Gold Country Trails - Unifying the Trails Community

RECAP: BONC Trail Day at Hirschman's

2012-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

I am always impressed with the skill that BONC volunteers bring to local trail projects. We have some serious talent within our ranks and it was on display Saturday at Hirschman's Trail.

About 15 of us rebuilt the first three switchbacks on the northwest end of the trail. We increased the radius of these turns such that they are more navigable and enjoyable to cyclists. Be sure to check it out. We built berms by excavating the uphill side and installing rock cribbing on the downhill side. The soil was almost perfect, though the rocks were just as heavy as always :-)

Additionally, Bill Haire and Terry Hundemer laid gravel at both approaches to a bridge where the soil had settled.

A big thank you to Bill Haire and the Land Trust for supporting this effort. My hope is that this is just the first of many BONC trail days at Hirschman's where we do similar work. We ride this trail frequently and it feels great to help improve such an important community asset so close to home.

Pictures.

Trails on a Different Kind of Bike

2012-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I poked around on local Grass Valley trails on my first ride ever on a cyclocross bike. I bought this ride some time ago, but the amazing weather kept me riding my mountain bikes thus far this winter.

I kept my expectations in check. I've logged countless hours on both road and mountain bikes, but had no idea how this contraption would fare on either the road or trail. On pavement, it performed exactly like a road rig: fast, efficient and smooth.

On the trail... well, it was strange. It worked much better than I expected, providing great traction and steering. On the technical sections, not some much. But I think this is the point of a cross bike on trails: it makes sections we might find unremarkable on a mountain bike challenging, even very challenging. Thing is, I can't rip on a rocky section with 5" of comfy suspension. I have to rely on what skills and tenacity I have.

This bike makes a worthy addition to my quiver. Like my singlespeed, it isn't an every day ride, but something I pull out when I want to push myself. Soon I plan to explore many of the endless fireroads we are blessed with in Nevada County. Want to join me?

Auburn Gala Ride - 2/4

2012-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Join BONC and FATRAC as we ride the Forest Hill Divide loop at Auburn State Rec Area! This route features some of the great singletrack FATRAC has built and maintained for many years. No Rider Left Behind! Everyone from racers to beginners are welcome.

Meet Saturday 2/4 @ 10AM at the trailhead parking off Foresthill Road near Drivers Flat. Map. Hope you can join us!

Grouse Ridge 2012 - Save the Date!

2012-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

BONC and IMBA will host a BIG trail event at Grouse Ridge on September 15-16th. We hope draw a big crowd of volunteers to improve this outstanding trail system. Objectives include:

Taking out ALL of the downed trees blocking important trails

Re-route of the Lindsey Lakes Trail

Implementing water drainage features and more

Of course there will be riding and hiking as well! Do you love Grouse? Want to learn the amazing trails in this GORGEOUS area? Please plan on joining us on 9/15 - 9/16!

Hirschman Trail Day - Sat 1/28

2012-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

Volunteer with BONC as we improve sections of the Hirschman Trail. We will build some features to help make this important community trail more cycling friendly. Free beer and hot coffee for participants. Waiver signature required. Meet @ Indian Flat Road @ 10AM. Map.

In case of inclement weather, please check 530.205.DIRT or this forum in case we need to reschedule.

Want to support these BONC events and endeavors? Become a member today!

Donating to NU Miners

2012-01-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Donating bike clothing and equipment to the NU Miners mountain bike team is easy, benefits our aspiring young athletes and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I learned as much today as I handed off five MTB jerseys and a new pair of Peal Izumi shoes to Sam Raymond, one of the dedicated Miner's coaches.

Please consider donating such materials to this great youth organization. Here is an related article in the BONC October newsletter:

http://bonc.org/newsletter_10-11.html

Trail Events for January

2012-01-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

BONC is hosting some great events this month:

GALA RIDE - Saturday 1/7/12
Join us as we ride Pioneer and perhaps Burlington Ridge in this crazy warm weather. No Rider Left Behind. Everyone from slow pokes to racers are welcome; we'll break up groups based on ability. Free beer and hot coffee for participants. Waiver and helmet required. Meet @ the Old 5 Mile House at 1OAM. Come ride with us!

BONC GATHERING - Sunday 1/15/12
Our featured speaker will be an archeologist from the USFS. Participate in the future of mountain biking in Nevada County! Meet at the Old 5 Mile House at 6:30PM

HIRSCHMAN TRAIL DAY - Saturday, 1/28/12
Volunteer with us as we improve sections of the Hirschman Trail. We will build some berms and make this important community trail more cycling friendly. Free beer and hot coffee for participants. Waiver required. Meet @ Indian Flat Road @ 10AM. Map.

Want to support the BONC events and endeavors? Become a member today!

BONC News - January 2012

2012-01-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

The latest BONC newsletter is now online. Be sure to check it out!

Scott's Flat Trail Improvements (Lakeside)

2011-12-29T02:53:00.000-08:00

This morning, Rick Weaver and I put in some volunteer hours on the BONC-adopted Scott's Flat Trail. Under Rick's expert guidance, we took out the big downed pine across the trail. Bucking a large suspended tree like this is beyond my pay grade, so I just took pictures and helped roll away what Rick lopped off.

Next, we worked on a nearby section where water backed up in a few places. With a pick and shovel, we dug water outlets on the side of the flume to allow water to flow off the trail. Because the mud is so saturated, it will be some time before the trailbed dries out enough to sculpt the final product. But this is a great start.

Some additional pictures.

BONCers Improve Round Mountain

2011-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out the Round Mountain trail improvements BONC volunteers accomplished today. With many new faces, a solid turnout, newly sharpened tools (thank you Land Trust) and near perfect trail building conditions, we kicked butt:

Re-built one of the steep RM Trail switchbacks - Matt and Dan led the charge on this one, sculpting a beautiful, more sustainable route.

Created an entirely new switchback on the Upper Hudson Trail - Dieter and company artfully built a new climbing turn which replaced a badly eroded fall line section. Across the road, I used a pick axe to eliminate the water trap that created a nasty axle-deep bog in the wetter months.

Cut bench and pruned - The rest of us focused on re-establishing the proper width of many portions of the South Yuba and Round Mountain Trails and pruning back vegetation. We also cut some drainage outlets.

Repaired signage - Terry, Rich and I installed a new sign post at the RM/S Yuba intersection. A big thank you to Chris Rose who donated the post.

Additional thanks to Sierra Coffee Roasters, New Belgium Brewing, Bill Haire, the BLM and all out fantastic volunteers! BONC's next official trail volunteer day is on Saturday, January 28 at Hirschman Pond, though you can also help out the Scott's Flat Trail Alliance as they continue work on this new trail.

Round Mountain Trail Volunteer Day - Sat. 12/17

2011-12-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Help us improve Round Mountain singletrack near Nevada City! We'll throw down for free New Belgium cold beer and hot chocolate. With a good turnout, we can accomplish our tasks quickly and ride these great trails afterwards.

We will place and repair signage, create drainage features, cut bench, trim back overgrowth and have a good time hanging out in this beautiful area. Meet at at Merrimas and Rock Creek Road @ 10AM on Saturday, 12/17/11. Waiver signature required. Hope you can join us!

See map.

YBONC/BONC at Victorian Christmas

2011-12-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance, be sure to stop by the BONC/YBONC booth at Victorian Xmas in Nevada City. We have a raffle and other goodies for sale, all of which benefit the Scott's Flat Trail project. We also have maps and a schedule of 2012 BONC events. Stop by and say hi!

On Sunday, my daughter baked and sold a bunch of cookies for the booth to support the trail. Her cookies may make a reappearance, who knows. Don't let an 11 year old girl out-donate you! And remember, you can always support the project online.

Singlespeeding in Nevada County

2011-12-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

I recently built up my first dedicated singlespeed rig. After ~15 rides, I've fallen in love with SS riding. Why you ask? Well, I am trying to understand myself, but it goes something like this:

As a 12 year resident of Grass Valley, this flavor of riding has provided a new set of challenges on trails I've ridden countless times since moving here. Hills that were mundane or routine are now significant physical challenges. Cleaning them are often personal triumphs of strength and determination (or in my head they are). At the end of a ride, I feel thoroughly worked in a new, different way. I very much feel that I've accomplished something. The 29er wheels make the hardtail thing much more fun for me, as the big wheels smooth out the rough sections.

Not all local rides are SS friendly (or at least not with my current level of skill/strength/stamina). But routes that I find well suited to SSing include: Bullards, Miners/Pioneer/Scott's Drop, certain trails at Osborne Hill/Empire Mine, Auburn and Round Mountain. I am learning that you want rolling trails which are less flat. Big climbs are OK too, as long as they are not crazy steep.

I plan to explore more trails on my SS to see which are fun and which are beyond my abilities. South Yuba Trail is on my agenda.

