A team of national experts on building mountain bike trails that are soft on the land and don’t conflict with other park users is in Duluth this week to help design sustainable trails.
The International Mountain Bike Association’s “Trail Care Crew” is stopping in Duluth as part of a national tour to teach about sustainable trail design and construction, signage, drainage, trail reclamation, rerouting poor trails and fostering local involvement.
And the event won’t just be in the classroom, said Hansi Johnson of Carlton, Midwest regional director of the association. The trail design experts will join local bike club members and get their hands dirty rerouting part of the eroded “blown-out” bike trails in Hartley Nature Center.
“We’re going to go out and see how they handle some actual problem areas. It will be a great chance to learn from the best,” Johnson said.
Courtland Nelson, head of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Parks and Trails Division, is scheduled to attend the seminar to talk about the state’s effort to improve access to mountain bike trails as a way to bring more young people into the outdoors.
“I think this sport just keeps growing. You see more cyclists on the road and in the woods,” said Chris White, a member of the local mountain bike group COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumme Shores), which has about 250 members.
White sees this week’s event helping local cyclists who are planning a more than 50-mile mountain bike trail across the city of Duluth connecting popular riding areas at Mont du Lac, Spirit Mountain, Brewer’s Park, Piedmont Heights, Hartley Nature Center and Lester Park.
Johnson said it could take a decade or more to link existing trails and create the “Grand Traverse” trail across town. But he said bringing local mountain bike club members, land managers and trail experts together this week could help speed that process up.
“Duluth already has a (mountain bike) trail system that’s really unprecedented for an urban area. What we want to do is connect the dots so kids and (mountain bike enthusiasts) can get on in their neighborhood and go,” Johnson said.
White said the local club finally has secured support from city officials, including Mayor Don Ness, who is scheduled to attend this week’s event. State and federal trail funding might be available.
“The key is not only to make the trails sustainable so they aren’t trashing the hillside, but also keep them separate from other recreationists out there so we don’t have conflicts,” White said. “If we can do that, we’ll gain everyone’s support. … I see Duluth becoming a destination city for mountain biking because of what we have to offer in terrain and scenery and other activities.”
Since 1997, IMBA trail-building schools have taught more than 150,000 people, including land managers who decide if and where trails can be built, how to build durable, fun trails.
The Duluth event starts this evening at The Suites Hotel in Canal Park, includes a seminar for land managers on Friday and actual trail building and improvements on Saturday, with a group ride set for Sunday.
