Orange and Rockland Riders

Bleeder

JORBA:President
We're looking for interested riders interested in developing mountain biking in Orange and Rockland, counties NY. Here's a note from Michael Vitti of CLIMB:
"
There are a few projects we are working on in the Rockland and OrangeCounty area. If you are a passionate mountain biker in this area and are not already involved in helping out at Stewart Forest please contact me.

This is a project that will add variety to your riding venues other thanStewart Forest, which is one of my favorites and getting better all the time thanks to the Stewards of Stewart.

We are looking for a group to form in order to help maintain trails that are in the works within the general area. You can become an IMBA chapter and we will help you get rolling. It's never been easier than now to add riding venues for the Rockland and Orange County area.

Over the past five years we have been going to meetings and writing letters which has now paid off so please contact me for more info. Thanks!
Michael Vitti
CLIMB President
www.CLIMBonline.org
www.IMBA.com
NY State Trails Council Member"

Reply here of PM me-Tom
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I ride Stewart fairly regularly since it's the closest to me, about 20 minutes. My work schedule isn't stable so I'm not sure what I could commit between that and all the riding I do in North Jersey, but I'm down to help when I can.

Good to hear of stuff going on in my area though. Maybe we can make Goosepond a place to ride. Then I'll have a park 5 minutes away!
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I have heard rumblings about this. I think the trails in question are in the Piermont/Nyack area.

I thought Goosepond was already legal but there is just no official cahpter?

Anyways it's great news for me and riders in my area if it goes through.
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Tom, put me on the list. I prefer building and maintaining trails vs sitting in meetings and politic'ing. But in for whatever time I can donate.
 

Bleeder

JORBA:President
Yeah Goose pond is legal, though I don't know that anyone is maintaining the trails there.
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yeah Goose pond is legal, though I don't know that anyone is maintaining the trails there.

My friend lives near there. He told me there is some local bike shop that does maintenance. It gets overgrown a lot during the summer, so I get the feeling it's not very regular or supervised.
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The only local bike shop here is Joe-Fix-Its. I haven't heard that they do maintenance there, but I could be wrong. Goosepond is legal, just lacks in trails in general, overgrown to the point you can't ride it, and no trailmarkers or way of navigating from what I remember. Sterling Forest would be awesome too.

brxkb.jpg
 

Sick4surf

Member
Thanks to everyone who has helped us from JORBA over the years. It has been in the works for over 5 years but we didn't want to go public unless it looked like it was actually going to happen. We were hoping that some folks from the immediate area would step up to form a legitimate bike club for the region and this has begun to happen. We had our first meeting last night at Velo Bistro in Nyack NY. I highly recommend you support this place. The food is great, the beer and wine are local and the owner supports regional cycling advocacy. Tom and I will be going to another meeting with the state parks managers and planners next week and we will hopefully have some good news. Stay tuned right here.

Michael Vitti
CLIMB Prez
NY State Trails Council Delegate
 

Bleeder

JORBA:President
NY State Parks Volunteer Event
From our friends at CLIMB:

Here is an opportunity to get your mountain bike trails projects in gear. We participate in this every year and use it to show case the good work we do wether it is a trail clean up, brush cut back or refreshing blazes etc.

Check it out and arrange this with the individual park managers:
http://www.ptny.org/ilovemypark/?ut...aign=Park+Advocacy+Day+Alert&utm_medium=email

Also Parks and Trails NY is a non profit that helps other non profits with trails projects, advocacy etc but they are mostly focused on paved paths.

Happy Trails,
 

Magic

Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Is is possible to build anything in Harriman State Park? Would make for some nice climbs and downhills.
 