ABOUT THE BIKE: Built on a 2011 Specialized Rockhopper SL 29 frame, my bike uses a 32/20 gear combination, which suits my desire to clean as many sections as possible without spinning out too much on flat portions. I use a suspension fork (Reba XX with a remote lockout) and super wide Easton Haven carbon bars for leverage.

Scott's Flat Trail Construction: First Impressions

2011-12-07T16:51:00.001-08:00

Today, I had the chance to check out progress with the new Scott's Flat Trail construction on USFS land. Note that this trail is not open yet and is only in a rough cut phase; please do not ride the trail yet. Lots of finish work is yet needed, then a winter of precipitation.

The Scott's Flat Alliance construction team is doing a great job thus far. The trail winds through the forest and will feature moderate berms and dips/jumps where you will be able to enjoy some airtime, if that is your thing. I spoke with Chris Rose, who is leading the chainsaw crew and he is pleased as well.

The first section starts on flat terrain, so it might be challenging to provide adequate drainage. It is only after significant rainfall that you tell for certain where water will collect. I always think that a trail isn't really done until at least few years after construction when you get to tweak things here and there.

Please donate!

Trip Report: Paradise Royale

2011-11-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

Recently, I had the privilege of riding Paradise Royale, a mountain bike-specific trail west of Garberville, CA (Humboldt County).

This trail was designed and built by IMBA Trail Solutions in cooperation with the BLM and volunteers. The trail showcases state-of-the-art building techniques pioneered by Joey Klein and other IMBA builders. These folks set the standard for trail design in California and elsewhere. I've seen their handiwork in several locations and in my opinion, no one approaches their skill and design abilities.

The trail traverses thick forests of Douglas Fir in the beautiful King Range, which towers over the Lost Coast. The trail is not particularly rocky; you could enjoy it on a hardtail or short travel bike. The features I appreciated most include:

SWITCHBACKS - Despite steep terrain, the uphill switchbacks are built with a more even grade than on many other trails. This requires significant hillside excavation and/or cribbing, but the result is switchbacks which are more sustainable and fun to ride.

GRADE - The builders were not afraid to create short steep sections, some of which are at 15%. This made for fun, challenging sections (both up and down) for mountain bikers. I wish local US Forest staff would accept such grades for short portions, as they make trails much more interesting. I've often found 5% grade trails to be monotonous.

MTB SPECIFIC FEATURES - The trail offers unpredictable twists and turns for riders. If you like to catch air, there are many lips and tabletops from which you can launch (these also serve as effective water diversions). There are alternate lines with rock drops, log skinnies and fun obstacles. And of course big burmed turns on the downhills.

TOLKEN TERRAIN PARK - This adjacent area includes a pump track, rollers, big gap jumps and more. This recent addition to the trail system is very cool in that it weaves through forest trees, as opposed to creating ugly dirt areas I see at other bike parks.

I would not say that Paradise Royale is quite worth the 5 hour drive from Nevada County, unless you include some of the excellent nearby attractions (Shelter Cove, redwoods, hiking, surfing, etc.) as part of your plans. The trail is currently only 12 miles long. However, soon IMBA will complete a nine mile extension, so your trip could include a 30 mile epic and a second day of shorter options. Someday, perhaps IMBA Trail Solutions can build a local trail or two in our backyard.

Bullards Volunteer Event Postponed

2011-11-16T09:51:00.001-08:00

This weekend's Bullards Bar volunteer event has been postponed due to weather. We will announce a new date ASAP.

Video: Gold Country Trails Council

2011-11-11T16:40:00.001-08:00

An interesting video about our friends with the Gold Country Trails Council. Includes a nice mention of other local trail groups and how we do so well cooperating on multi-use trails:

http://blip.tv/nevada-county-snapshots/sierra-snapshots-gold-country-trails-council-5718335

We have a remarkable relationship between equestrians and cyclists in Nevada County.

Bullards Bar Volunteer Day - 11/19

2011-11-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

NOTE- This event is postponed due to weather. We will announce a new date ASAP.

Recently, Moss and the Forest Service surveyed Bullards Bar trails in preparation for our 11/19 volunteer event. There is one section of the Bullard's Bar trail which will require a re-route; it is between Dark Day and 7-Ball Trail. It is currently dangerous to ride or walk. There are also some downed trees.

Join us as we re-build this blown out section of our singlespeed-singletrack paradise. Meet at 10AM on Saturday, 11/19 at the 7-Ball trailhead off Marysville Road (see map).

Note that the trail section is ~1.25 miles from where we will meet. If you bring your bike, we can access the site quicker.

Afterwards, we will ride and hang out. Free beer provided courtesy of BONC. Please bring long sleeves, long pants, appropriate shoes, a snack and some water. Ride afterward, helmets and waiver signature required.

RECAP: Round Mountain Gala Ride

2011-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

In spite of 37 degrees and overcast skies, we had a big turnout for yesterday's Gala Ride at Round Mountain. Many of the participants had never ridden RM trails, so it was fun sharing this local trail network with everyone. Jon Pritchett led the advanced group while I corralled the rest. Many cold beers and tall stories were shared after the ride. It was nice to have SERT and FATRAC members join us.

Join us for more upcoming BONC events:

Bullards Bar Volunteer Day -11/19
Gala Ride at Bullards Bar - 12/3
Round Mountain Volunteer Day - 12/17

See you on the trail!

Today at Bullards

2011-10-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today, I did an inventory of several Bullard's trails in preparation for BONC's trailwork day on November 19th. Recent storms took down a fair number of trees (~10) on the Bullard's Bar Trail itself, but Schoolhouse and Eight Ball looked fine. If the USFS does not get to these before our volunteer day, we hope take them out. Later this week, Moss and Joe Chavez will do a further inventory of additional needed improvements.

There are two blown out sections: one east of Dark Day and the monster one west of the boat launch. Once the USFS repairs the giant canyon (perhaps in 2012), BONC will cut a new section of short trail to replace the portion taken out last year.

NOTE: If you or anyone else takes out the aforementioned downed trees, please let me know so that we don't waste volunteer time hiking out to these areas, thanks.

How Do We Build A Trail?

2011-10-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

This following article appears in the latest Bear Yuba Land Trust newsletter. It describes how the Land Trust successfully creates so many local trails:

"Bear Yuba Land Trust has been successful in building a number of trails in recent years in an area where prior to that the only trails were those on public lands managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the State Parks. How did we do it? We did it with partners in each and every case. Trail building is a complex and often difficult task requiring securing trail easements, permits, completing environmental studies, and lining up funds and resources for trail construction. This is where the partners come into the picture with various degrees of involvement.

The Hirschman Trail is a joint venture with the City of Nevada City, the property owner. A Memorandum of Understanding set out the responsibilities of each party. The Land Trust prepared the grant application, designed the trail, prepared specifications and provided oversight during construction while the City was the grant applicant, completed environmental studies, secured permits, assumed accountability for all expenses, contracting, signing, and completion of the grant stipulations. Working together as partners, the trail was completed.

Another recent trail project is the Rattlesnake Ridge Trails which were constructed by volunteers from the Rattlesnake Neighborhood Association and the Land Trust on trail easements donated by the developer of Rattlesnake Ridge and on County Road Right-of-Way. The Neighbors came to the Land Trust for assistance in designing and construction of the trails, providing additional volunteer assistance and securing a County encroachment permit to build the trail. Without this cooperative effort, it’s not likely that the trail system would have been completed.

The Deer Creek Tribute Trail on the north side of Deer Creek was built with the involvement of a very large number of groups including Friends of Deer Creek (Sierra Streams Institute), American Rivers, Champion Road Homeowners Association, City of Nevada City, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Irrigation District, Sierra Fund, and the Land Trust. Each had a role in the building of the trail which provides a route through Nevada City and downstream paralleling Deer Creek on a combination of sidewalks, roads, trails, and canal banks to a bridge crossing Deer Creek at the lower end of the project. This 8 mile long trail system will soon be complimented by a trail on the south side of Deer Creek from Jordan Street to Providence Mine Road following the abandoned Rough and Ready Ditch. Partners for this project are the City of Nevada City and Sierra Streams Institute.

Other trails and partners include the Loma Rica Trail (Loma Rica Ranch, County of Nevada, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District), the Cascade Canal and Orene Wetherall Trails (Save Our Historic Canals, Banner Mountain Homeowners, Rotary, Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Irrigation District). The Alan Thiesen Trail was built by Alta Sierra Property Owners Association (ASPOA) and the Land Trust. ASPOA provided funding for the brush clearing and volunteers to assist Land Trust volunteers with the construction and on- going maintenance. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the “Adopt-A-Trail” program where routine trail maintenance is accomplished by volunteers who have agreed to take care of the trail.

