W: www.greaterportlandnemba.comFacebook: “Greater Portland NEMBA”

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C H A P T E R N E W S

President's MessageThe 2014 riding season is infull swing. Our weekly ridesrolling smoothly. The newpump track line at RussellMill is a big focus for us thisyear. The new line has beenadded and is a work inprogress. A pump track isnever complete. The originalpump track line has pro-gressed over almost 5 yearsto get to where it is today. Thank you to all thathelped on the new pump track line. It will taketime to dial in the line but I can tell you it's a laborof love. We have a large bridge project at GreatBrook State Farm in the works. The bridge work isstated for the Acorn North trail. The material fund-ing is complete and the project planning is underway. Our goal is to complete the project before theMBAS event in September.

Group RidesWe suggest you join our Facebook page to get the

latest info on our scheduled rides. Here’s the line-up.

Monday

The PYT ride at Russell Mill is growing in its secondyear. The ride is co-hosted by GBNEMBA and issponsored by JRA Cycles. The Practice yourTechnique environment is a great way to progressyour skills. Free post-ride pizza courtesy of JRACycles. Ride meeting time is 6:00pm, please beready to ride by 6:15pm.

Tuesday

The Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro Tuesday Night RideSeries is off to a strong start. The ride is anAdvanced Intermediate ride due to pace and ter-rain. The rides are around 16 miles. First wave rollsat 5:00 and loops back to pick up the 6:00 start.

Women's Ride: This ride was created to help easypace female riders to feel comfortable while learn-

ing, and for advanced riders to strengthen theirskills. The rides are all about fun and NO pres-sure...so come ride with us.

We rotate between LDT & RM, every other week.

Start time: 6:00 pm

Friday

The Friday Night ride series at Russell Mill is offand running. We offer an intermediate andadvanced intermediate groups. As the days getlonger, the advance ride will also include a trip toGreat Brook. The long loop can be 20+ miles. Firstwave rolls at 5:00 and loops back to pick up the6:00 start.

Come ride with us!

—Barry Moore

MerrimackValleyPresident: Barry Moore,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Malen AndersonTreasurer: Steve RichardsonEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: MVNEMBA

Web Page: www.nemba.org/mvnemba

Karalyn Gauvin riding the rocks at Rusell MillPhoto by Karen Korza

The Rusell Mill pump tracks is getting pumped up. Photo by Jim Powers

MV NEMBA’s women’s ride has been going stronger and stonger. Photo by Karen Korza

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C H A P T E R N E W S

Midcoast trail builders haveroughed in over two milesof singletrack in the vicinityof Goose River since ourlast update. Our goal is tohave the trails in the GooseRiver zone eventually con-nect to the 5 Brooks trail inthe Ragged MountainPreserve and onward to theexisting connections to theCamden Snow Bowl. Volunteers continue to logcountless hours surveying the terrain to nail downthe perfect trail corridor and have identifiednumerous scenic control points, natural features,and overall 'epicness' all leading to a unique ridingexperience to our already diverse set of trails. Themenu of trails will surely satisfy both entry leveland seasoned riders seeking challenging climbs,buffed out flow, classic New England singletrack,grin inducing descents, with a mixture of technicaltrail features to keep the ride interesting.

Absolutely worthy of mention is that none of thiswould be possible without the hard work going onbehind the trail building scene, meeting with pri-vate landowners to secure permission, not only tofurther expand our trail network, but to tie intosustainable terrain and some of the most interest-ing landscape we've seen in a while. Be sure tovisit Midcoast Maine NEMBA on Facebook to findout how you can contribute to better mountainbiking in the Midcoast and lending support bybecoming a Midcoast NEMBA membah online @nemba.org/join.

Happy trails

— John Anders

Mid CoastMainePresident: John Anders, 207-542-0080,

[email protected] Committee:

Jason Buck, Mike Hartley, Trevor Mills,Kevin Callahan, Jason Derrig, StephenWagner

Treasurer/Secretary: Stephanie SzarkaFacebook: “Midcoast Maine NEMBA”

Kevin Callahan on top of Pleasant Mountain. Photo by John Anders

TimSewall hand splitting cedar decking for the bridge. Photo by John Anders

R i d e t h e T r a i l s ~ S a v e t h e T r a i l sSupport NEMBA to improve Your Ride!

Please support us with your Membershipwww.nemba.org

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26 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

Summer time is great forMountain biking! Ridingafter work in the daylight,and road trips up north onthe weekends, or just enjoy-ing the many miles of singletrack we have on the NorthShore.

Trail workThe final project of thespring was completed onnational trails day at the Norcross site inGloucester. With the help of members of the CapeAnn Trails association North Shore NEMBA con-structed a new entry trail in from Concord Street.The Essex county Greenbelt recently acquired thisproperty, and plans to connect the parcel to theadjacent Tompson Street land via a boardwalk thatwill cross some wetlands. Permitting for the board-walk is underway and the project will most likelymake the fall trail project list.

