A few FASTies spent a weekend under tutelage of the International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Care Crew in LaCrosse, WI. They logged some classroom time, some trailbuilding time and some ride time.
They're back and heavily armed with knowledge and vision.
You can and should read Snakebite's report.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Time's Up To Catch Up
February 21 FAST hosted the open house in a library meeting room. Many people visited. Many people indicated they'd volunteer to build singletrack.
February 22 Snakebite's Bike Swap occur ed. It was a great success. Many people paid their admittance. Many goods were swapped. FAST had a table at the swap and many people indicated they'd volunteer to build singletrack.
For the weekend 50 people indicated they'd volunteer to help build singletrack. Practically an army of trailbuilders.
February 24 a couple FAST Folks met with representatives in the highest levels of the parks department. They gave us and our proposal a good reception and they put up a few hoops to jump through before we could begin moving dirt.
March 4 FAST met to review the results of the parks meeting. Volunteers were selected to move forward and a plan was set.
Primary task - put together a presentation for the neighborhood surrounding the proposed site. We are moving forward on this. We met April 11 and May 11 to review what we have. We're getting close.
Finally, with donations and bike swap money FAST is sending a few folks to LaCrosse, WI mid-June to an IMBA Trailbuilding School. While there they'll hopefully make friends with IMBA and gain valuable knowledge.
February 22 Snakebite's Bike Swap occur ed. It was a great success. Many people paid their admittance. Many goods were swapped. FAST had a table at the swap and many people indicated they'd volunteer to build singletrack.
For the weekend 50 people indicated they'd volunteer to help build singletrack. Practically an army of trailbuilders.
February 24 a couple FAST Folks met with representatives in the highest levels of the parks department. They gave us and our proposal a good reception and they put up a few hoops to jump through before we could begin moving dirt.
March 4 FAST met to review the results of the parks meeting. Volunteers were selected to move forward and a plan was set.
Primary task - put together a presentation for the neighborhood surrounding the proposed site. We are moving forward on this. We met April 11 and May 11 to review what we have. We're getting close.
Finally, with donations and bike swap money FAST is sending a few folks to LaCrosse, WI mid-June to an IMBA Trailbuilding School. While there they'll hopefully make friends with IMBA and gain valuable knowledge.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Meeting #4 – January 31
We convened at Monk’s House of Ale Repute at noon. They agreed to open early and make use of their video projection system if we agreed to consume $50 worth of product. It’s a deal!
We enjoyed the goods they had to offer as we viewed the US Forest Service’s not quite award winning yet very informative DVD “Building Mountain Bike Trails – Sustainable Singletrack.” The DVD is available to taxpaying Americans for additional viewing pleasure from this Federal Highway Administration website.
We talked a lot about the details of the park design that was nearing completion. They say there could be 2 miles of singletrack begging to be loosed upon the community.
We approved a plan to host a small open house to invite the bicycling community in on what we’ve been up to and hopefully engage a few volunteer trailbuilders. The date was coincidentally and quite strategically set the weekend of Snakebite’s first ever Bike Swap. Posters were made available for distribution to select venues.
Finally we completed the read through of the proposal. We placed a plan to complete final edits of the proposal and deliver it to our contact within the parks department in mid-February.
After 3 hours we adjourned.
We enjoyed the goods they had to offer as we viewed the US Forest Service’s not quite award winning yet very informative DVD “Building Mountain Bike Trails – Sustainable Singletrack.” The DVD is available to taxpaying Americans for additional viewing pleasure from this Federal Highway Administration website.
We talked a lot about the details of the park design that was nearing completion. They say there could be 2 miles of singletrack begging to be loosed upon the community.
We approved a plan to host a small open house to invite the bicycling community in on what we’ve been up to and hopefully engage a few volunteer trailbuilders. The date was coincidentally and quite strategically set the weekend of Snakebite’s first ever Bike Swap. Posters were made available for distribution to select venues.
Finally we completed the read through of the proposal. We placed a plan to complete final edits of the proposal and deliver it to our contact within the parks department in mid-February.
After 3 hours we adjourned.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Meeting #3 - January 11
Another meeting at Caribou.
We spent most of the time reviewing the first draft of the proposal. Draft one isn't as much a proposal for a land management agency as it is a proposal for our group. It's the way to indicate to each other what we're working toward.
If the proposal isn't sold to the group, how can the proposal be sold to anybody else?
We identified four key ingredients that need to be planned around before we advance the proposal beyond our group: volunteers, training, cost/financing, design.
The next meetign was locked down - Monk's House of Ale Repute. We'll view a trailbuilding DVD on their projection system and finalize our reading of the proposal.
We spent most of the time reviewing the first draft of the proposal. Draft one isn't as much a proposal for a land management agency as it is a proposal for our group. It's the way to indicate to each other what we're working toward.
If the proposal isn't sold to the group, how can the proposal be sold to anybody else?
We identified four key ingredients that need to be planned around before we advance the proposal beyond our group: volunteers, training, cost/financing, design.
The next meetign was locked down - Monk's House of Ale Repute. We'll view a trailbuilding DVD on their projection system and finalize our reading of the proposal.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Open House 2/21
After a few months of getting our story straight FAST is ready to tell it. You're invited to an open house Saturday February 21 from 1pm to 4pm at the Caille Branch Library. We'll be there to answer questions, we'll have a relevant DVD on display. Little bits of food too, while they last.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Meeting #2 - December 14, 2008
Meeting #2 was December 14 - 7 people turned up in the afternoon at Caribou.
We talked a lot about the International Mountain Bicyling Association (IMBA) and their trail building service Trail Solutions. Various scenarios were imagined with varying levels of IMBA/Trail Solutions involvement.
We also reviewed documents from regional groups who have had some success in achieving singletrack within their particular cities. Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) worked with the city of Omaha to create singletrack in Tranquility Park. Minnesota Off-Road Cycling Advocates (MOCA) have done a great job documenting their efforts leading to singletrack in Minneapolis Theodore Wirth Park.
We left this meeting knowing that a couple of us would work together before next meeting to create a rough draft proposal that we would expect to eventually deliver to our city.
We talked a lot about the International Mountain Bicyling Association (IMBA) and their trail building service Trail Solutions. Various scenarios were imagined with varying levels of IMBA/Trail Solutions involvement.
We also reviewed documents from regional groups who have had some success in achieving singletrack within their particular cities. Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) worked with the city of Omaha to create singletrack in Tranquility Park. Minnesota Off-Road Cycling Advocates (MOCA) have done a great job documenting their efforts leading to singletrack in Minneapolis Theodore Wirth Park.
We left this meeting knowing that a couple of us would work together before next meeting to create a rough draft proposal that we would expect to eventually deliver to our city.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Meeting #1 - November 23, 2008
On November 23 ten people gathered to discuss their desire to attain singletrack trail within the city. Much discussion occured. Stories of past experiences were told. Ideas of what, how and where were shared.
The meeting adjourned with a hopeful outlook and a second meeting set.
The meeting adjourned with a hopeful outlook and a second meeting set.
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