Our volunteer with the longest stint, Deane Dvorcek, has been caring for a portion of the Litton Trail since 2004. We currently need Adopt-A-Trail volunteers for Litton, Cascade Canal Access, Orene Wetherall and Hirschman Trails. If you are interested in adopting a trail segment, contact Bill Haire.

Bill Haire Trails Coordinator"

Round Mountain Gala Ride 11/5

2011-10-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Join FATRAC and BONC at our upcoming Gala as we ride BONC-maintained singletrack at Round Mountain. Meet at at Merrimas and Rock Creek Road @ 10AM on Saturday, 11/5/11. This is a No Rider Left Behind event. Cold beer will be provided after the ride by BONC. Helmets and waiver
signature required. See map:

http://g.co/maps/yvpbd

See you on the trail!

Local Youth Race on Saturday

2011-10-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

The NU Miners race team and others will compete at a local race venue on Saturday, so please join in and cheer them on!

The races kicks off 11AM off Conservation Camp Road as you head up Highway 20. Look for the event signs. Bring your cow bells, camping chairs, cameras, and appetite to enjoy a day on the Tahoe National Forest. Horn of the Bull Caterer will be catering this event with it’s famous green sauce topping on tamales, tacos, quesadillas, etc. Cheese quesadillas for vegetarians. Bring your own water; there is none available on site.

The race is open to middle school age teens as well and they are not required to be in school bike clubs. Same day registration requires parental signature on release waiver, and a $5 one day USACycling License, plus the race fee.

Trails at Rice's Crossing

2011-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Bear Yuba Land Trust is applying for a grant to take title to Rice's Crossing, which comprises thousands of acres southwest of Bullards Bar. Should they be successful, the Land Trust will plan and build many miles of trail on this property with connectivity to the Bullards trail system. Very exciting stuff. See map at left.

BONC recently submitted a letter of support for this initiative. Also, BONC director Terry Hundemer recently visited the property with Land Trust staff.

This is one of many such trail-related projects the Land Trust is pursuing at this time. In the near future, the Land Trust may acquire tens of thousands of acreage, from south county to Grouse Ridge. We are fortunate that our Land Trust supports the vision of balanced recreation and preservation and BONC wants to help them build more trails for our community.

BONC continues to strengthen our involvement and support with the BYLT as we recognize that no local entity creates as many nearby trails as our Land Trust. The more we support these efforts, the more we can have input on trail access, design and location. We hope that other local mountain bikers will also step up, either at Land Trust trailwork days or via financial support.

RECAP: United Trail Day 2011

2011-10-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

This year's United Trail Day event was bigger than ever, with my guestimate coming in at 100 participants. The Nevada County Woods Riders, Gold Country Trails Council, BONC, Nevada Union Miners and Union Hill School Bearcats all convened to deliver some impressive trailwork on Burlington Ridge area trails.

The crew I led brushed the Towle and Hallelujah trails, which very much needed our attention. I started to take pictures, but really, what is the point when Robert Lowe is out there working his photographic magic. See his event pictures.

I was very pleased to see the high turnout of young volunteers. We set a great example for these kids when we demonstrate through example the meaning and value of trail stewardship. Big thanks to Chuck Ross, Sam Raymond, Eric Newman and others for bringing the kids. And to the Gold Country Trails Council that fed them a great meal afterwards.

FYI: If you are looking for a riding destination this week, look no further than Burlington Ridge. Jon Pritchett, Jamiel Fox and I rode it extensively yesterday and it is tacky and sweet. Best conditions all year.

October BONC Newsletter

2011-09-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

The BONC October newsletter is now available online. Be sure to check it out.

This issue includes an article about the NU Miners high school mountain bike team, plus details about upcoming local mountain bike events.

FHDL Trail Story

2011-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today, the Sacramento Bee published a very positive story about FATRAC and the Forest Hill Divide Loop Trail. This is indeed a great trail and one of my favorites to ride in the winter months once the temperatures cool down.

Thank you FATRAC!

United Trail Day - Saturday October 8th

2011-09-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Please join us United Trails Day on Saturday 10/8/11, 9AM at Skillman Campground. It is probably the most important trail volunteer day of the year and by far the most rewarding.

We will again be cutting new singletrack as we extend the Hallelujah Trail east past Skillman. Cyclists will volunteer alongside moto riders and equestrians as we build more trail for everyone to enjoy.

This event is important as it shows other local trail users that mountain bikers are committed to working cooperatively on our trails. All participants will enjoy BBQ; the spread last year was amazing!

Read that last sentence again.... FREE HIGH QUALITY FOOD! See you there!

Joe Chavez Speaks to BONC

2011-09-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

A great big thank you to Joe Chavez of the Tahoe National Forest, who spoke at our BONC gathering last night. As recreational officer, Joe talked about trail projects in four areas of the Tahoe NF: Highway 20, Downieville, Forest City and Grouse Ridge. Each region has a specific trail initiatives. We talked about many items, but like BONC, itself, this recap is focused on Highway 20 and Grouse Ridge. Joe made the following points pertinent to BONC:

In Highway 20 trail projects/re-routes include Scott's Flat and the Pipeline Trail (reroute of the steep trail down to Rock Creek Nature Study Area), whereas Grouse Ridge projects involve extension of the Bowman Mountain Trail, the Lindsey Lakes and Crooked Lakes re-routes and a new trail between Fuller, Rucker and Blue Lakes. You'll see some BONC volunteer efforts at Grouse Ridge soon.

The capitol improvement budget the USFS had for constructing and maintaining trails has all but vanished. Because of this, the Tahoe National Forest relies heavily on BONC, GCTC, etc. to fill the gap. Joe mentioned that focus on new trail projects may be metered out in coming years, as the TNF has so many other projects to focus on and no additional staff or resources.

According to Joe, there is good progress on the Scott's Flat Trail. The Land Trust required some modifications to the original route and the ologists asked for some changes as well, but these are resolved now. Next steps include finalizing the NEPA (environmental docs) for the USFS portion of the trail, then NID will need file CEQA (state enviro docs) for the trail on their lands. NID management is still sorting through all this, so who knows how long it may be before the trail comes down to the lake. Joe hopes to start construction on the trail this fall, if only on the USFS portion.

We still hope to bring in RTP funding for the South Yuba Ridge Trail project, but it may require some volunteer labor. A necessary easement across private land is still in the works.

A terrific meeting. Look for more great speakers at upcoming BONC gatherings soon! You can always support BONC by becoming a member.

Trail Between Grass Valley and Nevada City

2011-09-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today's Union has an article about Jerry Henderson's effort to create a trail between Grass Valley and Nevada City. Jerry has quietly plugged away at this initiative for years and now is seeing some traction for his efforts.

Trails close to town like this are crucial and I applaud Jerry's efforts to collaborate on this trail.

Scott's Flat Trail Web Page

2011-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

BONC has launched a web page devoted to the Scott's Flat Trail project. Learn about this exciting endeavor, read news, view maps, volunteer and donate. We will update the page as the project progresses, so be sure to bookmark.

Building a Destination

2011-09-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Several friends and I spent most of last week riding the incredible trail system of Park City, Utah. What strikes me about PC riding is how varied it is: buff singletrack, stunt riding, DH lift, rocky chutes, epic cross country, bike park jump lines, paved bike paths, you name it. Hundreds of miles of singletrack weave through the aspen forests above PC.

So as a trail advocate, I wonder how all this came to be. Locals tell me it is the result of collaboration between local and federal government, ski resorts, bike shops and different user groups. There is perpetual trail building in PC; I spied trail building equipment and freshly cut bench on almost all of the sections I rode, all of it high quality construction.

Park City is a wealthy resort town and has decided to partly fund trail planning and construction with a restaurant tax. It makes sense. In the non-ski season, there is a massive excess inventory of accommodations, restaurant seats, etc. A world class trail system brings many visitors to the PC and keeps the cash registers humming in the off-season.

It takes a lot of vision, determination, time and perseverance to create what Park City has. Mountain bike destinations do not happen overnight. There is a lot to learn from the success of Park City trail advocates and clearly, no one group can take all the credit.

Equestrians, Hikers and Mountain Bikers Welcome

2011-09-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I saw the cover of the Union Sunday edition and it made me smile ear to ear. The front page headline shouted out: "On the Trail: Equestrians, Hikers and Mountain Bikers Welcome".

I've long preached the virtues of working together with different user groups to produce a larger inventory of local trails. The Gold Country Trails Council shares this vision, which is wonderful. Sometimes, I think that as a trail community, we take this cooperative spirit for granted. In Marin, Folsom, Santa Rosa and other Northern California locals, different user groups can be at each others throats fighting over trail access. Here we do things different.

Including multi-use trails in our planning means that we all have more trails to use. We can and should build mountain-bike specific features or even entire trails for sure. But it is worth recognizing that a shared use approach leverages the collective interests and resources of all of us, instead of just one group.

If you have not see the Union article, check it out.

