IMBA Trail Care Crew is Coming, May 21 - 24

[centralRH]

Mark your calanders! The IMBA Trail Care Crew will be coming to Lansing May 21 - 24 to conduct a Trail Building School at Anderson Park. The visit will include a day of trail assessment and layout (restricted to TCs and those starting a trail in the future), 1/2 day of classroom instruction on suistainable trail building techniques, and 1 day of trail work at Anderson Park. The visit will not be all work...there will be an evening social with beer , and a trail ride to sample your hard earned work .

Tools and lunch will be provided for the event. More details will be posted as the event nears.

Hope to see you all there!

[lansingtrails]

Brad,

Let me know when you get the April meeting times nailed down for the Anderson trail work days. I'm looking forward to helping and seeing how things have progressed. -I might be able to round up a few other people too : )

Wendy Vela

[centralRH]

Save the date! This is just about a month away. Details will be posted this weekend.

If a moderator reads this, can we please make this a sticky.

Thanks!

[centralRH]

There is no cost, but please post up or send a PM if you plan to attend.

[bike lover]

I'm interested in this but would need to know times.

What does "those starting a trail in the future" mean? Does this mean in my backyard or an official trail?

[centralRH]

I will attempt to complete and post a full adgenda this weekend. We would like to restrict the number of people during the trail assessment day, but we will not turn anyone away if they really want to come out. If you want to learn design for a backyard trail or any trail please attend.

[centralRH]

Here is the tentative agenda

Friday, May 22:
10:00 am until necessary - Trail assessment and walk through. Prepare trail work project.
Saturday, May 23:
9:00 am - 12:00 pm - classroom session (Delta township office; directions will be provided later)
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - lunch (provided)
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - field session
Sunday, May 24:
9:00 am - 12:00 pm - field session
12:00 pm - snack and group ride

Evening social will be on Friday or Saturday. We are still arranging plans for the social and will post details later.

Please send me a PM or contact the MidState chapter at midstate (at) mmba dot org to register (No cost!).

[dauber76]

On-line registration is now open at go.imba.com/lansing! As a reminder this event is free!

[dauber76]

Bump!

Remember to register online at http://go.imba.com/lansing

[dauber76]

Due to lack of registrations, we may be forced to cancel this event. Please go to go.imba.com/Lansing and register for this event (it's free!). Don't let this opportunity go away.

[G.Cook]

THIS IS JUST EMBRASSING !
One of the cornerstones of the MMBA is the claim and ability to be able to supply trained trail crew to volunteer to maintain/build single track on any piece of land we are allowed access .
This event is that opportunity to learn from the best trail builders and instructors about the how to's of trail building and maintenance .
It's effing FREE !
You are going to be FED !
You will earn MMBA FAFL hours , FREE SCHWAG from the MMBA !
Your help will be greatly appreciated and REMEMBERED !
Hell , you spend as much time on a race day or an effing group ride ! (Attention Christians who unite )
Nobody's going to embarrass you !
Nobody's going to cuss you out !
You get to meet mtb'ers from other chapters outside of your little clique !
Really ,it ain't that hard to contribute . And you feel a foot taller after doing so .
Rant off .
I'm going out to do some work on the Poto . Something I learned to do at an IMBA/MMBA trail school .
GET BUSY !

[spwrozek]

Rant off .

While I understand where you are coming from I think that the timing of this event may have to do with low turnout/interest.

My wife and I who would have enjoyed going to something like this have a backpacking trip planned due to it being Memorial Day weekend and having Monday off of work. I speculate that other people have similar family endeavors for this weekend and unfortunately can't take the time out to learn about trail building and maintenance.

[G.Cook]

Yeah, I have heard that "it's not a good time" blah, blah , blah . You have a planned family commitment that in no way you can get out of , I don't have a problem with a free pass......this time .
BUT ,there is certainly a disconnect with ALOT of people in this organization and to it's role and theirs as to the MMBA being an ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION FOR MTB"ERS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN , but rather as a social/racing organization . We can get 500+ people to attend a race , 150+ people to go on a freaken group ride but we just can't muster 10-20 people to learn how to do trail work the right freaken way !
I'am not looking for peoples excuses . I have heard them ALL . I'm looking for some effing commitment by people who understand the concept of ADVOCACY and how to apply it one way or another .
spwrozek , this rant is NOT directed at you personally . This is just one of my raw nerves when it comes to the MMBA . By the way did you see the post on the front page about the Midwest Mtb. Summit.......hmmmmm.

[Loren]

I understand the frustration in trying to coordinate an event such as this. Every weekend is full of events of one sort or another, and there are always conflicts.

I don't share the pessimism however. We're just wrapping up several weekends of back to back trail days here in Metro South, and from my perspective it feels like advocacy is alive and well in MMBA. A lot of work was accomplished. At one of these trail days, 50 participants clocked 394 hours of fafl time. In addition, 27 volunteers showed up to help at the Take a Kid/Adult Mountain Biking openhouse. At each of these events, there were new faces and new friendships made, and a few new members added to the roster.

Anyway, I tend to agree with the previous poster - it's mostly unfortunate timing. I can't do both this and the summit the next weekend, and so a choice had to be made.

[G.Cook]

Loren wrote ;

I don't share the pessimism however. We're just wrapping up several weekends of back to back trail days here in Metro South, and from my perspective it feels like advocacy is alive and well in MMBA. A lot of work was accomplished. At one of these trail days, 50 participants clocked 394 hours of fafl time. In addition, 27 volunteers showed up to help at the Take a Kid/Adult Mountain Biking open house. At each of these events, there were new faces and new friendships made, and a few new members added to the roster.

Pessimism ?! One of our state chapters is hosting an IMBA trail school and they can't get anybody to attend ? But that's okay because the Metro South Chapter did this and that and blah , blah . And thats great to hear . Really , no sarcasm intended . But then again Metro South suffers from a "glut of riches" so to speak . Bad timing , boo hoo Midstate Chapter .
But this event has been on the calender for quite awhile .It's not a surprise .
What kind of support did the Metro South Chapter give to the Mid -Stat Chapter by informing all these new faces working at your trail day about the potential opportunities to actually learn how to do trail work ? Was there any encouragement at all to get this info out beyond the MMBA forum by any other chapter in the MMBA ?
It's the type of support and encouragement any MMBA chapter should be giving to any other MMBA chapter .
Those newb trail workers would be wiser and more confident trail workers the next time they worked one of your trail days if they are encouraged to attend such events .