Several proposals are in the works for new trails atWinnekenni Park in Haverhill. Jeff Wardle has beenworking with the conservation commission and isconfident that approval for a trail day or two willtake place in the fall. A couple of more trails willreally enhance the riding at this location, so staytuned.

Lead ride:Monday's double your pleasure ride at Willowdaleis going well with the novice riders outnumberingthe intermediate ride most weeks in attendance.Fred has at least a half a dozen folks each week,and there is a nice cameraderie growing with thegroup. The intermediate group continues to rollwith a steady pace and friendly chatter.

Thursday night at HP has been meeting regularly.When they are not dodging lightning bolts they aregetting in some good rides lead by Bob Ganley. Bobmixes it up pretty good so you never know whatside of the park he will take the group to.

Howie Granat is now leading a teenage ride eachThursday at Winnekinni, leaving form RiversideCycle in Haverhill, the group is geared to youthwho are interested in mountain bike racing.

Two more Take a Kid Mountain Biking days atMaudslay State Park are scheduled August 9th andOctober 4th this event is geared more towards theyouths 6-16. Plan to bring the kids out for a funride along the Merrimack River.

Chapter meetingsThe June 19th meeting leaving from Tim Willis'shouse was well attended. Ward Reservation isright out the back door and made for a great ride.Thanks for hosting us all these years and enjoyyour new place in NH Tim.

The next meeting will be at Andy Sherman's housein August. A ride at Harold Parker will be followedby a meeting, planning the fall schedule and start-

ing to prepare for the Wicked Ride of the East willbe on the agenda.

—Frank Lane

Trailbuilding on the Norcross Property, with plans to connect to Thomson Street. Photo by Jeff Brown

Dan Streeter riding the SLAB trail in Ascutney VT. Photo by Bob Ganley

North ShorePresident: Frank Lane

president@ns nemba.org,857-265-4756 Vice-President: Tom GreeneTreasurer: Debi Merloni Secretary: Hank KellsBOD Reps: Frank Lane & Hank KellsWicked Ride Chair: Steve CharretteEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: Scott Merloni

www.ns nemba.org

C H A P T E R N E W S

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As you read this, the heartof the riding season will bewell underway. The hot,humid days of June and Julywill have given way to thequintessential summer daysof August and the promiseof the beautiful Fall weatherthat we all yearn for! Timeto clear the schedules andenjoy the best that the 2014 riding season has tooffer.

Our weekly RAW (ride after work) ride series have,despite the many weather related cancellations,assembled some great groups of riders. TheMonday beginner/novice ride continues to lurenew riders into the sport and onto the trails whileat the same time introducing more advanced bikersto new and exciting trails that may not be in thenormal repertoire of singletrack. The Thursdaynight ride has done much the same. Pushing thedistance and speed of more advanced riders whilehaving fun and exploring the vast network of sin-gletrack in the Burlington woods.

Speaking of ride series, many thanks to BrianVibert for starting the kid's rides! Two organizedrides so far and, OMG, how much FUN! Can't thinkof anything more satisfying than shutting downStrava, hanging in the back as sweeper and watch-ing these kids tear it up! Riding ability does notmatter, it's all about enthusiasm on these rides!!

The RAW ride series will continue on Mondays andThursdays through Labor Day and the Kids ridesare planned monthly into the Fall. Be sure to checkour FB page and website for updates and addition-al group rides.

In parting, a shout out to Al Patterson and PeterMartin for their donation of used building materi-als. Every donation small and large helps us main-tain and improve the trail system. Please feel freeto contact us should you have anything that mightcome in handy!

Hope to see you on the trails,

—Jon Regan

Northwest CTPresident: Jon Regan,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Scott Ruel

Treasurer/Secretary: Cara Regan

At Large: Margie BowenWebsite: www.nwctnemba.orgFacebook: “NW CT NEMBA”

C H A P T E R N E W S

NW CT NEMBA is now offering organizerd kids rides and they’re LOTS of fun! Photo by Tricia D.

The Snip and Clip Crew. Photo by Jon R.Kalwat’s in Action. Photo by M. Seery

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28 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

The Pemi-Valley chapter isjust over a month old andwe are all excited to be apart of the NEMBA organi-zation. A small group ofvolunteers have been busytaking care of the chapter'sset up logistics and word ofthe new chapter is spread-ing.

Our first official trail projectis underway in Waterville Valley. This collaborativeeffort with the Waterville Valley Foundation willproduce some new beginner/intermediate ridingalong the Mad River in Waterville. The trail itselfhas been laid out by local riders Butch Simones and

Mike Avery, and will hopefully get groomed out atour first trail night on July 24th. Our goal is tomake the most out of a narrow piece of land, andprovide both new and experienced riders withsome new windy singletrack. In addition to trailwork, the Pemi Valley Chapter has had some intro-ductory dialogue with the National Forest Servicewith regards to a possible working relationship.

