International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) Subaru/ IMBA Trail Care Crew is coming to Grass Valley and teaming up with Bear Yuba Land Trust to teach people proper trail building technique during a free two day training session in April.
The visit, scheduled for Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, is one of about 40 stops on the 2015 schedule open to anyone interested in trail building.
The award-winning Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program includes two full-time professional teams of trail experts who travel North America year-round, leading IMBA Trail building Schools, meeting with government officials and land managers and working with IMBA-affiliated groups to improve local mountain biking opportunities. IMBA’s crews have led more than 1,000 trail projects since the program debuted in 1997.
The event will kick off with an evening presentation, “Better Living Through Trails” held at 5 p.m. Friday, April 3 at the historic North Star House, 12075 Auburn Road in Grass Valley.
The presentation will explore the positive relationships between communities and their trail systems. As community assets, trails can improve quality of life and attract significant tourism dollars. Participants will learn how to effectively market quality trails and turn them into visitor destinations.
Key topics of the discussion will include: Case studies; the economic, health and wellness benefits trails bring to an area; the value of single track trails; economics of single track trails; and the fundamentals of building community and destination trails. The following day, IMBA will lead a trail building school from 9 a.m. to noon (lunch included) at the North Star House. Students will learn about trail building theory, essential elements of sustainable trails, how to design and construct a trail and how to re-route and reclaim a trail.
In the afternoon, participants will venture to Upper Miner’s Trail off Highway 20 for trail work from 1 to 5 p.m. Participants must attend the morning classroom session to participate in the field project. Wear pants, closed-toe shoes, a hat, gloves and bring water.
The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program has inspired volunteer trail work across the U.S. and abroad helping government agencies and land managers with limited funding to build trails and keep them maintained. As a direct result, there are now thousands of new and improved trails in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and several European countries.
The Trail Care Crews teach “sustainable” trail building resulting in trails that last with minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment and enhances visitor enjoyment for years to come.
All are welcome to join the Subaru/ IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders when they come to town. For more information and to register for the IMBA Trail building School:
www.bylt.org; shaun@bylt.org; 272-5994 x 201
Or: https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?id=507&reset=1
About the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for mountain bikers worldwide. Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, cooperation among trail user groups, grassroots advocacy and innovative trail management solutions.
IMBA’s worldwide network includes 35,000 individual members, more than 100 chapters, 750 bicycle clubs, more than 160 corporate partners and about 600 retailer shops. IMBA’s members live in all 50 U.S. states, most Canadian provinces and in 30 other countries. For more information visit www.IMBA.com.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes all-wheel drive Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru of America, Inc., is the only car company that offers symmetrical all-wheel drive as standard equipment on every vehicle in its product line. Subaru has been the best-selling import wagon in America for the past 20 years, based on R.L. Polk & Company new vehicle retail registration statistics calendar year-end 2002.
About Bear Yuba Land Trust
Bear Yuba Land Trust is a community-supported nonprofit group that saves land, builds trails and offers programs to get people outdoors and appreciate nature in the Bear and Yuba watersheds of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Volunteers are the heart of BYLT’s success. To date, BYLT has built and maintains 19 trails, extending 35 miles. The first segment of the Yuba Rim Trail on Rice’s Crossing Preserve will be opened to the public on April 18. Learn more at: www.bylt.org.