Help Move a Trail Project Along

2011-09-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

The hardest part of creating a new trail is acquiring all the necessary permissions to do so. This sucks but it is undeniable. Designing and building the trail can almost seem incidental when compared to the lengthy, arduous process of planning and advocacy. It can be frustrating to those of us who want to just start cutting singletrack.

The Scott's Flat Trail is no different. The volunteer group leading this effort has a done an exceptional job moving the process along. But of course hurdles remain: a trail easement needs to be established and NID has to author and submit CEQA documentation (state environmental review). Sometimes unforeseen additional hurdles pop up months down the road.

But you don't need to just cross your fingers. You can help this great project in one very key way. The USFS is accepting public comments about the proposed trail. Your letters of support are needed. Please send yours as soon as possible, as the deadline of September 16 is fast approaching. Here is a sample letter.

You can also view a map of the proposed route here.

Bowman Mountain Trail and Beyond

2011-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Jon Pritchett led the two of us on a fantastic loop in the Grouse Ridge area. The highlight was the Bowman Mountain Trail. This singletrack affords amazing vistas as you ride high above Bowman Lake and look north toward the Sierra Buttes.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, the Gold Country Council is working on a great project whereby the Bowman Lake Trail will comprise of a full loop off the Lindsey Lakes Trail. This terrific volunteer project shows that local recreational user groups can and should be building trails on Forest Service land. We have the skills, motivation and ability to create great riding experiences as mountain bikers and equestrians.

It was nice to ride with someone who shares my love of Grouse Ridge's technical trails and amazing scenery. Jon is passionate about expanding local riding opportunities; we are all fortunate to have him as a leader of BONC. Like myself, he sees no reason why we should have to go to Oregon or Utah to experience first class riding when we can develop it in our own backyard. We have lots of public land, cooperative land managers, user groups and the Land Trust to make it happen. In fact, more trails near Grouse Ridge will see expansion/re-routes in the future with mtb/equestrian trail expertise and efforts.

If you are curious about our route: Fuller Lake > Bowman Lake Road > Lindsey Lakes Trail turnoff > a bunch of fireroads > Bowman Mountain Trail > Lindsey Lakes > Crooked Lakes > Carr/Feely > roads back to the Fuller. Next time, I plan to add Grouse Ridge Trail + Spaulding Lake Trail to the end of this loop.

Downed Trees and the Dakine Builder's Pack

2011-08-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

This evening, I bucked the downed oak and cedar that blocked the Scott's Flat Trail for the past few months or so. With NID permission of course.

To access this section, I rode in wearing my Dakine Builder's Pack. This nifty backpack held my chainsaw and chaps, with lots of room for other tools, water, hardware, first aid supplies, etc. The Builder's Pack is a worthy investment for anyone who wants to access trailwork sections on bike or foot.

My chainsaw fits securely on the outside pocket with the saw bar sticking upward (I use a protective plastic cover to prevent a crash from turning exceptionally nasty). I wouldn't want to climb anything especially steep or long with this setup and and I noticed that my rear suspension and tire compressed more with the added weight. Also, you have to watch out for low hanging limbs, as the bar sticks up above and behind your head.

However, riding with it is surprisingly easy. I was able to ride all of the Scott's Flat Trail (including over the step-up bridges and roots) without a problem. Dakine did a good job designing the pack such that your chainsaw is balanced well the user's back. Chris Rose borrowed mine for a while and found it "ninja". I sorta had to pry it back from him :-)

The Builder's Pack is not cheap ($170 or so), but I'll use it so much over the years working on local trails, no doubt I'll get my money's worth from it.

September BONC Newsletter

2011-08-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

The September BONC newsletter is online. Read about the latest in Nevada County mtb advocacy, riding and social events.

Grouse Ridge Trailwork by the GCTC

2011-08-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

My blog probably under reports the local volunteer efforts of our equestrian friends, but here is some recognition for last weekend's trail improvement event by the Gold Country Trails Council.

Nine hearty souls from the GCTC cleared overgrowth and downed trees from Loney Meadow, Crooked Lakes and Bowman Mountain trails north of Grouse Ridge. They cleared all the way to Penner Lake, to the back of Bowman Mountain and everything from the Loney Meadow campground to the access roads/trails to those places.

The Grouse Ridge trail network still needs some additional love, especially with so many downed trees on the Grouse Ridge Trail. The area is a beautiful corner of Nevada County and on behalf of all trail users, I thank the GCTC volunteers.

Sample Letter of Support - Scott's Drop Trail

2011-08-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

Below is a letter of support I've authored for the Scott's Flat Trail project. Please feel free to use it, edit any part of it or write your own. Please submit your letter by September 16!

Genice Froehlich
District Ranger
Yuba River Ranger Station
15924 Highway 49
Camptonville, CA 95922

Dear Genice Froehlich,

This letter is in support of the Scott’s Flat Trail proposal. This is an outstanding project which replaces a steep, user-built trail with a longer, more environmentally sustainable one.

This trail provides key connectivity between the Pioneer National Recreational Trail and the highly popular Scott’s Flat Lake recreational area. The US Forest Service and Nevada Irrigation District have worked together to ensure that the chosen trail route respects acceptable environmental standards as it passes across both private and public land. Volunteers have contributed significant amount of time supporting the US Forest Service as it plans this trail. The Bear Yuba Land Trust has donated time to establish a public trail easement to protect permanent access to this important recreational amenity.

As a local mountain biker, I recognize the need for environmentally sustainable trails which provide important outdoor recreational opportunities. I thank the different agencies, non-profits and volunteers who have contributed to this cause. The project deserves the continued support of the Forest Service.

Truly,
YOUR NAME

Scotts Flat Trail - Proposed Route Map

2011-08-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

View Scott's Flat Trail in a larger map

Joe Chavez of the US Forest Service forwarded a map to me to share that shows the final proposed route (see full-sized map). The trail follows a moderate grade as it descends from the Five Mile House to join the existing lakeside trail.

This map is *approximate* and I'll update it as necessary. The route may be subject to change before the final docs are approved. Where the trail crosses NID property, NID requires a trail easement which the Land Trust is working to provide. And of course, funding and volunteers are needed to support construction.

But we should end up with a great local trail. Please consider supporting this endeavor as you can. Jon Pritchett can answer your questions. See my earlier post on this trail.

From everything I hear, last night's fundraiser for the Scott's Flat Trail was a resounding success. Good job everyone! Lots of interest and excitement about this project. Sorry to miss this event, as I was out of town on business.

UPDATE 8/13 - You can view the original USFS map of this trail here. Also, the entire trail measures to be about 4.5 miles from the 5 Mile House to the dam.

Accolades for BONC-FATRAC Volunteers

2011-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

A few notes from the Truckee Donner Land Trust. First from John Svahn:

I work for the Truckee Donner Land Trust. I just wanted to say thanks for coming out and volunteering on the trails at Waddle Ranch, and I look forward to riding on your new work! I also wanted to pass along that both of our trails guys, Kevin and I, are avid mountain bikers as is our entire staff. (Entire staff of 5...) We try to design trails for a fun mtb experience whenever possible, and look to “retrofit” existing ones to make mtb riding more fun as well. Our flagship trails project, the Donner Lake Rim Trail, has sections that were designed with mountain bikes as the primary user, and hopefully they deliver.

And from Kevin Starr:

I just wanted to say thanks again to all those who participated and helped with this last weekend’s event. It was great to see so many people fired up on the trail work and I look forward to getting this event going next year again.

BONC Gala Ride - 8/6/11

2011-08-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Join us for a BONC Gala Ride as we explore Osborne Hill area trails. Meet at Penn Gate at Empire Mine on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 9AM.

We'll ride formal and informal trails in this network. As usual, we'll have beer and drinks for participants. Looking for another ride leader or two, please let us know if you want to ride and help out. Helmets and waiver signature required.

See you there!

Recap: MTB Tahoe North 2011

2011-08-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

BONC, FATRAC and Hammering Wheels hooked up with the Truckee Donner Land Trust for a exceptional weekend of building and riding Tahoe singletrack.

Volunteers converted 460 yards of old fireroad into swoopy singletrack at Waddle Ranch, a 1600 acre Land Trust acquisition adjacent to Martis Valley and Northstar. The Land Trust was very receptive to our ideas about trail design and enabled us to implement berms and mtb-friendly features. The vision is to create an area-wide trail network for all of us to enjoy.

As always, we took in lots of primo North Shore riding, including Tahoe Rim Trail, Sawtooth and Northstar area trails. IMHO, Tahoe riding is the best in California and mountain bikers will do well to support the Land Trust, TRT Association and other organizations that create these A+ trails.

Big thanks to New Belgium Brewing, who kindly donated their excellent beers for volunteers to enjoy.

Pictures of the event. Hope you can join us next year!