Sick4surf

Member
Update: Tom(bleeder), Michael, Dimitri and I went to another meeting at Sterling Forest to work on approval for our flagged route (about 8 miles) within the park. It was a 4 hour meeting with most of the time spent talking about habitat and why we do not want to use fire roads that are unsustainable with many problems such as fall lines and mud issues. I think we got most of it worked out but the park manager was very skeptical of our ability to muster volunteers to help build and maintain trails. We also worked out an agreement where the Americorps volunteers will help supervise and train us in the trail work. All work needs to occur under their supervision then afterwards there will be a community of caretakers for the trails.

Thats where you guys come in. PalisadesMTB will be the official club for the Rockland/Bergin/Orange counties they are registering with IMBA. Be a link in the chain, support PalisadesMTB once they come online with a website, mailing list etc. All you have to do is show up to the volunteer days. I attached a picture of our meeting at Sterling Forest, there were many Park Planners and Biologists etc at the meeting from the head office in Albany.
 

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Sick4surf

Member
Updated for good news:

This is a project I have been working on since I was the state rep for IMBA. Glad to see we are finally breaking ground. If anyone wants to go help build trail let me know and we can car pool.
---------------
Help Build Sterling Forest's New Mountain Bike Trails..We Need You!
Many of you are familiar with the long struggle to get new multi use trails approved in Sterling Forest. The long grind is finally over, we have reached the crest and can see the finish line. Please join us in building the first new multi use trails that allow mountain biking in Sterling Forest. These trails will be ready to ride as soon as all of you pitch in to help build them.

The first draft of a trails plan for Sterling Forest was created early in 2000, and a final draft was implemented in 2009. Trail building first began in 2013 on a hiking only trail. Now we will finally begin on a multi use trail called the Red Back/Eagle Loop, which will be about a 7 mile loop. This will be a mixture of a small bit of old forest roads that have fun features, rolling double track and mostly new flowey single track.

There are over 40 miles of shared use trails planned in Sterling Forest according to the master plan, with the potential to connect to Ringwood eventually as well as some other potential connections. Come help us make it real.

A new IMBA chapter mountain bike club has started called PALISADES MTB and we encourage you to join them. They are currently on Facebook but plan on having a website eventually. They plan on working on projects within the Rockland and Orange County areas.

Please spread the word, share this info with your friends so we can ride it sooner than later. These trails will be less technical than Ringwood with lots of swoop and flow like Stewart but somewhere in between. Trails built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers will scratch you right where you are itching to go so help us create the flow that you will love to ride over and over again.

Thanks to NY State Parks and their Back Country Trails Stewardship Program, they have contracted money to hire the NYNJTC, which in turn has hired two supervisors for the project. Erik Mickelson and Sona Mason will be the main leads on this project.
Come show your support by coming to help even if it's only an hour or two. Meet your fellow mountain bikers in the area and begin to network. Arrive anytime of day to help. See directions below.

NO EXPERIENCE OR TOOLS NEEDED ALL WILL BE PROVIDED
Stay all day or pick a time:
Morning crew 9:00am-12:45pm
Lunch & New Arrivals 12:45pm-1:15pm
Afternoon crew 1:15pm-5:00pm

Saturday October 31 from 9am till 5pm
Saturday November 7 from 9am till 5pm
Saturday November 14 from 9am till 5pm

To Register Contact: Sona Mason
Contact email: smason@nynjtc.org
Contact phone: (201) 512-9348 x16
Travel directions provided upon registration

-Sterling forest build days are listed here: Upcoming Trail Crew Outings | New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (look for "sterling forest")
-Next build day, this Saturday October 31(weather permitting): Sterling Forest Trail Project | New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
-Please sign up so we know how many tools we need etc. Please promote those links to your friends and fellow mountain bikers.
-Subscribe to the Sterling Forest Multi Use Trail Work email:
Sterling Forest Trail Project | New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Hope to see you there!

Links for more info;
http://www.nynjtc.org/view/trail-crew-outings (look for "sterling forest")

-next build day, this Saturday (weather permitting): http://www.nynjtc.org/crew/sterling-forest-trail-project-22
 
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