Get Ready for the Portland Trail Fest! (April 22 -25)
From April 22 through April 25, Northwest Trail Alliance and IMBA will kick off the 2010 trail riding & trail care season in earnest, with the inaugural edition of the PORTLAND TRAIL FEST, a four-day-long celebration of trails, knobby tires, and the planet (yes, April 22 is Earth Day!). And we enthusiastically invite you to join us for the festivities!
This new event - slated to become our annual signature spring event - will provide a great opportunity to connect with fellow riders, get your hands dirty working the trail (and earning good trail karma!), and get out there with new and old friends alike to ride some awesome trails.
On Thursday (4/22), we'll kick off things with a not-to-be-missed, Portland-style party at Chris King headquarters in NW Portland. Local bike celebrity and cyclist-of-all-trades Joe "Metal Cowboy" Kurmaskie will be our emcee for the evening and IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel will provide the evening's keynote on "the current state of affairs and the future of mountain biking across the globe and in our backyard." Other speakers include pro-rider Kirt Voreis who will talk about "the Bend model." But, first and foremost, this event will be an opportunity for you to mingle and socialize with fellow riders and trail stewards, and meet some of the great folks who manage and care for the trails we ride. All with a tasty cup of Hopworks Urban Brewing organic beer in hand. Bike parking provided courtesy of BikeRacker. [Doors: 6:30pm / Keynote & Speeches: 7:00pm / Social Time: 8:00pm-9:30pm]
On Friday (4/23), we will focus on trail advocacy and policy issues, featuring NWTA/IMBA meetings with local agencies and a leisurely PDX Advocacy Ride with Mike Van Abel at Powell Butte, followed by a social. Both the ride and the social are open to members and non-members alike.
On Saturday (4/24), we shift our focus to trail care and to the new Sandy Ridge Trail System, located on BLM land just east of Sandy. This new, MTB-specific trail system was designed and built with the help of IMBA and Northwest Trail Alliance has stepped up as the BLM's volunteer/stewardship partner for these trails. We will host a trail care party from 9 am through 1 pm, followed by a discovery ride of the new trails in the area. Make sure to check out this video to get an idea of how fun a trail this is!
On Sunday (4/25), we will wrap up the Portland Trail Fest with our "Rides of Spring", a fun-filled day of riding at LL Stub Stewart State Park (beginner ride) and Wilson River Trail (intermediate ride). On Sunday, Northwest Trail Alliance will also have a presence at the Bear Springs Trap XC Mountain Bike Classic that day, so if you are into bike racing and like to experience what many consider the greatest XC MTB course in Oregon, we sure hope to see you out there!