If you haven't already, you can join the Pemi ValleyNEMBA Facebook group, or shoot us an email [email protected]. We will make sureto add you to the mailing list. Our next open meet-ing will take place on August 14th at Mad RiverCoffee's Roaster Room in Campton, NH. If you're inthe area feel free to drop by at 6:30, and don't for-get to visit our local bike shops, Rhino Bike Worksin Plymouth and Exit 28 Bikes in Campton.

—Jeremy Hillger

C H A P T E R N E W S

Pemi ValleyPresident: Jeremy Hillger

Vice-President: Mike AveryTreasurer: Sean OLearyFacebook: Pemi Valley NEMBA

The first ride/meeting to discuss forming Pemi Valley NEMBA. Photo by PK

Mike Avery and his kids doing trail work. Photo by Jeremy HillgerButch Simones flagging new singletrack

The Pemi-Valley NEMBA chapter hosted its first trail night up in Waterville Valley. Photo by Jeremy

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C H A P T E R N E W S

The Penobscot Regionchapter has been busy thissummer with the usualrides and trail work.

Kids Skills SeriesNew for us this year isintroducing kids in our areato mountain biking. We'vepartnered with the BangorParks and Recreationdepartment to hold a sixweek series to teach kids aged 8-14 mountain bik-ing skills. Lauren Jacobs leads each hour long ses-sion to include games, time working on specificskills and, of course, going for a trail ride! It's beena lot of fun for everyone involved.

RidesOur chapter continues its tradition of having grouprides, but this season we are adding some varietyto the rides. Emmy Monahan, our organizer of thegroup rides, came up with idea to have our chaptervisit the riding areas of other Maine chapters toexperience the trails systems they have created.

Our first trip was to Carrabassett Valley. The ridewas a huge success with 30 riders participating.We are looking forward to our next trip!

TrailbuildingOf course, what would be a SingleTracks articlewithout talking about trail work? The PenobscotRegion has worked on many projects this year. Inmost riding areas, we have been focusing on main-tenance, repairs and other improvements. Theexception is the new trail system in Dedham wherea trail system is being built over some very difficultand unique terrain. Keith Blanchard is designingand leading the trail building there. Dedham nowhas about 6 miles of singletrack and plenty more inthe works.

—Aaron Brasslett

PenobscotRegionPresident: Aaron Brasslett,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Kris SornbergerTreasurer: Erik DaSilvaSecretary: Lauren JacobsCommunications: Deb MerrillFacebook: PRNEMBAWebsite: pr.nemba.org

PR NEMBA group ride in the Carrabassett Valley. Photo by Jeremy Bousquet

PR NEMBA Kids Ride

PR NEMBA partnered with Bangor Parks & Rec toput on a series of Kids Skills Clinics.

Photo by Lauren Jacombs

Trail and bridge building at Dedham. Photo by Craig MacDonald

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30 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

Just a quick update from thePioneer Valley. Between rid-ing, racing, trail work, WorldCup and Tour de Francethere's not much time forwriting!

June was a great weathermonth, and the trails arepicked up and riding well.

Here are some abstracts of what has been goingon:

• Work has started on a new opportunity onGirl Scout property in Greenfield to rehabili-tate some old trails led by members RuthGemperlein, Mike Akrep and Bob Perry fromBicycles and Skis Unlimited. It may becomeone of our first true beginner's loops andcould be an attractive destination for ournew and younger riders.

• We are also currently out preparing thetrails in Wendell for our annual KONABicycles MTB Adventure ride in Wendell SFJuly 20th.

• Many members took part in the annual Red,White and Blue ride held after the Fourth ofJuly and coordinated by Steffi Krug and Bob

Perry. Good riding along the Greenfield Ridgeand good grilling afterwards by Chef HaroldGreen. Event hosted by Bike Bob at Bicyclesand Skis Unlimited.

This is also vacation time so many members havebeen out travelling.

• John Friends and John Taylor travelled toBrazil for the World Cup and put in somegood miles along the Estrada Real. The RoyalRoad - or Estrada Real - is an extensive net-work of colonial-era roads - among the old-est in the Americas - that go through theheart of Brazil along some of the most sce-nic landscapes on earth.

• Ruth Gemperlein and Mike Akrep both gotsome trail miles in Montana. Montana isknown to have some of the best riding in thecountry.

• Chris Koh travelled cross country bikingalong the way.

• Many members traveled to the NortheastKingdom for NEMBAFEST and all reportsindicate that it was a huge success and agreat time was had by all.

• I travelled to New Hampshire for ThePinnacle mtb race which was my first on asinglespeed. A great event and we had 6members of the NEMBA race team out onthe course and coach Kevin O manning thetent.

Well, sorry so short but I gotta run! The Tour is on!

