After hosting many work parties and events, I have been amazed at how far people travel to help at our events, with the most recent traveling from Spain. So in the name of research, I decided to give a vacation work party a try. I joined the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition, a local IMBA Chapter, for their Makawao Forest Reserve trail event.
Didn’t know there was some epic mountain bike action in Maui? There wasn’t until a few years ago when a group just like NWTA started working with their local land managers to show some love to the local natural area forest in the uplands of Makawao, and wow, have those efforts paid off. There are plenty of trails to get lost on for an afternoon, an amazing flow trail similar to Sandy Ridge (because it shares some of the same builder DNA), a large pump/jump track, a very large jump line track, and a Keiki (kid) zone.
What is a tropical work party like? It started a little late, finished a little early, and was on Hawaiian time, but other than that, it was just like ours with shovels, dirt, skilled builders, and cool people who care about their lands. It also had a great local shop, Krank Cycles, who hosted the after-party BBQ and music with a full NWTA-style spread, including fish burgers. Krank is 15 minutes from the trail and will fix you up with a great full suspension bike and a helmet, but bring your own chamois, because a nylon swim suit and sun tan lotion for chamois butter is… not onolicious.
It was great to hang out with the local mountain bike community and hear their summer mainland riding plans, many of which include our local favorites, and also learn of their advocacy efforts, including work to rebuild the trail down Haleakala using sustainable trail methods. It is hard to compete with windsurfing, kite boarding, surfing, body boarding, snorkeling in crystal blue warm waters, and other things to do in Maui, but this should be on your list for a day in the islands.