NWTA Kids’ Ride Recap

Written by Elaine Bothe, NWTA Instructor

Chilly but no rain during 2023’s first Kids’ Ride at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park!

Stub Stewart State Park has quite the range of trails to suit every level of rider! At the NWTA’s first Kids’ Ride of 2023, a good crew showed up with all the right layers to enjoy a cold but mostly dry day. 

After meeting the kids and parents, and a bike safety check, we entertained the early birds warming up with a game of Foot-Down and a slow race. We then took a couple of laps near the parking lot as the last couple of kids got ready to join us.

We then set out down the North Caddywhomper / MTB Connector trail which was damp, but not very muddy even after the rainy week. We made it all the way to the kiosk at the top of the skills area access and took a snack and photo break. The way back was just as fun and challenging in a good way. The forest was beautiful, the trail has some great green-level rolling terrain and some bluish-green descents, switchbacks and climbs but the kids (and the parents who rode along with us) did great and had a lot of fun. 

BIG thanks go out to Project^ and Trek Bicycles, Lolo Racks, REI, and the trailbuilders, volunteers, Coach Elaine Bothe and volunteers Kyla MacDonald and Susan Koonce. We could not do these rides without your help! 

Photos by Barbara Zuercher

We had a total of ten sign up! Five kids joined us, after another five were either sick, had a soccer game that went long or for other reasons.