International Mountain Bike Association holds Workshop
Representatives from the 10th Mtn Ski Club of Fort Kent, and the Four Seasons Trail Association of Madawaska attended a multi-use trail building workshop in the greater Portland area.
Mountain Bike Enthusiasts from the St. John Valley Volunteer in Southern Maine
Falmouth, ME
5/29/10
Over the holiday weekend, despite the call of family BBQ’s and trips to the lake, representatives from the 10th Mtn Ski Club of Fort Kent, and the Four Seasons Trail Association of Madawaska attended a multi-use trail building workshop in the greater Portland area.
The workshop, lead by an IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) Trail Care Crew, focused on sustainable trail design and construction techniques. The session included a three-hour classroom session followed by an afternoon of hands-on education in the Falmouth woods. Jeff Dubis of 10th Mtn and Mark Dionne of FSTA were joined by development coaches Seth Hubbard and Mike Smith of the Maine Winter Sports Center, as well as 30+ mountain bikers from the Southern Maine area.
Applauded for making the long trip, the efforts of the crew from the St. John Valley helped build a beautiful piece of singletrack for trail-enthusiasts in the Falmouth area. As part of the trip the gentlemen were also ventured out on a mountain bike ride through the trails at Bradbury Mountain State Park, in Pownal. These trails have gained recognition as one the premier mountain bike destinations in the state of Maine and provided plenty of discussion for the travelling volunteers.
This trip marked the beginning of what will be a busy summer season of building and riding in the St. John Valley. The 10th Mtn Ski Club begins construction this month on a new system of singletrack trails that will accommodate hikers, runners, mountain bikers and snowshoers. The multi-use trails at the Four Seasons Lodge in Madawaska, already in use, will see maintenance and modification over the summer months. Both areas will now benefit from the experience and knowledge brought back by their local riders and volunteers.
For more information on trail activities at both of these clubs check out their respective websites:
Four Seasons Trail Association – www.fourseasonstrail.org