August BONC Newsletter

2011-07-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

The August BONC newsletter is online. Read about the latest in Nevada County mtb advocacy, riding and social events.

Movie Event to Benefit Scott's Flat Trail

2011-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Join us for a benefit showing of "Pedal Driven" on August 10th @ 6PM at the Five Mile House east of Nevada City. Proceeds from this event go toward the Scott's Flat Trail project, which will result in ~4.5 miles of high quality singletrack between the 5 Mile House and Scott's Flat Lake.

Pedal Driven explores the long-standing conflicts between riders and the federal agencies charged with managing our public lands. The evening will also feature speakers, d'oeuvres and a silent auction. Cost is $30 for adults, $10 ages 11-17, $5 age 10-under.

If you have any questions about this outstanding trail project or how you can support it, please contact Jon Pritchett.

See my earlier post about this forthcoming trail.

Matching Program for Trails

2011-07-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Fact is, no one builds more public trails closer to town than the Nevada County Land Trust. They are the premier trail building organization in our area. Over the past decade or so, Bill Haire and his colleagues have forged relationships with private land owners and government agencies and no one can match their record of success of putting trails on the ground close to home. The result is that more users are on more NCLT-created trails for both recreational and commuting purposes.

The Land Trust also has an incredible donor who is willing to match donations to trail work in Nevada County dollar for dollar up to $10K. Mountain bikers and other trail aficionados can take this opportunity to double your contribution and thereby bring even more trails to Nevada County, like the brand new Deer Creek Tribute Trail in Nevada City.

Trails don't just happen. Donate today!

Bullards Report

2011-07-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

I don't usually ride Bullards in July, but conditions in the Sierra are not usual this year. Today I rode everything east of Dark Day.

The trails are in very good shape. If you pay attention, you can see evidence everywhere of the destruction wrought on this trail system by the winter. BONC volunteers, Woods Riders and others put in enormous efforts to repair and improve the trails; without this, I would not be able to ride there today. As is typical at Bullards, there are some sections that need short reroutes or a tree taken out. BONC will host another trailwork day later this year to address some of these issues, so stay tuned.

In the 15 years I've ridden Bullards, I've never seen the lake so high (see pictures).

The landslide west of Dark Day is still gianormous and impassable with a bike unless you are very determined. The USFS still plans to repair this ASAP and rebuild this short section.

Save the RTP Program TODAY!

2011-07-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

IMBA is urging us to help save the Recreational Trail Program (RTP) and well we should. The RTP is very cost effective and provides funding for projects like the South Yuba Ridge Trail and other local trails. It creates healthy outdoor opportunities and draws tourist dollars to towns like ours. From IMBA:

We urge you to send a short email TODAY to your members of Congress:

TAKE ACTION

Tell them that you want to see funding for biking and walking programs preserved.

If some Congressional leaders, like Representative Mica and Senator Inhofe, get their way, dedicated funding for three crucial programs — Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements, and Recreational Trails — will be eliminated.

Cost-effective federal investments that are improving our nation's trails and bike paths better could disappear if we don't take action. Your message is critical — please contact your members of Congress RIGHT NOW!

Why does this matter to mountain bikers?

Many of the at-risk federal programs directly help improve mountain biking in the United States. For example, the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is incredibly valuable — no other federal funding source comes close to creating the trail opportunities that RTP puts on the ground in all 50 states. More than likely one of your favorite trails was funded in part by RTP.

MTB Tahoe North - BRING IT ON!

2011-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

BONC, FATRAC and the Truckee Donner Land Trust have planned for an exceptional weekend of Tahoe riding, fun, camping, raffle/prizes, singletrack building, free beer and more riding! Join us on Friday July 29 - Sunday 7/31!

Learn all the details and register today.

Latest BONC Newsletter

2011-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

The July BONC newsletter is now online:

http://www.bonc.org/newsletter_7-11.html

Gala Ride - Saturday 7/2

2011-06-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Join us for a BONC Gala Ride on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 9AM. Meet at the USFS Ranger Station on Coyote Street in Nevada City. We'll ride formal and informal trails right out of town. As usual, we'll have beer and drinks for participants.

Looking for another ride leader or two, let me know if you want to ride and help out.

NOTE: the GCTC Poker Ride occurs on this same day out of Skillman. We'll stay away from all the equestrian traffic in that area.

Free BONC Water Bottles!

2011-06-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

BONC will provide free BONC water bottles to the first ten volunteers who help build the Tribute Trail on Wednesday 6/22 and Saturday 6/25! Help us complete a hand-built section of singletrack right here in Nevada City.

In addition to water bottles, BONC will try to score additional swag for participants. Come join the fun! On Wednesday, meet at 4PM at Pioneer Park Tennis Court parking lots on Nimrod St and on Saturday meet at the same location at 9AM. Please come prepared with long pants, closed-toe shoes, gloves and water. Matt will provide snacks and cookies. Bring trail tools (shovels, mcleods, pulaskis, rock bars, and hoes) if you have them.

This multi-use trail will be the south side of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, and will eventually connect to the trail on the north side of the creek by way of a suspension bridge just downstream of the Nevada City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Build Nevada City Singletrack on Saturday!

2011-06-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Please consider joining Matt Frietas this weekend as he cuts new singletrack right in Nevada City! This project will replace steep sections of the STP trail and connect to the Tribute Trail (see below). This is a great local volunteer project.

Meet this Saturday, June 8 at 9AM at the Pioneer Park Tennis Court parking lots on Nimrod St. Please come prepared with long pants, closed-toe shoes, gloves, and water. Matt will provide snacks and cookies. Bring trail tools (shovels, mcleods, pulaskis, rock bars, and hoes) if you have them. Rain cancels.

If you can't make it this weekend, other volunteer days are coming soon. Check out my earlier blog post for these dates and times.

Friends of Deer Creek has partnered with the City of Nevada City to build a trail between Jordan Street and Providence Mine Road. This multi-use trail will be the south side of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, and will eventually connect to the trail on the north side of the creek by way of a suspension bridge just downstream of the Nevada City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Input Needed: Potential Park in Grass Valley

2011-06-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

The City of Grass Valley is applying for a large grant to develop a ~3 acre park at the northeast corner of Sutton Way and Idaho Maryland Roads. The City is hosting public meetings about this endeavor. Times include:

06/08 - Wed - 5:00 pm-7:00 pm
06/09 - Thur - 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
06/11 - Sat - 9:00 am-11:00 am
Location: 125 East Main St, Grass Valley

Please consider attending one of these sessions. BONC and NEO are pursing a bike park facility in Grass Valley (see BONC newsletter). Here is your opportunity to speak about some trails on this small potential park (though the GV bike park may be located elsewhere).

Tell council members how cycling has helped you improved your lifestyle, engaged you with the outdoors, etc. Your voice can help influence change with the decision makers in Grass Valley. We need to show up in numbers to let the Grass Valley Council know there is a huge local cycling community.

Scott's Flat Trail Impressions

2011-06-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, my dogs and I had the pleasure of walking the proposed trail corridor for the Scott's Flat Trail. This entirely new section of trail will begin at the 5 Mile House and wind its way down to Scott's Flat Lake at the NID campground, where it will join the lakeside trail.

This is a *big* project that will result in ~4.5 miles of new singletrack close to town. Volunteers have done a good job picking the route, which follows a gentle grade across forested NID and USFS lands. I saw little evidence of much rock in this terrain, so I envision the trail will be very smooth. The gentle grade means that the route will be quite rideable in both directions, unlike the existing Scott's Drop Trail it will replace. And of course, much longer.

When the time comes, I hope BONC volunteers will step up to support this very local trail. The working group has already done a lot of preparation; as with most projects, the majority of required effort for a trail occurs long before any dirt is turned. If you have any questions, let Jon Pritchett know at http://www.bonc.org/contact

Tribute Trail Ride Postponed

2011-06-04T02:04:00.001-07:00

Because of high probability of rain showers on Saturday morning, the Tribute Trail Gala ride is postponed. We will try to reschedule this event ASAP.

Help Continue to Build the Tribute Trail in June

2011-06-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

Matt Frietas passes along this information. A great project for local volunteers!

NOTE: This is not the trail across the new bridge at Stocking Flat, but rather the Sewage Treatment Plant trail (STP). We're going to be cutting new trail to replace the excessively steep sections of the existing trail, as well as to expand the trail system into new areas of the City-owned land between Jordan St. and Providence Mine Rd.

Please join us at our twice-a-week work days this June! Wednesday evenings (June 8, 15, 22, and 29): 4pm until dark Saturdays (June 11, 18, and 25): 9am to 2pm. Meet at the Pioneer Park Tennis Court parking lots on Nimrod St, as parking is limited at the site. We’ll carpool from the park.