—Marc Lombard

C H A P T E R N E W S

PioneerValleyPresident: Marc Lombard,

[email protected], 413-834-5686

VP - Chris Koh, Steffi KrugTreasurer/Secretary: Harold Green

Board Members: Mike Akrep, SeanCondon, Ruth Gemperlein, John Keiler,Jack Rice

BOD Reps: Harold Green & Marc LombardEmail List: mtb-

[email protected]: www.pvnemba.orgFacebook & YouTube: PV NEMBAWebpage: www.nemba.org/pvnemba Mike Akrep gets down to it working the handsaw in

Wendell State ForestWayne Holden hauls in the tools as only a mountain

biker can!

Members of the NEMBA Race Team at The PinnacleMTB Race, Newport NH

Many happy faces at the start of the annual PVNEMBA Red, White and Blue ride hosted by Bicycles and Skis Unlimited.

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Things are in full swing herein RI. The weather has beengenerally cooperating andthe riding opportunities havebeen plentiful. The usualweekly rides at each parkhave been well attended andthe events have been fantas-tic. NEMBAFest was a blast-every year it gets better andbetter. But even if you werenot able to make it that farNorth- we have had some pretty sweet events inour state.

The Big River Fun Ride was fantastic- great weath-er, great food and great people. Around 150 peo-ple showed up to ride the arrowed loop, and I can

say from experience what a great time it was. TheDiamond Hill Fun Ride saw an even larger groupshow up- 180 people to check out and enjoy allthat a dedicated group of people that have put inso much effort have been able to accomplish insuch a short time. Donations were accepted forthe pump track project- which will lead to 160yards of dirt. If you are looking to get involved inanything going on up there- check out the FB pageand we can connect you. We love it when peopleshow up and ride- but it is always appreciatedwhen riders donate time to improve the trails orvolunteer to staff fun rides. The regular volunteersalso like to turn the pedals, too- give them a breakand the chance to take an event off and RIDE!

Speaking of volunteering- Cap'n John has initiateda program whereby any NEMBA member who vol-unteers their time at a NEMBA event will get a raf-fle ticket. At the annual holiday party we will raf-fle off 2 (two) very generous shop gift certificatescourtesy of Blackstone Bicycles. With the ArcadiaFun Ride coming up in September and a large trailproject on tap in Burlingame as a few examples-there will be plenty of opportunities to contribute.Swing on by a monthly meeting or throw your hatin the ring on the Facebook page. This is yourgroup, your state and your trails. It is a great feel-ing to make them something that all user groupscan benefit from.

—Matt Schulde

C H A P T E R N E W S

The Diamond Hill Fun Ride raised funds to build a pump track. Photo by Chris Nichols

Mike Iafrate getting his pump on at Diamond Hill. Photo by Chris Nichols

Rhode IslandPresident: John Sumner,

[email protected]

VP Arcadia: Bart Angelo

VP Big River: Alan Winsor

VP Burlingame: Lennon Schroeder

VP Diamond Hill: Chris Nichols

VP Lincoln Woods: Brendan Dee

VP Prudence Island: Peter Gengler

VP Washington SF: Adam Brule

VP Wheetamoe Woods: Nancy Hughes

Treasurer: Kerry Angelo

Secretary: Wayne Asselin

NEMBA BOD Rep: Matt Schulde

NEMBA BOD Rep: Peter Gengler

Email List: [email protected]

Websie: RINEMBA.org

Facebook: RI NEMBA

Webpage: www.nemba.org/rinemba

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Let me start by saying thatNEMBAFest was BLAST!

The weather was perfect,riding was great of course.But just getting some chap-ter members together for acouple of days to ride,harass, share bike storiesaround the campfire, laugh,yeehaw, barbecue and oth-erwise inspire each otherand qualify why we dowhat we do on and off the bike. Sorta like a retreat,right? Was for me! And many others I'm sure.

The highlight of NEMBAFest for the chapter wasthe barbecue. Getting 25-30 people together andenjoying some good eats and a few cold beers aftera long day of riding= priceless. So if you werethere and enjoyed the food, or missed it and justneed a couple of really good summer recipes, wedecided to share them with everyone. Here theyare in the order in which they were enjoyed.

Dave Farrell's Watermelon SaladIngredients——(this is a family size portion)

1-2lb seedless watermelon

2 cups of chopped English Cucumber3/4 of minced red onion2 cloves of fresh garlic2 scallions chopped 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro1/4 cup of fresh mint1 Cup of Feta Cheese1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar (I use a Fig

White Wine Vinegar)1/4 of Lime of Lime JuiceSalt & pepper for taste

Preparation:

This takes like 10 minutes to assemble..........justchop the watermelon into 1 inch blocks, De-Seedthe cucumber and chop into small pieces, scallionschop into 1/4 pieces, then mince the cilantro,mint, garlic and red onion......add oil, feta, vinegar,and lime juice.

After this great summer salad we enjoyed sirloinsteaks which had been marinated with aNicaraguan-style parsley pesto, called Chimichurri.We also enjoyed the Chimichurri as a condimentwith the beef, along with White Balsamic Vidalias,Chopped Jalapeño and Chipotles en Adobostraight out of the can. All wrapped up in a self-served tortilla station.

