Tuesday Trail Talk: September 18, 2024
Thanks for hanging in there and waiting a day for today’s newsletter! We have been super busy lately!
Defining Our Work
In 2014, CWTA’s founding members had a vision for the future of outdoor recreation and the organized growth of multi-use trails. This vision, shared by many groups and users, stretches back even further than many current trail users have been around. I recall in the mid-to-late 90s building new trails on Casper Mountain, with Pinball Alley standing out. That trail was constructed to extend the Dry Creek Mountain Bike Challenge, a local NORBA-sanctioned race promoted by one of the area’s mountain bike racing teams. Pinball Alley was deliberately made narrow and somewhat challenging to navigate, reflecting the era of narrow handlebars and hardtail or rigid bikes. However, much has changed over the years, and so have our trails. While change can take time, perhaps too much time, the lack of progress in trail development within our community can be attributed to various factors—community leaders, individuals, and organizations.
But instead of assigning blame, we’re focusing on what we can do today. We’re grateful for the new partnerships with area managers, leaders, and other organizations that have helped bring outdoor recreational opportunities to the present state in Natrona County. Still, we continue to build on the foundation and principles laid down by CWTA’s founders. As is common with volunteer-driven organizations, people can become over-tasked and fatigued. Yet, we appreciate what the community has achieved and endured over the last decade concerning trail improvements. Today, we benefit from the trails CWTA worked tirelessly to establish and maintain.
This year marks a new chapter for CWTA.
We’ve moved past the era of narrow handlebars and hardtail bikes, looking ahead toward the future of recreational advancement in our community. We’ve added an Executive Director to manage daily operations, trail-building efforts, volunteer groups, and to enhance our organizational capacity. At our core, we believe that outdoor recreation promotes healthier lifestyles and brings families closer together. The beauty is that this can all be achieved with something as simple as a trail. Trails offer us mental resets and rejuvenating spaces, often providing physical challenges that make us stronger and more connected to nature. From the very beginning, creating these spaces has been a top priority for CWTA.
Many of you have been with us on this journey, and we’re grateful for your continued support. We will keep working to develop new spaces and exciting recreational opportunities for our community. One of our latest projects is the McMurry Mountain Park trail. Recently, we’ve received many questions about this area. In short, it’s a new place for everyone to enjoy. Yes, it’s a multi-use trail, welcoming horses, hikers, and bikers when it’s completed. Yes, we’re using machines to build it. By employing modern trail-building techniques, we can make the trail accessible more quickly. Given the terrain, vegetation, and slope, a hand-built trail would be less cost-effective and take much longer to complete.
A recurring question we hear is whether singletrack is supposed to be narrow. The answer is—sort of. We’re designing this trail to have both wide and narrow sections. Over time, vegetation will grow back, and the trail tread will develop naturally. If you have any specific questions about the trail, please reach out to us. Ultimately, we are embracing the future of mountain biking and other non-motorized user groups. This is just the beginning for CWTA. We have many projects in the pipeline, and we look forward to serving our community. See you on the trails!
Susan Stubson, Photo by Amy Elizabeth Photography
Donation spotlight
This week we enthusiastically thank the Stubson Family Giving Fund for their generous donation. We are truly humbled and thankful for our growing list of supporters.
Trail conditions
With the recent high wind events downed trees are likely in most areas. Please contact us directly if you come across a tree that needs to be cut or removed.
IMBA Event coming soon…
We will be scheduling a Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day soon. Please stay tuned for this exciting announcement.