Please come prepared with long pants (poison oak!), closed-toe shoes, gloves, and water. We’ll bring the snacks and cookies. Bring trail tools (shovels, mcleods, pulaskis, rock bars, and hoes) if you have them. All work days are weather dependent. We won’t be working if it’s pouring.

Come help us build a trail in Nevada City this June! For more information or questions regarding the volunteer days or the project please contact Matt Freitas at (530) 265-6090 ext. 251.

Friends of Deer Creek has partnered with the City of Nevada City to build a trail between Jordan Street and Providence Mine Road. This multi-use trail will be the south side of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, and will eventually connect to the trail on the north side of the creek by way of a planned suspension bridge just downstream of the Nevada City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

South Yuba Ridge Trail Progress

2011-05-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Art Clarke joined Joe Chavez of the Forest Service to continue surveying the South Yuba Ridge Trail route. Art has devoted many hours to this project and we are very appreciative of his tireless efforts. The USFS tells me that we need one or two more volunteer days to complete the field work.

Once this is done, BONC will complete a grant application to fund construction (likely an RTP grant). We are in need of volunteers to help prepare this application; please let us know if you are interested.

BONC Ride - Friday 5/20

2011-05-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Join us for a BONC intermediate-advanced paced ride this Friday, May 20 @ 5:30PM. Meet at the USFS Rangers office off Coyote Street in Nevada City (map). Helmets and waiver signature required. We'll ride trails in the Highway 20 corridor or over to Round Mountain.

Perhaps beer afterwards? See you there!

Pioneer Rock Garden SAVED!

2011-05-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

The USFS is planning a re-route of the lava rock garden on Pioneer near Washington Overlook. The original Forest Service plan was to close the rocky section, which the USFS suspected was eroding. The rocky section is also difficult to ride for equestrians.

THE GOOD NEWS: I met with the USFS in the field this week to discuss this, as I was concerned that we might lose one of the few fun technical sections of this trail. We walked the existing alignment and the new one. After lengthy discussion, I am happy to report that the USFS will likely keep the rocky section in tact!

The new plan is to only reroute the steep 100'-long section on the east end of the rock garden, as it presents an erosion problem, but leave the rest of the rocky section alone. Volunteers will build a new alternative trail route just uphill from the rock garden so that there will be a challenging alignment (the existing rock garden) and a new tamer section for equestrians and others. NOTE - All of this is tentative and pending USFS approval.

Want to support trail advocacy and improvement efforts like these? Join BONC today!

Tribute Trail Gala Ride - 6/4

2011-05-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Join BONC and the Nevada County Land Trust as we celebrate National Trails Day and the new Deer Creek Tribute Trail! We will being our ride on Saturday, June 4th @ 8:30AM. Meet at Pioneer Park in Nevada City. Helmets and waiver signature required.

We'll break into groups based on ability and ride trails close to town, starting with this new trail. This is a No Drop ride, and BONC will provide refreshments and perhaps swag afterwards.

This new trail begins at Pioneer Park in Nevada City, winds its way through the city streets, and then out Champion Road and onto a system of service roads, trails and canal banks to the new trail and the Deer Creek bridge site. Thanks to the hard work of Bill Haire and the Land Trust, this trail is open to all non-motorized users, including mountain bikers.

Come join the fun!

May Gala Ride Recap

2011-05-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

We had a terrific turnout for last Saturday's BONC Gala Ride from the Five Mile House. The Trail Raiders from Seven Hills School joined BONC regulars and some new faces as we enjoyed a social paced ride up Pioneer. This was a poker ride that ended with a raffle of some pretty sweet bike swag: free jerseys, helmets, pumps and more. Adults enjoyed free New Belgium beer.

Thank you to the Bicycle Recycle Project, which made a huge contribution to this event. Also kudos to Chris Rose for sweeping and making sure that no rider was left behind.

See pictures of the event.

MTB Tahoe North - 7/24 - 7/26

2011-04-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Join FATRAC, BONC and the Truckee Donner Land Trust as we celebrate a weekend of riding, more riding, beer, camping and trail building! This year, we will focus on North Shore fun as we camp at Martis Creek, ride classics like the Tahoe Rim Trail and work with the TDLT to build a new section of Donner Lake Rim Trail singletrack.

Please register online today:

http://bit.ly/mtbtahoe2011

BONC Gala Ride - Saturday 5/7, 10AM

2011-04-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Rich Looney will lead May's BONC Gala Ride. From Rich:

"What is a Gala Ride? Good question.

We meet once a month for FUN casually paced group mountain bike rides at

different locations throughout Nevada County. ALL these rides are "NO-DROP

group rides (we will NOT leave you behind or get you lost). Rides usually last 2 to 3 hours and are great opportunities to meet other mountain bike riders at your skill level and discover the BEST trails in our area without having to do it by yourself! ALL BONC Gala Rides are FREE and open to the public and led by experienced local mountain bike riders familiar with the trails.

Groups for ALL Skill Levels:

Skill Building Beginner Group: The ride starts off slow and easy paced, focused on skill development and FUN!

Adventurer Intermediate Group: Moderate pace, we'll stop and enjoy the view once in a while and re-group, focus is developing skills, fitness, and FUN!

Advanced Group: Faster pace, little stopping along the way, sometimes challenging terrain and obstacles, keeping it FUN! (This is NOT a race group)

Join us for snacks and refreshments after the ride!

Date: Saturday May 7, 2011 (5/07/11)

Start Time: 10am (2-3 hours)

Start Location: Five Mile House

Route: Pioneer Trail (Hwy 20)

Skill level: No Drop, ALL Levels. (This means that we encourage beginners as well as advanced riders to join us)!

FREE Tune-up adjustments (Basic Tune-up) and equipment safety check for beginners.

* PLEASE contact us to schedule Tune-up on your bicycle (work on bicycles will be conducted at the Five Mile House before the ride)

Families welcome, this BONC Gala ride is along the historic Pioneer Trail and will serve ALL types of riders and skill levels.

Happy Trails!

BONC"

Kicking Butt and Building Singletrack

2011-04-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

We had an especially fruitful day at Bullard on Saturday, building a new section of singletrack. BONC efforts continue to earn the admiration and gratitude of the Forest Service (see note below) as we open up great trails for everyone. More details about the event in our upcoming newsletter. Some pictures of our fantastic volunteers in action:

http://bit.ly/boncbullardsspring2011

"BONC:

I just want to thank all involved in the setting up and implementing the 200' reroute on Bullards Trail on 4/23/2011. From the pictures, it looks great and turned out just as planned. It is one of the biggest pleasures in my job to be working with the great folks like those who were part of this making things happen for benefit of the users and the environment. John, Moss is a great addition to the BONC group and will be a asset to the Bullards Trail System. Great job! Joe

Joe Chavez

Public Service Officer

Yuba River Ranger District"

Want to support these efforts? Become a BONC member today!

Trees Out at Bullards

2011-04-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Joe Chavez of the USFS asked me to pass along the good news that all downed trees have been taken out of the Bullards Bar trail system. Those of you who have ventured out there in recent months know what mess it had become. Volunteers are still needed for sections where the trailbed itself was damaged. We will accomplish this at our 4/23 event and open up the rest of the trails for the season.

As for the major erosion canyon west of Dark Day, it still remains. The USFS plans to repair this during the fall with a contractor who will fill in this section and carve in the trail (no reroute will occur). The CA Department of Boating and Waterways will fix the cause of the problem, which is runoff from a recently-built parking lot.

Pictures: Round Mountain Volunteer Day 4/9

2011-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

BONC volunteers put in some high quality work yesterday on the Rock Creek Flume Trail near Round Mountain. We rock armored one perpetually wet section, cut a re-route around a mud hole and improved drainage elsewhere. Full write up coming soon. See us in action here.

Want to support these efforts? Become a BONC member today!

Bullards Recon 4/3

2011-03-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

BONC could use some volunteers to recon trail conditions at Bullards Bar for our upcoming trail work day later in April. Meet at the Camptonville USFS ranger station on Sunday, 4/3 at 10AM. Volunteers will scope out tree blowdowns and sections that need our help. A bit of trail work may occur, as well as a ride.

Accurate GPS devices could be handy.

Culvert Trailwork

2011-03-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

FATRAC and others will host a trail improvement day on the popular Culvert Trail on Saturday 3/25/11 at 9AM. Meet at the Mammoth Bar OHV area entrance at 9AM. Tools will be provided.

Support for Hole-in-the-Ground Parcel Acquisition

2011-03-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

BONC has issued the following letter of support for the Trust for Public Land's effort to acquire parcels on which Hole-in-the-Ground trail is located.

The TPL hopes to use a federal program to purchase parcels on which the Hole-in-the-Ground trail is located. Should they be successful, a large portion of the trail which is now fireroad could be converted to singletrack. Access to the trail would also become more permanent. The TPL has asked for letters of support for this program.

