Moose Mountain

 

	See also: Dirt Jump Parks CMBA supports IMBA's Position on Freeriding (IMBA website) Freeriding - What is it? How do we make it work? Making Freeriding Work - IMBA's Guide to Freeriding Solutions
	More on Moose Mountain Moose Mountain Trail Forum Your chance to help in the development of new trail projects!

• Update after the first meeting with Sustainable Resource Development
• The Future of Unsanctioned Mountain Bike Trails on Moose Mountain

Update after the first meeting with Sustainable Resource Development

by Paul Sudlow
August 14th, 2003

We had a first meeting with Sustainable Resource Development (SRD).

The meeting was in no way confrontational. After it was explained what the CMBA is all about they were keen for us to work together to explore the possibilities for freeride and DH-type mountain bike trails in the area.

We all agreed that some of the major concerns with the current situation are:

1. that meadows have to be avoided because they are important habitat for the deer, elk and bears.
2. that issues regarding safety, liability, emergency rescue will have to be addressed somehow
3. that before existing illegal trails can be sanctioned, and before any new trails could be made, there would have to be a method of formal approval that is followed - just as there is for other development in the area.

As an act that can only be seen as an act of goodwill toward the CMBA, SRD has offered the CMBA a temporary and somewhat informal agreement: That if the CMBA volunteers to dismantle and close Jean-Guy, and if we can keep riders from building more stunts for the time being - SRD will allow riding of the other existing unsanctioned trails for the time being. This is great news when you consider the alternative for the government would have been to shut everything down.

SRD also added that they are prepared to work with CMBA to help educate mountain bikers by providing some materials and an offer to attend formal or informal gatherings of CMBA or IMBA members. More great news!

So, it is extremely important that we tell all biking friends, and all those interested in a future that allows for any freeride mountain bike trails, that we all need to abide by this agreement.

Bruce Robertson is organising a crew to go and remove all the foreign lumber from Jean-Guy - get in touch with him if you can help out. He's going to need pick-ups and lots of helping hands. Bruce can be reached at 547-5013 and at info@cmbalink.com and he is planning to start evening work in the week-days next week.

The CMBA will be making signs to post at all trail-heads informing people whether or not trails are open or closed so that it is clear to everyone. The signs will be paid for by CMBA and they will be sanctioned by SRD.

There are some other things we have to do to foster a good and relationship with the government and other trail users:

1. We have to start policing ourselves - no more hauling wood up the road to build new stunts - if you know of anyone talking about it, tell them they shouldn't and why not. Shell employees who use the road have been told to phone in the plate numbers of anyone doing this - it's no-good if the SRD gets calls from Shell saying that wood is still being hauled in - it will totally hurt our efforts and signal to us that we're wasting our time.
2. Don't let anyone start to cut any new trails or ride Jean-Guy. We need to show everyone - (the SRD and the rest of the trail user community) that we, as mountain bikers, can act responsibly and police ourselves so that they don't have to. If there are riders who don't follow the trail closures it could wreck the future of freeride trails for the rest of the mountain bike community - let's not be that rider!
3. Lastly - let's keep our single track looking like single track! Let's all start to get more into the habit of staying on the trails to help keep the trails narrower and more fun to ride. Don't be afraid to tell your friends "Hey, this is your home - don't wreck it!". You can also mention to them that it's illegal to kill forest growth of any kind.

These are big changes for everyone to get used to (including me and Bruce!) but it is the only path we have toward getting legal freeride trails like they have in communities all around BC.

Most of the news in this article was presented to an audience of 250 people at the premiere of RISE this past Wednesday evening. The news was received with overwhelming support from the crowd in attendance. The makers of RISE, Warwick Patterson and Ted Tempany of www.mtbfilms.com, were extremely gracious by offering to subsidize new memberships by offering a $10 rebate off all VHS copies of their film sold to anyone purchasing a CMBA membership at the Premiere.

If you have ideas for new trail routes let me or Bruce know. We're going to be working on a map with SRD to figure out what areas are likely to be suitable for freeride mountain bike trails - your input could help. E-mail: sudlow@telusplanet.net.

In the meantime, keep checking the CMBA website for more news of progress and also for calls for volunteer trail crews and the like.

Note: Update to the August 8th article:
It was made quite clear by the Department of Sustainable Resource Development (DSRD) that there would be no additional government resources made available for new trails and that any new trails we can legitimize will most likely have to be planned and maintained by CMBA voluntary efforts under the management of SRD.

[ Top ]

The Future of Unsanctioned Mountain Bike Trails on Moose Mountain

by Paul Sudlow
August 8th, 2003

As many may be aware, there have been 5 or so new trails cut on Moose Mountain over the last four years or so. Trails with names like 'Special K', 'Jean-Guy', 'Rhubarb' and 'Toothless'. Traffic on these trails increased at an exponential rate as more and more riders became aware of their existence and as improvements were made making them more and more fun to ride.

Some may also be aware of rumours of imminent action by provincial government agencies to close these trails down.

The CMBA is taking action to try to save these trails or to create alternate sanctioned trails that support freeriding. CMBA has contacted Alberta government representatives in the Parks and Protected Areas Division and in the Department of Sustainable Resource Development (DSRD) to find out who is planning the closures. It turns out that the trails fall under the responsibility of the DSRD because they are not yet sanctioned. If they were to get sanctioned they would fall under the responsibility of the Parks and Protected Areas Division. It has also been made quite clear by SRD that there would be no additional government resources made available for new trails and that any new trails we can legitimize will most likely have to be planned and maintained by CMBA voluntary efforts under the management of SRD.

The CMBA has written a letter to the responsible people in the DSRD requesting a meeting to discuss the future of the trails.

The DSRD replied to the CMBA and stated:

They list their issues as:

1. Public Safety.
2. Unauthorized construction of trails and structures without any regulatory or public consultation as would go on with any activity on crown lands under the "Public Lands Act".
3. The location of the trails being in "Zone 1" Prime Protection under the East Slopes Zoning Policy as well as the Kananaskis Country Sub-Regional Integrated Resource Plan.
4. One of the trails traverses critical ungulate and grizzly bear habitat.

We were encouraged by their response suggesting they are open to discussion and are flexible. A first meeting is being arranged for the week of August 11 - 15.

At this meeting the CMBA will be presenting a vision for the future of mountain biking on Moose Mountain. That vision will include the sanctioning of freeride and downhill oriented trails that meet the needs of the user community while being safe, sustainable, consistent with Kananaskis Area's use criteria and sensitive to the needs of other user groups. The Freeride and downhill community will be heavily consulted in order to achieve a solution that meets their needs for trails that are fun and challenging to ride by today's standards.

Look for more updates, including high-lights from the first meeting, on our website in the near future.

In the meantime, if having freeride trails in the Calgary area interests you, consider joining the CMBA or renewing your CMBA membership.

 
Home | What is CMBA? | People & Contacts | Education
Newsletters | Trail Care | Help Out | Membership | Links | Site Map