The White Balsamic Vidalias:Just that. Thin sliced Vidalia Onions (use a man-doline if you have one), White Balsamic Vinegar,and a little Kosher Salt. Add some Crushed RedPepper if you want. Best enjoyed soon after mari-

nating for 30 minutes.

Chimichurri:Ingredients:

4 bunches flat parsley4 cloves garlic1 jalapeno, with about halfthe seeds1 cup approximately extra

virgin olive oil (evoo)2 tsp kosher salt

Preparation:

Cut the parsley just abovethe rubber band or twist

tie.

Wash in a generously sized bowl, lifting the pars-ley out and discarding the water, as many times asnecessary to wash out all of the dirt or sand thatsettles in the bottom of the bowl. Make sure theparsley is clean—you don't want a grittychimichurri. Dry the parsley very well, either byrolling in paper towels or in a salad spinner.

Place parsley in the food processor with the garlic,jalapeno, and salt. Turn on and drizzle in the evoountil a nice smooth paste is formed.

That's it! Use right away or keep in the fridge for aweek or more with an additional small amount ofevoo on top, and plastic wrap pressed down on topof that.

Recently, I tossed some chimichurri with choppedromaine, fresh mozzarella, and cooked kamut, for alight salad, with a pork chop. TraditionallyChimichurri also contains vinegar, but I omit thatand instead add vinegar as needed….Use yourimagination, it pairs up well with lots of differentfoods....

Super 8 Ride Series DatesIn other SEMass Chapter news, the remainderSuper8 Ride series is coming up to round out theyear. Dates are as follows:

August 17—Borderland State Park

September 28-Ames Nowell State Park

October 5-Massasoit State Park

November 2-Adams Farm

November 28-'Turkey Burner' Brunch Ride-Foxboro

December 14-Blue Hills 'Toys' Ride

Stay tuned to the SEMass NEMBA Facebook pageand website( on NEMBA.org ) for details, updatesor changes to these rides.

—Steve Cobble

32 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

C H A P T E R N E W S

SE MassPresident: Steve Cobble,

[email protected], 781-254-8796Treasurer: Rich Higgins VPs:Ames Nowell: Malcolm NeilsonBlue Hills: Joe SloaneBorderland: Rich HigginsBraintree Town: John DohertyCarolina Hills: Jack StorerCutler Park: Chip Baker Duxbury: Dave WaleckaFoxboro/Wrentham: Brad ChildsFranklin: Jan Hubbell

Massasoit: John BaileyMyles Standish: Tim ScholzSE MA Bioreserve: Jason BerubeWompatuck: Dave FarrellSecretary: Rich HigginsFacebook: “SE MA NEMBA”

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C H A P T E R N E W S

Well, as of the last issue, wewere working with the LymeLand Trust Conservation(LLCT) to get the Tour DeLyme up and running. OnMay 20th it went off withunexpected great results.There was original ideas of200+ riders, and at the dayof the event they actuallycame just short of 600 rid-ers participating in theevent. That's a LOT of bikes!

The roadies far out weighed the MTB'ers but therewas still a rather good showing and everyoneseemed to really have fun! There were a few com-

ments (we need to do a mid length/paced ride nextyear as the route was a bit tough and long formany) but all in all it went well. I'm hoping to geta LOT more trail riders next year, May 17th 2015.Mark your calendars! LLCT was very appreciativeof SECT NEMBA's help and actually gave us a $100grant/check to help get our new chapter movingalong. Thanks Lyme Land Trust Conservation!!

Everyone has been really busy with regular life sothere isn't much going on other than just riding inthe area. Our next big event with the help ofCentral Connecticut's Chapter (CCT NEMBA) isgoing to be the Kona/NEMBA Mt Bike AdventureSeries on August 17th, 2014 at Bluff Point StatePark, in Groton, Connecticut. No better place toride during the sweltering heat of the summer than

right on the shoreline surrounded by water and anice sea breeze. It should be happening a few daysafter you get this issue of SingleTracks so make aday of it and come on down, It's going to be a goodtime.

Our Wednesday "Ride After Work" has been goingon now for a while. Posted on Facebook where andwhen but usually happens at Bluff Point so take alook and join in.

More activities are in the planning stage for the fallwhen things slow down a bit, trail work parties,rides and other events are all going to be happen-ing so come by the CT shoreline and ride your bike.

—Thom Lamourine

SE CT NEMBAPresident: Thom Lamourine,

[email protected]

Vice-President: Mickey Gilland

Treasurer: Andy Bennett

Secretary: Tad Fallon Facebook: “Southeastern CT NEMBA”Webpage: www.nemba.org/sectnemba

Tour De Lyme, MTB group just before heading out...

CCT NEMBA's VP, Cory Stiff and SECT NEMBA's Treasurer Andy Bennett right behind him heading outafter the main group to sweep the trails during the Tour de Lyme.

