Written by Janelle Bickford
A great time had by all out on the Falls Creek trail. This trail is such a gem and brings a variety of challenges for all levels of riders. Every participant stepped up to their own challenges and left the trail with something new for the future! We are so grateful to NW TrailSisters and NW Trail Alliance for prioritizing activities like this to foster camaraderie and skill building for our local women, trans, and non-binary riders. Thank you Nancy Stone for your dedication to planning and getting a variety of unique events on the calendar! Thank you to Hopworks for the tasty Beverages!
Brad Parker, owner of Metropolis Cycles, is always ready and willing to support activities like this and come to offer mechanical and nutritional support for before and after the shred. He is a die hard fan of trails and stewardship. Thank you to Andrew Sullivan for set up and grill support! Thank you Jo Fidler and Nancy for the special extra treats!
Here is what some of our participants had to say:
Kristen K said: “I had such a great time on the ride, totally surpassed all my expectations! I appreciate all the lady leaders that took time to organize & make it fun, as well as the Metropolis men for cooking & support.. what a treat to have the food & time to connect after.”
Hayli said: “I had a great time on the trail and learned so much from watching all the ladies in group 1 session features. I would love to ride again!”
Angie said: “Y’all rip, I’m inspired.”
Jody (Team Metropolis) said: “A rad day of forest bathing, pushing comfort levels and supportive, encouraging cheers from the riders. Every group that we encountered was so excited when we told them there were 20 other women ahead of us—quite an impact!”
Jo (Team Metropolis) said: “Our day was all about rocks, roots, and getting rad. For some the trail was new while others had ridden it before; but everyone learned and/or tried something new. There was a lot of dirt, a bit of blood, and a ton of smiles. Some say you shouldn’t go chasing waterfalls, but I say that’s exactly what you should do at Falls Creek.”
Maggie (Team Metropolis) said: Got to ride behind @22taytertots , our group leader, and got an expert lesson on flow and playfulness on the trail. For some of the more technical parts we pulled over, discussed, and sessioned. I am so appreciative of the supportive and low pressure environment that was created for fostering shredability in addition to the intellectual conversations on body position and weight distribution for sending it. Yay for physics and mountain biking! Made some new friends and reconnected with current ones while sailing through the woods, hootin’ & hollarin’ on the kickers! (And moanin’ and groanin’ on the climbs)
Janelle (Team Metropolis): What a day! So many sounds of joy filling the forest air. The energy of determination, fun, and encouragement was inspiring. Was great to see the co-mingling of riders and connections for future shred partners!