"The Honorable Diane Feinstein

United States Senate

Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator Feinstein:

I am writing in support of funding for the U.S. Forest Service program of checkerboard consolidation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After a national ranking process, the FY 2012 President's Budget request recommended $2 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the Sierra Nevada inholdings protection effort.

National forest lands entirely or substantially surround these checkerboard lands, and consolidation of these properties will give the Forest Service an improved ability to manage its lands for recreation. The inholdings feature significant trail resources. One tract is critical to accessing and improving the Hole-in-the-Ground-Trail a trail popular with mountain bikers.

For this reason, we support acquisition of this land (sec 3 and part of 9 of Township 17 North, Range 14 East).

Your strong support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been crucial to great conservation achievements in California and across the country. Your continued leadership on behalf of LWCF as Congress completes the FY 2011 budget and begins the FY 2012 process will help ensure that this project will receive the necessary funds.

Thank you for your support of protecting California's exceptional recreational resources.

Truly,

John Gardiner

Chair, Bicyclists of Nevada County"

Gala Ride with FATRAC - Sat 4/2

2011-03-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Note that this venue has changed to Round Mountain.

FATRAC will join us for a ride in our own backyard on Saturday, April 2, 2011. Meet at the Uren Street and Highway 20 @ 10AM. We'll show off some of our local Round Mountain singletrack stash to our flatlander friends (just kidding FATRAC :-).

This is a No Rider Left Behind ride, so everyone is welcome. We will provide New Belgium beer to adult participants. We will have BONC membership applications available so you can join up (membership is not required for the ride).

Bullards and Downed Trees

2011-03-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Joe Chavez of the USFS and others have put in many hours taking out down trees at the Bullards Bar trail system. Regardless, the place is a bit of a mess. Note that BONC will host a trailwork day on 4/23 to address these challenges. This update from Joe:

"I had a chance to personally see the damage from the last heavy low elevation snow storm on the Bullards trail system yesterday (March 13). Myself, plus three moto volunteers went out to do some clearing. Its bad! I have never seen so many downed trees (many stump pulls on or near the trails), it looked like bombs went off in the area. It is 5 times worse than November's low elevation snow storm. We could not go more than 50 yards without coming across another downed tree. The current status of the trails is as follows:

TRAIL/STATUS

8-Ball/Cleared

Rebel Ridge/Cleared (Be aware of a stump pull hole adjacent to the trail towards the top end)

7-Ball/Cleared

Schoolhouse/Cleared (cleared by FS fire crews)

Bullards/Vista to Dark Day- cleared of logs, large washout near Dark Day (cleared by FS fire crews - FS has submitted for an internal grant to repair this - status on funding currently undetermined).

Dark Day to Camptonville- Many downed logs across the trail, several stump pulls near or on the trail (tread work will need to be done at the stump pulls and some minor reroutes will be needed to get around some damaged spots). Expert faller needed to clear area 1/3 mile west of Dark Day (I will be requesting continued help from the FS fire crews to assist with this). "

Bullards Trail Event Rescheduled to 4/23

2011-03-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Due to current snow conditions at Bullard's, the USFS and BONC need to re-schedule this weekend's trail event at the lake. The new date is Saturday, April 23.

See a full description of this event.

Round Mountain Event Rescheduled to 4/9

2011-02-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Because of snow and ice conditions, the Round Mountain trail day has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 9th @ 10AM.

In the meantime, please consider joining our Bullard's trail day + ride on Sunday, March 6th.

BONC March Newsletter

2011-02-24T08:30:00.001-08:00

The BONC March newsletter is now available online. Please check it out to learn about local riding, trail building, advocacy and social events for our mountain bicycling community.

BONC Clothing Order

2011-01-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

BONC is taking orders for club cycling clothing! Members can order jerseys, jackets, shorts and bibs. More information here. Deadline is March 1st, 2011.

Not a member yet? Well, what are you waiting for? Help promote trail building and advocacy in Nevada County. Join today!

DA Flagging Continues

2011-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to Dieter King and Jerry Henderson. Together, we flagged a full mile of the new Diamond Arrow Trail alignment on Saturday. This section turned out to be more complex than I thought. On paper, it seemed very straightforward, but conditions on the ground are always different than what your topo map or software will tell you.

Regardless, the route we picked for this section is great and conforms with BLM standards (the BLM will build the trail by machine with grant money acquired by BONC). It largely avoids switchbacks and incorporates wide-radius turns. One fine day, this trail will be a great resource for local trail users.

I plan to flag again on 2/12 and perhaps 2/26, Let me know if you want to help out, thanks.

North Yuba Trail

2011-01-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today, Jon Pritchett, Chris Rose, Rob Heller and I rode the North Yuba Trail out of Downieville. This was the first time we've ridden this section. Looking for something new, I selected it as our destination for my birthday ride.

I want to acknowledge all the people who put in the effort to extend this great riverside singletrack. This includes Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, Joe Chavez, Bill Haire and others. It was a huge project that extended the better part of a decade. The result is a joy to ride.

Like a lot of new trails, the North Yuba Extension could use some tweaks here and there. The narrow benchcut + sloughing off of soil from the uphill side occasionally pushes users to the soft edge of the trail bed. But it is still a great local trail asset. Note that there are some trees down on the section we rode, one of which damaged the bridge just east of Goodyears Bar.

I suggest that local trail users support the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. Their paid staff and volunteers have done some great work in the Tahoe and Plumas National Forests.

Bullards Conditions - 1/15

2011-01-17T08:16:00.001-08:00

Is there a better place to ride than Bullards on a beautiful winter's day?

Yesterday, I hooked up with Mark Demartini and Matt Provencal for a loop at the lake. Trail conditions are good, though I counted about 10 downed trees, mostly on Bullards Bar Trail. The good news is that none of the trees are large (about 12" in diameter). There were about 4 washouts (3 on BBT and one on 7 Ball). We can tackle these on our 3/6 volunteer day.

However, the big news at Bullards is the massive canyon of erosion just west of Dark Day. It is ~40' deep and hundreds of feet long. Mark (a civil engineer by trade) tells me that this was likely caused by the parking lot recently constructed above it. Talking to the USFS, it seems likely they will plan a trail re-route at this section. Not sure how that solves the erosion problem though.

Please be careful around the slide. It is unstable and a fall into it could ruin your whole day.

Bullards Bar Trailwork and Ride - 4/23

2011-01-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Note that this event has been rescheduled to 4/23.

Join us as we improve and ride this singlespeed-singletrack paradise. Under direction of the USFS, we will re-route blown out sections of the Bullards' Bar Trail.

Meet at 10AM on Saturday, 4/23 at the Rebel Ridge trailhead (see map). Please bring long sleeves, long pants, appropriate shoes, a snack and some water. BONC will provide New Belgium beer to participants. Ride will occur afterward, helmets required.

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/LrLv

Round Mountain Trailwork and Ride - 4/9

2011-01-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Note that this event has been rescheduled to 4/9.

Once again, we will give this precious local trail system some attention. On Saturday, 4/9, meet at the corner of Rector and Lake Vera-Purdon Roads at 10AM.

We will volunteer on the Rock Creek Flume Trail, where we will improve drainage on sections that are perpetually wet in winter months. Please bring long sleeves, long pants, appropriate shoes, a snack and some water. BONC will provide New Belgium beer to participants. No doubt some of us will ride afterwards.

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Xeyk

BONC Gala Ride - 1/30

2011-01-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Join us for a BONC Gala ride on Sunday January 30 @ 10AM.

Meet at the northwest corner of the Twin Cities Church parking lot. We'll ride Kenney Ranch, Deadman's Flat and other lesser known local gems. Helmets required. Beer very possible. Map:

http://goo.gl/maps/vxHa

Bullards Bar Conditions

2011-01-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Joe Chavez of the USFS sends us an update on the Bullards Bar trail system:

"Thanks to a little help from a moto volunteer (Dave Wood), we were able log out (minus a few very small logs) Rebel Ridge, 8-Ball, 7-Ball and Bullards is logged from Vista Point to Rebel Ridge. East of Rebel, Bullards trail has not yet been logged, but last time I mountain biked it in December there was not too much down.

Just west of Dark Day on the Bullards Trail, there is a deep landslide in a channel. Folks can cross at a point about 100 feet up hill."

BONC Meeting - Sunday 1/9

2011-01-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

Like pizza and beer? Come participate in the planning of future mountain biking in Nevada County. On Sunday January 9 at 5:30PM, meet at 14204 Plover Way, Grass Valley. We'll discuss future trail projects, social events and rides.

And suck down pizza and beer. Agenda for the meeting:

Treasurers report
Next Round Mountain trailwork day
Round Mountain vandalism
Agenda and minutes posting
Trail signs and stickers
Jersey update
Volunteer awards
BONC online store
February Gala ride
Board nominations and resignation
Next meeting

New Year's Ride Cancelled

2010-12-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

This sucks, but BONC's New Year's Day ride has been cancelled. Predictions of 32 degrees and snow showers are why. I suppose we could try to toughen up and ride anyway, but who are we kidding... we are Californians.