Brushing out Bluff Point.

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34 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

RidesSo it is mid-season and weare hitting the trails almostevery day of the week. Thisis what this sport is allabout. Our chapter is put-ting on more group ridesthan ever before. Hopefullyyou’re getting out as muchas you would like. Thanksto all of the trail stewards itseems that everything isriding great this year. I would also like to thankeveryone that has come out to a trail day orpitched in at their local ride spot.

NEMBAfestIn a word... PERFECTION. The days were warm,the nights were cool and great for tent camping.The trails were prime and everyone was smiling. Ican't recall a weekend when I had more fun on abike. The pavilion had almost every bike companyyou could think of and it seemed like it was alwayshopping under the tents, then you went out in thetrails and hardly saw anyone. I guess 100 miles oftrails can really swallow up the riders. The newaddition to Kingdom Trails this year was Mike's TikiBar and the VT Food Truck, it was really the cherryon top of an already fantastic place. This year theweather and people made it a truly memorableevent. In the weeks since the event people aretalking about the significant trail improvementsthe KT trail crew did this year and going back asmany weekends as possible. Don't miss the festnext year!

Bear Brook State ParkI know it seems like we put a lot of focus on thisone "ride spot" for Southern NH but it’s becauseevery chapter meeting we have BBSP comes up asthe ride spot with the most potential for improve-ment and big ride mileage... So we keep workinghard with the state. The recent meetings have paidoff too, because the state has decided to let us re-open and reroute the lower Bear Brook trail. Itshould improve an already good end to a lot ofrides.

Come ride with us soon.

—Matt Caron

SouthernNew HampshirePresident: Matt Caron,

[email protected], 603-321-8736VP: Dan SloanSecretary: Laurie HarriganTreasurer: Norrie KnottTrail Advisor: Peter DeSantisEmail list: [email protected]: Southern NH NEMBAWebpage: www.nemba.org/snhnemba

C H A P T E R N E W S

Dan Sloan, Michelle and Dale Turcotte riding Franklin Falls Dam.

Trailbuilding at the Greens Pond trails in Merrimack, across from Horse Hill. Photo by Kai Troester

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Summer is cranking alongand before we know it our14th annual trail buildingweekend at the end of Julywill be in the record booksand a lot of good work willbe done. This year ourfocus will be on lands withnewly signed agreementsthanks to CranmoreMountain. These werefinalized in conjunctionwith the Mount Washington Valley TrailAssociation, a local non-profit we have workedwith to sign some long term trail agreements. Thebig new highlight on the Cranmore lands is theKettle Ridge Trail which will see some tools to dirton our big July weekend.

Another worthwhile effort is supporting ourfriends at the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust(USVLT) on the Mount Surprise Project. USVLT isworking to secure an easement adjacent to otherprotected properties rich in recreational historyreaching back 100 years. Once the easements arein place the multi-use trails, including hiking andskiing, will be protected for future possibilities. Fordetails about supporting this effort go tohttp://www.usvlt.org/mt-surprise.

Our Albany Town Forest 300 acre trail project hassettled in nicely and was recently covered as a fea-ture destination for summer fun in New Hampshiremagazine as one of the best places for adventure.Although not exactly white knuckle terrain, ifyou're looking to get the whole family out for a bitfun we would agree it's great. Check it out athttp://www.nhmagazine.com/July-2014/Best-of-NH-2014-Fun-and-Adventure

White Mountains NEMBA typically provides over400 volunteer hours each year to trail building andmaintenance. Our trail work schedule can be foundat the chapter web site, www.wmnemba.org .Please consider coming out after work on anyTuesday evening to help out. Work sites will belisted on the "TNT" page of the website. So far thisseason we have completed some good work on theRed Tail trail, Lower Stoney Ridge trail, and Bogbridging/board"walking" (otherwise known as high-speed turnpiking for us mountain bikers) on theHigh School Loop to deal with handy water worksome new beavers have created.

We are still looking for volunteer stewards to beresponsible for basic maintenance (primarilydrainage work, pruning and small blowdownremoval). Please consider adopting your favoritetrail or one close to home. You will not be tasked

with doing everything - if a trail warrants a full trailday or a Tuesday night tweak we can schedule it in.

