Contents:

NEMBA News 2007

NEMBA Awarded State Contract

Toys and Trails Make Santa Happy

PV NEMBA's Toys for Tots ride, Agawam

Help NEMBA Get Political

Happenings at NEMBA Parcel, Vietnam

GB NEMBA Partners with North East Bicycle Club for PYT Skills

New Hampshire Franklin Falls Trail Building Day a Multi-Chapter Effort

RI NEMBA Awarded REI Grant for Trail Ambassador Program

NH NEMBA Members at the Races

New Boardwalk at CT's Huntington State Park

CT Dirt Girlz Have a Great Season

Ski Market Partners with the NEMBA to Help Build a Strong Mountain Bike Community

NEMBA Presents at MA DCR Conference

NEMBA Awards Spring Round of Trail Grants

NEMBA Attends DC National Bike Summit

NEMBA Partners with US Army Corps of Engineers at Franklin Falls Dam, NH

New England Mountain Bike Patrol Plans to Expand

REI Funds New Docks at Wompatuck State Park

Jamis Bicycles Rewards Trail Builder For Volunteerism

Blue Hills Holiday Toy Ride

Merlin-NEMBA Trail Care Series 2007

NEMBA Awarded State Contract
NEMBA successfully bid on a Massachusetts’ state contract to provide trail construction and maintenance training for the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR). The contract is open for the next three years.

On November 8th, NEMBA took part in the DCR’s first training session, along with instructors from the Student Conservation corps and Peter Jensen, a professional trail builder. Tom Grimble, Mike Tabaczynski and Philip Keyes, with help from Harold Green and Bill Boles, led an all day session at Harvard Forest in Petersham, with outdoor clinics held at Wendell State Forest.

DCR is fortifying its focus on trails as a major asset to the Commonwealth, and the training was part of a three-day symposium on trails in the state. NEMBA looks forward to providing any assistance needed to improving DCR capacity to maintain and build trails.

Toys and Trails Make Santa Happy

Blue Hills Ride

Santa visited The Blue Hills Sunday for a late season mountain bike ride, and was very surprised when he made his trip back to the North Pole with a big bagful of toys.

The DCR, working with Blue Hills trail Watch and SE MA NEMBA had a very successful toy gathering. Over 50 riders dropped off nearly 100 toys before enjoying one of a number of led rides on the Blue Hills best trails. One group rode with SE MA NEMBA President, Steve Cobble, on an arduous, but warming trek to the top of Buck Hill and back. Another group of adults and kids followed Bill Boles on a less hilly trek around the reservation. Later in the afternoon a group of hikers added to the pile as they enjoyed a brisk hike around Houghton’s Pond.

Everyone was warmed by a giant bonfire and enjoyed hot coffee, coco and cookies. Santa gave a hearty “Ho Ho Ho” and mused, “How strange it is that to be bringing toys to the North Pole. Next year I’ll bring all my elves.” –Bill Boles

PV NEMBA's Toys for Tots ride, Agawam

Forty-three mountain bikers came out for this worthy cause on a brisk December morning.  The ride venue was Robinson SP in Agawam, MA.  Many of the trails were cleared of leaves, all were very firm from the cold, and were in super riding condition.  The arrows went up the day before and marked loops that were approximately 5, 10 and 17 miles long.  The weather was great, but a little cool (in the 20's), but that didn't keep away these hearty souls.  Folks bundled up and headed out in a couple large groups.  The groups thinned a bit, as the ride went on, and most all of the riders went for the 17 mile option.  No injuries were sustained and only a couple minor mechanicals were noted.  Everyone was back and accounted for by 1 pm and many commented on a "great ride!".  

We collected 52 toys and will be presenting them on behalf of Pioneer Valley NEMBA, at the KIX 97.9 (Springfield Radio Station) Toys 4 Tots collection/drive.  This will take place December 12th through the 14th in West Springfield.  

A special thanks to Harold and Mathew Green, and Mike Levin for giving up Saturday afternoon to help arrow.  The ride would not have been possible without them.  And thanks to everyone else who helped out, too.Thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting this worthy cause! –Steve Rossi

Help NEMBA Get Political

Do you have a passion for politics, mountain biking and trails?

NEMBA plans to set up a Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC), and we seek volunteers who are politically savvy and are looking for a way to get involved with NEMBA and improve mountain biking in New England.

While the final strokes of the committee haven't dried, we are looking to assemble a small group of mountain bikers who would help NEMBA become more engaged at the local, state and federal level. The GAC would help track legislation that effects mountain biking and trails, identify and develop political allies at the local and state level, help educate legislators about the issues facing mountain bikers, and share this expertise with NEMBA's chapters.

The GAC will be regionally focused, so we need volunteers from all over New England. The committee will be task-focused, with each member working on specific projects in his or her state. Most communication will be done via email and the occasional conference call.

So if politics is your passion and you wish to get involved, please contact Philip Keyes for details, or call 800-576-3622.

