7/13/09: XTERRA off-road triathlon note of thanks

I am writing to thank the Mad River Riders for supporting last weekend's XTERRA off-road triathlon by allowing use of the trails for the bike leg of the course. Athletes from all over the world (Switzerland, South Africa, Argentina, Columbia, France, Costa Rica, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain) as well as all over the country came to participate in the event. Many remarked how uniquely beautiful this place is and claimed the race was the most challenging XTERRA Regional Cup so far. And, I don't want to speak for the other locals and Vermonters that participated, but for me, there was an added element of pride and satisfaction in competing in the backyard I love.

I wanted to recognize the MRR trail work, course consultation and volunteers that made the race a success. And, I also wanted to acknowledge that I hope the benefits of showcasing the Mad River Valley's wild beauty, providing a memorable race experience for many and having visitors spend money in the local economy outweigh some of the costs to the trails, due to the extremely rainy conditions. I can imagine that 100 athletes grinding up(!) wet trails - that have been built with hundreds of hours of human labor - will impact local riders' experience and trail work resources. So, thank you for sharing your gems in the woods. And, if the race is held again next year, maybe there are ways to tap the XTERRA community for trail work or to at least highlight MRR as an organization. In the meantime, I'll be sure to hit a work party soon.

Kelly Ault
Middlesex

5/7/08: A note from John Atkinson

Hello Mad River Riders and Valley visitors,

The big news of this season is a $9000 grant from FPR for trail work in Camel’s Hump State Forest, specifically for the Cyclone. The VYCC will be building bridges, berms, benches and buffing this Valley classic to improve flow and prevent erosion. We are still looking for donations to help with this and other projects, along with the constant need for volunteer trail labor. Please help!

Speaking of trail maintenance, work parties start Wednesday, May 14th at 5:30pm through July 2nd. Meet at Stark Mountain Bikes on corner of RT17 and 100. We will also be trying to meet on Sundays starting May 11th and going through June 22nd. Meet at 10am at Stark Mountain. Bring trail tools, if you have them, otherwise, we can provide.

If these times don't work for you, we have a ton of individual projects that can be accessed at your convenience. Trail adopters are very welcome to apply. Do you really love a certain trail? Want to play in the dirt? We can help.

These are areas that will need work this spring:

Phen Basin — raking/ blowdown removal, minor reroutes, marking
Center Fayston/ Rocky Road — raking/ blowdown removal
Camel's Hump State Forest - Howe Block — rock armoring, raking/ blowdown removal, major VYCC bridge and trail projects, marking
Dennyland/ Wu Ledges — raking/ blowdown removal, marking
Chase Brook — Catamount Trail to Sugar Run — raking/ blowdown removal
Eurich Pond to Tucker Hill/ Kew Hill/ Dana Hill/ Snowmaking Pond, including Pusherman, High Plum and Plum Line — raking/ blowdown removal, reroutes, marking
Mad River Path — raking/ blowdown removal
Moretown School — raking/ blowdown removal
TechTown — raking/ blowdown removal
Sugarbush to Sugarbush Inn — raking/ blowdown removal, marking

We are also in discussions with land owners in Fayston and Duxbury, that may open another 500+ acres for trails. Stay tuned.

This represents almost 50 miles of legal trails in MRV. Please support the Mad River Riders by joining and helping with trail maintenance. Thank you!

John

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Tuesday Night Ride :
After diminishing participation, there is still a Tuesday night mountain bike ride from Bridge St. It's departure has been pushed back to 5:45. This is NOT race training.