NEMBAFest ~ June 11th ~ MTB Festival SSingleingleTTrackrackSS MountainMountain BikingBiking TheThe GreatGreat DivideDivide AdventureBussing Utah July 2006, Number 86 www.nemba.org WHEELWORKS THANKS our CUSTOMERS and VENDORS for recognizing our commitment to CYCLING. Visit us: March 31- April 5 AS The Original SuperSale kicks off the cycling season! SSingleingleTTrackS NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike July 2006, Number 86 Association, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organi- zation dedicated to promoting trail access, maintaining trails open for mountain bicyclists, and educating mountain bicyclists to use these 14 trails sensitively and responsibly. Riding the SingleTracks is published six times a year by the New England Mountain Bike Association for the trail community. Great Divide ©SingleTracks How a daughter’s epic adventure brought her clos- Editor & Publisher: Philip Keyes er to her mother on the Great Divide.. Contributing Writer: Jeff Cutler By Beth Woodbury Copy Editor: Nanyee Keyes Executive Director: Philip Keyes [email protected] NEMBA PO Box 2221 Acton MA 01720 AdventureBussing Voice 800.57.NEMBA Fax: 717-326-8243 [email protected] Around Utah Board of Directors The saga of the Petersham Riders in their quest for single- 21 Tom Grimble, President track and adventure — they found both! Harold Green, Vice-President By Alf Berry Anne Shepard, Treasurer Tina Williams, Secretary Rob Adair, White Mountains NEMBA Norman Blanchette, MV NEMBA Todd Bumen, Mt. Agamenticus NEMBA Bob Caporaso, CT NEMBA Jon Conti, White Mountains NEMBA Peter DeSantis, Seacoast NEMBA John Dudek, PV NEMBA SingleTracks Hey, get creative! We wel- Jon Conti, White Mountains NEMBA come submissions, photos and artwork. This is John Dudek, Pioneer Valley NEMBA your forum and your magazine. Be nice, and Bob Giunta, Merrimack Valley NEMBA Rich Higgins, SE MA NEMBA share! John Kibler, Maine NEMBA On the Cover: Dane Berke riding Vietnam’s Rich Kordell, Blackstone Valley NEMBA Blind Faith trail. Photo by Philip Keyes Steve LaFlame, Central NH NEMBA Paper Trail Frank Lane, NS NEMBA Have a pic that would make a good cover shot? Heather Linscott, Berkshire NEMBA Event Calendar — 4 Email it to [email protected] Tom McCrumm, Berkshire NEMBA Scott Nixon, SC NH NEMBA Treadlines — 6 Want to Advertise? Chris Patrick, SE MA NEMBA Joseph Re, Greater Boston NEMBA Board Update —11 SingleTracks offers inexpensive and targeted Art Roti, CT NEMBA advertising which helps us defray the cost of Harry Rubin, SC NH NEMBA SideTracks —27 producing this cool ‘zine. Call 800-57-NEMBA Matt Schulde, RI NEMBA or email [email protected] for our media kit. Dan Streeter, North Shore NEMBA Chapter News —28 Mike Tabaczynski, Greater Boston NEMBA Moving? John Vosburg, Blackstone Valley NEMBA NEMBA Rides —33 Don’t miss an issue! Change your address online Calvin Weeks, Maine NEMBA Support our Sponsors—38 at nemba.org or mail it into SingleTracks, PO Box WWW.NEMBA.ORG 2221, Acton MA 01720 SingleTrackS No. 86 | 3 NEMBA Summer Calendar 2006 Topeak-Kenda MTB Adventure Series www.nemba.org June 11 NEMBAfest @ Wompatuck, Hingham MA Aug 20 Bradbury Mountain SP, Pownal ME June 25 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MA Oct 29 Harold Parker SF, N. Andover MA July 16 Mt. Greylock Go-Around, Adams MA NEMBA Fun Stuff June 11 NEMBAfest @ Wompatuck SP Aug. 25-27 White Mtns Freeride Weekend Merlin / NEMBA Trail Care Series Greater Boston NEMBA North Shore NEMBA June 17 Lynn Woods, [email protected], 617-879-0243 June 18 Bradley Palmer or Boxford, [email protected] July 22 Lynn Woods, [email protected], 617-879-0243 Sept. 11 TBA, [email protected], 978-618-8596 Aug. 13 Middlesex Fells, [email protected], 617-776-1363 Oct. 15 TBA, [email protected], 978-618-8596 Aug. 19 Lynn Woods, [email protected], 617-879-0243 Nov. 6 TBA, [email protected], 978-618-8596 Sept. 23 Lynn Woods, [email protected], 617-879-0243 SE MA NEMBA Oct. 21 Lynn Woods, [email protected], 617-879-0243 Oct. 14 Borderland SP, [email protected], 508-230-2463 Merrimack Valley NEMBA Wachusett NEMBA June 24 Lowell-Dracut SF, [email protected], 978 455-5605 Aug 26 Leominster SF, [email protected], 978-852-4800 Aug. 12 Lowell-Dracut SF, [email protected], 978 455-5605 Sept. 30 Leominster SF, [email protected], 978-852-4800 Sept 16 Lowell-Dracut SF, [email protected], 978 455-5605 Sept. 23 Groton Town Forest, [email protected], 617-320-7780 Jamis Bicycles NH Trail Care Series Central NH NEMBA White Mountains NEMBA Aug. 26 Elm Brook Park, USACE, [email protected], 603-456-3805 July 23 TBA, [email protected] 603-356-6913 Sept. 9 Elm Brook Park, USACE, [email protected], 603-456-3805 Aug 26-27 