As always, we needadditional help with themany projects we havegoing, including manynon- dirty work likecommunity building,leading rides, etc. Wealso hope you'll comeout and join us for ourmost successfulfundraiser of the year atFlatbread pizza in NorthConway Village inAugust. Please checkfor project updates,

events and activities at www.wmnemba.org andcome join us. —Chris Joonen

C H A P T E R N E W S

WM NEMBA 4th of July Group Ride

Jana Johnson, a NEMBA Trail Hero for 2013, gives a trail tool skills workshop before crews get out andget dirty

WhiteMountainsPresident: Rob Adair,

[email protected], 603-496-5853

VP: Chris JoosenTreasurer: Phil Ostroski Secretary: Paula ChurchillWebsite: www.wmnemba.org

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36 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

Central, Wachusett & Western Mass Mondays Pittsfield SF Beginner-Expert Brad Herder [email protected]

Wednesdays Robinson SP, Agawam All Trevor Emond 413-789-0123

Saturdays Hawley Ride or Charlemont Work All Harold Green [email protected]

Saturdays Notch Visitors Ctr, Hadley Intermediate Kris Wyman [email protected]

Sundays Rutland State Park All Renee Gregoire [email protected] 774-200-0177

Sundays Leominster SF All Jim Wrightson [email protected] 978-852-4800

ConnecticutMondays Mianus River Park Beginner Ryan Tucker [email protected]

Tuesdays Trumbull Women Paula Burton [email protected] (WOMEN) Until

August 30

Alternate Tuesdays TBD, Eastern CT Beginner-Intemediate Alan Tinti [email protected] 860-368-9109

Wednesdays Wilton Woods Intermediate T/FR Ryan Tucker [email protected]

Sundays W. Hartford Res. Intermediate-Adv. Charlie Beristain [email protected] 860-521-7188

Maine, New Hampshire & VermontMondays Greater Portland Area All Mike Davies [email protected] 207-878-8741

Mondays Brattleboro, VT Intermediate Paul Rodrigue [email protected]

NEMBA rides are led by individual NEMBA members for other mem-bers and prospective members. So if you haven't yet joined NEMBA,please do. Rides are usually for small numbers of people and vary withthe location and the personal style of the host. Rides have beenknown to change location or time at the last moment. So be sure tocontact the ride's leader, both to sign up, and to find out more aboutthe ride. **Be sure to contact the ride leader a couple of days beforethe ride takes place. That way you will be sure that the ride is on.

If you commit to a ride, go, since space is limited. That way the rideswill stay manageable and will be enjoyable for everyone. Helmets arerequired on all NEMBA rides. Contact your ride's leader if the weath-er looks questionable.

HEY! - Why not lead a NEMBA ride yourself? Contact Bill Boles at508-583-0067 or [email protected] for more information.

The following ride categories are only general guidelines. You shouldask the ride's leader exactly what type of ride he or she is planning interms of distance, pace and technicality. Also, be realistic about yourlevel of riding skills and don't join a ride that is beyond your presentability or fitness level.

MBA Kona Bicycles-Fox Shox MTB Adventure Seriesride. 10-20 miles. A ride on a marked course for allability levels. Normally includes short and longloops. Call for more information.

EFTA/NEMBA 10-25 miles. Marked loops for all ability levels.Normally includes multiple loops. Call for moreinformation.

Kids/Family 2-10 miles, usually easy pace & terrain. Theserides are aimed at parents with young children.

Beginner 2-7 miles, easy terrain, easy pace. These rides areaimed at riders with little or no riding experience.

Novice 4-9 miles, mellow pace, easy terrain, frequentstops.

Advanced Novice6-10 miles, mellow pace, either mostly easy ter-rain, or could be technical terrain done slowly, fre-quent stops.

Intermediate 10-20 miles, moderately technical, somewhatfaster pace, occasional stops and bail out points.Intermediate rides are designed for people whoride frequently, and have some skills, but whoprobably don't enter races.

Advanced Intermediate The same as intermediate, except fasterand harder terrain.

Advanced 20-30 miles, high technical difficulty, fast pace,few stops or chances to bail out. These rides areintended for advanced riders or, racers who wouldlike to go for a challenging ride at less than all outrace pace.

Women's Ride Can be any level of difficulty. Call for more infor-mation.

NEMBA Rides

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Tuesdays Southern NH Beginner-Intermediate Matt Caron [email protected]

Tuesdays Milford, NH Advanced Beg-Inter. Bob [email protected] 603-320-8949

Alt Tuesdays Page Hill, Hill, NH Ride/Trailwork Jesse McGowan [email protected] 603-581-41-04

Wednesdays TBD, NH Intermediate Peter DeSantis [email protected] 603-493-4779

Wednesdays Portland, ME Area Women Katrina Zalenski [email protected]

Wednesdays TBD, Central ME Brian Alexander [email protected]

Thursdays Gorham, ME All Gorham Bike and Ski [email protected]

Thursdays TBD, Central NH Intermediate Matt Bowser [email protected] 603-491-5448

Saturdays Bradbury SP, Pownal, ME All Brian Danz www.gpnemba.com [email protected]

Sundays TBD, Southern NH Advanced Inter Peter DeSantis [email protected] 603-493-4779

Sundays TBD, Southern NH All (SS) Jason Gagnon [email protected] 603-781-2640

Metro Boston, Merrimack & North ShoreMondays Willowdale Meadow Advanced Novice-Intermediate Frank Lane [email protected]

Tuesdays Lynn Woods Women Tina Dwan [email protected] 781-258-8254

Tuesdays Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro SF Intermediate Lionel Chapman [email protected]