Hopefully, we can schedule another club ride soon.

BONC January Newsletter

2010-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

The January BONC newsletter is now available. Get the scoop on local mountain bike riding, advocacy and social events. Read it online:

http://www.bonc.org/newsletter.html

Kids and Trailwork

2010-12-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

Recently, I began training my kids to enjoy and participate in trailwork. Like adults, at first they find the work challenging and exhausting, but come to appreciate and deeply enjoy it. Trailwork is an ideal activity for kids; it gets them outside exercising and developing a work ethic, plus they start to learn the intrinsic value of being a volunteer.

The key is to not push them too hard. Give them small tasks that do not require large hikes in or full day efforts. Today, I brought my daughters out to Scott's Drop, where we cleared many downed trees that made the trail impassible. While I did the heavy lifting, I set them off trimming smaller brush with loppers and handheld clippers. After several hours, we wrapped it up, climbed back in the truck and headed home. Both of the girls told me they really liked our outing and would love to do it again.

Which is about as nice a thing as I could hear on this Christmas Eve.

Round Mountain Recap, 12/11

2010-12-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who pitched in at BONC's trailwork event on Saturday. About 25 volunteers installed culverts, took out downed trees, built a bench at Coyote Overlook, repaired a blowout of the South Yuba Trail, finished the re-route project near Coyote Overlook and planned for more trail improvements.

We'll have a longer write up in our upcoming BONC newsletter issue. In the meantime, here are some pics. Darwin posted some additional pics on our Facebook page:

Special thanks to the Nevada County Land Trust (who donated a culvert) and everyone else who has worked on Round Mountain recently.

Join BONC at a New Membership Level!

2010-12-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC) is pleased to announce multiple membership levels, each contributing toward the future success of BONC's advocacy and trails building efforts:

Basic Membership - $20 annual

Trail Explorer - $40 annual

Fat Tire Friend - $70 annual

Singletrack Sustainer - $100+ annual

BONC invites financial contributions in excess of our basic membership level. This encourages those who can, to support trails development financially, even if unable to personally move dirt on BONC's trail-building projects.

Your membership helps fund purchase and maintenance of tools, trail construction, trails maintenance, trail planning, advocacy, events, club insurance and more. Enjoy a 10% discount off parts at local retailers, upon presentation of your current BONC membership card. Visit www.bonc.org and click Join for details.

Join BONC for 2011 today.

BONC is an 501c3 non-profit organization; consult your tax professional regarding deductibility.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to the ongoing success of BONC!

New Year's Day Ride

2010-12-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

Join BONC for an intermediate-advanced ride on New Years Day! Meet at the Rood Center at 10AM... hey you have to wake up sometime :-) We'll meander along local ditch trails, perhaps hit the top part of Round Mountain or Miners Trail. Helmets required.

Please let me know if you can co-lead this ride, thanks. Map:

http://goo.gl/maps/B6D0

Round Mountain Trails Clear

2010-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

Today I rode Round Mountain (Rock Creek Flume > Up and Over > Round Mountain > South Yuba > back) and was pleased to see that so many of the downed trees from last week's storm have been cleared. Many of these trees were large, so it was impressive to see the trail community step up and put in such an effort. I've advocated such maintenance for a long time; it is good to see that others share this perspective.

Round Mountain is a special place. If you want to help further improve these trails, please consider joining BONC for a trailwork and ride event on Saturday 12/11.

11/27 Ride Cancelled

2010-11-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Because of the forecast of snow/wet/cold, Saturday's BONC ride from the Rood Center is *cancelled*. Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.

BONC Newsletter

2010-11-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am very happy to declare that at long last, BONC has a newsletter! Take a look.

We'll distribute this to the group's email list, website and at local bike shops. If you have a story or submission, just let BONC know.

BONC Ride, Saturday 11/27 at 10AM

2010-11-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Join BONC for an intermediate/advanced ride on Saturday, 11/27 @ 10AM. We will explore the new Hirschman's Trail, Cement Hill Ditch and the top of Round Mountain. Bring a snack, water and determination to have a good time! Helmets required. Meet at the Rood Center. Map:

http://goo.gl/maps/B6D0

If you can help co-lead this ride, please let me know.

BONC Support for the Scott's Drop Re-Route

2010-11-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

BONC submitted the following letter of support for the Scott's Drop trail re-route. This project will convert the existing trail into a sustainable route beginning at Pioneer Trail near the 5 Mile House and ending at Scott's Flat:

Genice Froehlilch

Yuba River Ranger District

Tahoe National Forest

15924 Highway 49

Camptonville CA 95922

Dear Genice,

Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC) supports re-routing the Scott's Drop Trail in the Highway 20 Corridor as a non-motorized multiple-use trail. The Tahoe National Forest and Nevada Irrigation District (NID) has begun planning a new version of this trail that is less steep and more sustainable. We applaud this effort.

BONC believes that this trail should be established as a permanent amenity for the public to enjoy. Thus, we support the creation of a recorded trail easement across NID lands to protect such access for future generations. We hope that the Nevada County Land Trust can be involved to establish and hold such an easement.

At the appropriate time, BONC can offer volunteers to help plan and build the trail. We will participate under the guidance of the Tahoe National Forest and NID who own and manage the project.

BONC is committed to responsible mountain bicycling, preservation and improvement of riding opportunities, cooperation with other interest groups and the education of cyclists and non-cyclists alike. We regularly hold group rides and trail building and improvement events.

Yours truly,

John Gardiner

Chair, Bicyclists of Nevada County

IMBA TCC Visit in Pictures

2010-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

The IMBA Trail Care Crew visited our area over the weekend. Here are some images of the event:

Round Mountain Ride and Trailwork, 12/11

2010-11-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

You are invited to join BONC on Saturday, December 11 for trailwork and a BONC Gala Ride. Meet at 10AM at the corner of Merrimas Way and Rock Creek Road (map).

We will install culverts, improve drainage at muddy spots and hang some flagging for a re-route of the Up-and-Over Trail. Please bring long pants, long-sleeved shirt, boots, water and a snack. BONC will provide New Belgium beer for participants.

After the trailwork (around noon or 1PM) we'll do a group ride on area trails.

UPDATE 12/1 - Provided we have enough volunteers, we will also repair the section of the South Yuba Trail damaged by a fallen oak, just east of the Round Mountain Trail intersection.

Trail Building School

2010-10-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Join us for the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) Trail Building School on Saturday, November 6 at 9AM. Everyone is welcome and it is FREE. Register today:

http://tinyurl.com/imba-tcc-2010

Full schedule:

http://gctrails.blogspot.com/2010/09/imba-trail-care-crew-schedule-115-117.html

More about the event:

http://gctrails.blogspot.com/2010/10/about-imba-trail-building-school.html

Why Trail Maintenance?

2010-10-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Trail maintenance is certainly not as sexy as building new singletrack. But it is just as important. Improving an existing trail can make all the difference in the quality of our local rides. It can convert a muddy, tree-blocked, brush-covered, rutted mess into trail that is sustainable and fun to ride.

Less tangible is the reputation factor. Volunteer trail maintenance gives local users groups credibility when it comes to requesting new trails. The land management agency knows that your club will be able to deliver volunteer man hours and resources that these projects need.

In this spirit, I met with NID staff at Scott's Flat Lake on Monday to walk, discuss and flag BONC and YBONC trailwork on 11/13. This lakeside trail is rather popular with local mountain bikers who ride Scott's Drop from the Pioneer Trail. It offers some very nice vistas and swimming opportunities in the summer. BONC has worked on it before, but there are some sections that collect water, are rutted or need brushing.

Please consider joining us on 11/13 to make this trail even better.

About the IMBA Trail Building School

2010-10-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

The IMBA Trail Care Crew will be in town soon to teach us the latest ideas and techniques for designing and building sustainable trails. All area staff and trail enthusiasts are invited and enrollment is free. BONC and YBONC be hosting the program at and near Twin Cities Church starting at 9AM on Saturday 11/6.

This program is for all volunteers, staff, teams and trail users: 1/2 day classroom; 1/2 field work. Everyone who likes trails and wants to help maintain and improve them is welcome. The day begins with a morning of class time where we will learn the latest techniques in trail design and improvement. YBONC will provide lunch for a $5 donation. In the afternoon, we will apply what we learned on singletrack at Kenney Ranch property adjacent to Twin Cities.

If you have not attended an IMBA TCC trail building class, be prepared to be inspired and excited. You'll learn what it takes to create great trails that include outstanding switchbacks, drainage and flow. The crew will also talk about what it takes to get permission to build a trail (which is ALWAYS the hardest part). Hope you can join us.

Register today

Map