Freeride Weekend, [email protected] 603-356-6913 Sept. 30 Elm Brook Park, USACE, [email protected], 603-456-3805 Cannondale / CT NEMBA Trail Care Series June 24 Pequonnock Valley, Trumbull, 203-888-0779, [email protected] July 23 Epic Trail, Killingworth, 860-767-7312, [email protected] June 25 Cockaponset SF, 860-874-7224, [email protected] July 23 "Happening at Huntington”, [email protected], 203-426-5369 June 25 Epic Trail, Killingworth,, 860-767-7312, [email protected] 4 | July 2006 Epic Rides .... Epic Trails May 28 Holyoke-Skinner SF, Amherst MA June 11 NEMBAfest @ Wompatuck, Hingham MA June 25 Lynn Woods Reservation, Lynn MA July 16 Mt. Greylock Go-Around, Adams MA Aug 20 Bradbury Mountain SP, Pownal ME Oct 29 Harold Parker SF, N. Andover MA Get all the 411 @ www.mtbadventureseries.org SingleTrackS No. 86 | 5 TREADLINES CT NEMBA New Trail At Miller's Pond State Park in Haddam/Durham by Bob Caporason woods looking over the features of the land to con- ceptualize the flow of this new trail. The main goal of the design was to take the existing trail system and create an "outer loop" to connect all of the other trails together. The new "outer loop" trail is going to be about a 5-mile trail. So far about 1/3 of the trail is done and it has taken only 4 separate trail mainte- nance days in total to build, the first two were spent flagging and designing the route. The second two, on April 2nd and 30th were spent building the new trail. I was able to attend the trail maintenance day on April 2nd, along with fourteen other eager volunteers who showed up on nice cool, crisp morning to cut the start of the new trail that will circle Millers pond. The volunteers were a nice mix of people, of which eight or nine frequent the Bikerag.com forums. I found it very cool to get to meet a number of these people whom I've been corresponding with and put The new trail in Millers Pond State Park has been a few years in the faces to them, including the person who runs the site Jon Peterson. making and it is one the first projects to make use of the new process put in place by the CT Department of Environmental Protection for I have to say that I was very impressed with the quality of the design getting new authorized trails on State property in CT. Two years ago that Alex has come up with for this new "outer trail". This trail added Alex Sokolow submitted the approval paper work into the CT DEP and several technical features such as rollers, few small drops, and some after review the DEP gave it's blessing for the go-ahead. Then last nice rolling single track. After an orientation speech by Alex Sokolow, year Alex flagged off the trail trying to keep the design as interesting the CTNEMBA trail boss, the group split into three work crews and and maintainable as possible. Alex said he spent a lot of time in the spent three and a half hours in the woods. One crew grabbed the mcleods and rakes to start clearing the under brush for the new trail's tread. Another crew picked up the loppers and trimmers to clear out the new trail's path. While the last crew, the rockers, spent time working on armoring a couple of sections of the trail. While we were out doing the work we encountered several hikers who were walking their dogs. They expressed thanks to the crew for spending time tak- ing care of the park they and their four legged friends have come to enjoy. Of course more work has to be done. Approximately 4 more miles of new trail needs to be marked and cut in. Alex hopes to add one to two miles of new trail each year until this loop is completed. When finished, there will be an easier "inner loop" around the lake, several connector trails, and a more technically challenging "outer loop" with ridgelines, rock outcroppings, rollers, log skinny's, etc. Stay tuned to www.CTNEMBA.net for upcoming trail maintenance events at Miller's Pond and other locations around the state. 6 | JulyMarch 2006 2006 TREADLINES CT NEMBA Freeride Skills Ride a Fun Time and Resounding Success by Eric Mayhew For a while there I A few short hours after thought Mother Nature we began we ended up was out to get me.. Turns back in the parking lot out she was just making just in time for the pizza sure I had the best possi- delivery guy to come rip- ble day to lead CT ping by with some piping NEMBA's first Freeride hot pizza from down the Skills Ride of the year. street. (I called from the On Saturday April 29 the trail, I am such a sneaky pre-registered crew guy..) And it was a pleas- assembled at the trail- ure to pull up a square of head for a ride in pavement with everyone Trumbull, at one of the and swap some stories Northeast's prime tech- about carnage, fun rides, nical riding spots.