On Sunday, November 14th, a group of volunteers gathered to work on NWTA’s revamp of the trail Little Monkey. With the funds raised from the Revel Bike Drawing this summer, NWTA hired professional trail builder Sasquatch Trails to help us rework the entire line.
After the Sandy Ridge Trail System was established, the Bureau of Land Management acquired adjacent land where Little Monkey and TnT are located. Initially, these trails were not built to withstand the traffic the Sandy Ridge System sees every year. With a plan to create a safer & more enjoyable experience for riders of all levels, this has been the large trail project for the Local Stewardship Team this Fall/Winter Dig Season.
After four weeks of work, the plan was to have volunteers help put the finishing touches to open it. While we did have a full group, the atmospheric river that fell from the sky and the windy conditions earlier in the week created challenging conditions for the contractor & volunteers who spent the week preparing for the work party. The good news is that we had enough volunteers to form two groups to work on problem areas on Lower Hide & Seek. They rebuilt berms & did some much-needed tread repair.
There were also some repairs done on Johnny Royal. LOLO Racks has officially adopted the trail and will lead NWTA’s volunteer efforts. Owner Joe understands what it takes to make a difference in our community. LOLO Racks is a financial supporter of NWTA & now has joined our Local Stewardship Team to help us deliver the world-class riding experience that the trails at Sandy Ridge are known for. Way to go, LOLO Racks!!
Since the work party concluded, volunteers Justin Phillips, Rick Gale, and Lead Brent Sullivan have been working with the contractor to re-route the bottom of Little Monkey to ensure that it no longer merges with the TNT trail. Once this work is completed, it will finally re-open. Don’t worry; we will let everyone know once this happens.
NWTA would like to thank everyone who came out to help us this year at Sandy Ridge; while we hire contractors, the lion’s share of the labor to bring these trails to life is done by volunteers. If you have not been out to one of our work parties, join us. If you are not a member of NWTA and you ride these trails, become one. If you already are one, thank you! If you want to see more improvements, consider donating. We are a 501c3, and your donation is tax-deductible.
If you have questions or would like to join the team at Sandy Ridge, email [email protected]