Tuesdays Russell Mill, Chelmsford Adv. Beginner-Intermediate David Zizza [email protected]

Thursdays Great Brook Farm, Carlisle Adv. Beginner-Intermediate David Zizza [email protected]

Thursdays TBD Skills All Barry Moore [email protected]

Fridays Russell Mill, Chelmsford Intermediate Stuart Mcdonald [email protected]

Saturdays TBD Adv. Beginner-Intermediate David Zizza [email protected]

Oct 15th Women's Clinics Ride Like A Girl Series Highland Mountain Bike Park http://www.gbnemba.org/

Southeastern Mass. Blackstone Valley & Rhode IslandSundays Lincoln Woods, RI Beginner-Intermediate Leo Corrigan [email protected]

Mondays Lincoln Woods, RI Intermediate Brendan Dee [email protected]

Tuesdays TBD - RI Advanced Jim Grimley [email protected] 401-732-6390

Tuesdays Foxboro SF Mellow-Recovery Iian Crerar [email protected]

Wednesdays Duxbury Town Forest Women Beth Mills [email protected]

Wednesdays Blackstone Valley, TBD All Eammon Carleton [email protected]

Wednesdays Burlingame, RI Adv Beg-Intermediate Lennon Schroeder [email protected] 401-212-6694

Wednesdays TBD, SE Mass. Intermediate Bill Boles [email protected] 508-583-0067

First Thursdays Foxboro SF Intermediate Ian Crerar [email protected]

Thursdays Foxboro SF Intermediate Ian Crerar [email protected]

First Thursdays Vietnam, Milford MA T/FR/Skills Eammon Carleton [email protected]

Thursdays Big River, RI Relaxed-Advanced Alan Winsor [email protected]

Fridays Blue Hills Intermediate Steve Cobble [email protected]

Saturdays Wompatuck SP, Hingham Richard Banks Adv. Beginner & Kids [email protected]

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38 |September 2014 Ride the Trails

S.O.S.: Support Our Sponsors!$1000+Ace Wheelworks, Somerville MABelmont Wheel Works, Belmont MABikebarn, Whitman MAInternational Bicycle Center, NewtonLandry’s Bicycles, Natick MAKona Bicycles, Fernsdale WARedbones BBQ, Somerville MASeven Cycles, Watertown MATed Wojcik Bicycles, Hampstead NHThe Bikeway Source, Bedford MA

$500+JRA Cycles, Medford MASpark Bike Run Sports, E. Taunton MA

$200+Allspeed Cyclery, Portland MEBack Bay Bicycles, Boston MABlackstone Bicycles, Cumberland RICycle Etc of Salem, Salem NHGorham Bike & Ski, Portland MEHub Bicycle Co., Cambridge MAMavic USA, Haverill MANortheast Bicycle Club, Billerica MARidgefield Bicycle Company, Ridgefield CT

Souhegan Cycleworks, Mildford NHThe Bicycle Shop of Topsfield, Topsfield MA

$100Arcadian Shop, Lenox MABenidorm Bikes & Snowboards, Canton CTBerger’s Bike Shop, York MEBerkshire Bike & Board, Gt. Barrington MABethel Bicycle, Bethel MEBicycles Unlimited, Greenfield MABlue Steel Cyclery, Manchester NHBretton Woods Adventure Center, NHColorado Ski & Bike, W. Springfield MACycle Lodge, Pembroke MACycle Loft, Burlington MACycling & Fitness Concepts, Rocky Hill CTExeter Bicycles, Exeter NHFriends of Wompatuck SP, Hingham MAGoodale’s Bike Shop, Concord NHGoodale’s Bike Shop, Hooksett NHGoodale’s Bike Shop, Nashua NHGreat Glen Trails Outdoor Center, Gorham NHJaneware Micro, Somerville MAKaishingo Apparel, Somerville MALegend Bicycles, Providence RIMaine Huts & Trails, Kingsfield MENorm’s Bike & Ski Shop, Keene NH

Northern Lights, Farmington MEO'LYN Contractors, Norwood MAPedal Power, Middleton CTPedro’s NA, Boston MAPlaine’s Bike Ski Snowboard, Pittsfield MARiverside Cycles, Newburyport MARolling In It, Milford NHRose Bicycle, Orono MESailworld Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay MASea Sports Cape Cod, Hyannis MASheldonville Bicycle Repair, Wrentham MASki Rack Sports, Bangor METrek Bicycles Portsmouth, Portsmouth NHTri-City Bicycles, Rochester NHUnion Cycles, Attleboro MAWheel Power, Exeter NHWoody's Cyclery, Middleton MAZane’s Cycles, Branford CT

$75Highland Mountain Bike Park, Northfield NHMountain Biking School, Needham MASinuosity Flowing Trails, Morrisville VTStratham Parks & Recreation, Stratham NH

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Save the Trails SingleTrackS No. 135 | 39

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