Happenings at NEMBA Parcel, Vietnam  

The second Vietnam trail care day of 2007 was held on September 23. Approximately 15 people attended the event. The crew continued work on the TNT trail. The work included tuning the transition and exit berm on the "Donnie's Demise", continuing work on a berm/hip jump, and improving the transitions on the final two technical trail features. Work is not complete on the TNT trail and the final trail care day is scheduled for Sunday November 4, 2007. The Tuesday Night Trail Crew continued its work throughout the year on the DLS trail. The focus on DLS is on maintaining, tuning, and restoring the landscape around the trail. Dirt pits were filled and collapsed to preserve the natural look of the area. Trails were lined with rock walls to better define trails and to close the many trail braids. Plastic fencing was erected to eliminate traffic in re-vegetation areas. Unauthorized "rogue" building was discovered on what we think is NSTAR land on a feature known as the mushroom drop. The builder(s) brought in lumber and hardware to build a transition and jump. Eammon started a discussion on the BustedSpoke forum highlighting the issues with rogue stunts in the Upper Charles Headwaters Area.
Overall reaction has been very supportive and the thread has been educational to those unaware of building restrictions in the area. There is little progress in creating a trail map and intersection markers for the whole Upper Charles Headwaters Area. We will continue to work with the Holliston Town Forest Committee, Holliston Conservation Commission, and Milford Conservation Commission to create an Upper Charles Headwaters Trail Map and trail marking system. A volunteer has stepped up to help us create a vector map of the area. Overall 2007 has been a productive year.
 —Vietnam Land Management Committee (Steve Barnes, Mike DeCristofaro, John Goeller, Don Johnson, Dave Mitchell, and John Vosburg) 

GB NEMBA Partners with North East Bicycle Club for PYT Skills

What is a "PYT" ride? The acronym was coined about 8-9 years ago when someone got tired of typing "Practice Your Technique" in email posts. It is a ride where we go out and practice our technique or skills. It will usually start with a short talk about what we know, and what we want to learn, and then everyone goes for bit of a warmup ride. After the warmup ride, it’s usually time to find some places to try skills such as skinnies, steep hills, or log rolls/hops and practice them until we are more comfortable. This type of ride is great for beginner mountain bikers or even experienced riders who may be a little rusty and want to learn something new or improve at riding some challenge that has eluded them in the past. It's also a great way to meet some fellow riders of similar abilities to ride with in the future.

This fall, GB NEMBA was asked by members of the Northeast Bicycle Club to teach a series on basic MTB skills for riders who are very comfortable on the road but may have had limited experience in the woods. The NEBC/NEMBA Fall MTB PYT Clinic was born and the first clinic was held at the Fells. On October 20th, 17 riders showed up on everything from vintage 1980's Bridgestone MB-1's to brand new Specialized Enduro's. The riders were queried on their experience and almost 1/3 had never been off-road on a bike! The experience levels within the group ranged from "I've never been offroad on a bike" to "I used to ride an MTB a decade ago, but need to brush up on my skills" to "I ride all the time, but I just can't figure out how to (FILL IN THE BLANK)." We started by going over MTB 101 type information: understanding brakes and shifting, learning about weight distribution and traction, and the physics behind keeping a low center of gravity. We then practiced hillclimbs and descents, getting over logs and tackling uneven terrain. After the technical practice, we got a nice 5-6 mile ride in at a mellow pace where everyone was able turn theory into reality while sampling some of the Fell’s most beautiful trails.

The weather did not cooperate for two weekends, so we finally reconvened on November 10th at the trails in Belmont's Rock Meadow and Beaver Brook North Reservation. These trails are very mellow and mostly non-technical, but riders who frequent this wonderful ride spot know of a few challenges and surprises hidden within the classic New England-style singletrack. The 24 new MTB riders that braved the chill on Saturday morning were dedicated to getting the most out of the clinic they could. Everyone absorbed the demonstrations, asked lots of great questions, worked hard to get into the correct body positions, and cheered each other on as we learned how to handle riding up a short steep ascent, down a completely controlled steep descent, and getting over obstacles of various sizes. We even tackled a couple narrow bridges and some tight twisty singletrack that brought all the new skills into play!

In the final clinic at Great Brook State Farm, the format will be slightly more advanced. We will briefly review what we learned in past clinics, and then supplement that with more advanced information such as trail etiquette and techniques on "how to manage the trail" rather than letting the trail manage us. This is still appropriate for first time or rusty riders, but the goal will be to get in a longer practice ride (about 5-6 miles.) After all the great feedback, look for this series to happen again in the Spring! —Tim Post

New Hampshire Franklin Falls Trail Building Day a Multi-Chapter Effort
Nearly 30 individuals, including members from the Central, Southern and White Mountain Chapters, several local residents, and staff from the US Army Corps of Engineers joined forces on Sunday June 24th to rake out and bench in some of the new trails at the Franklin Falls Recreation Area in Franklin, NH. Several miles of new trails have been tucked in to a fairly small footprint on the east side of the Pemigewasset River, and make for a fun, swoopy, flowing ride suitable for all riding abilities. These new trails complement the NH Heritage Trail, which runs north-to-south through the area, as well as the existing Nature Trail loop, which provides a unique view of the flood control dam that is the center of the Franklin Falls project. The development of these trails has been made possible through the initiative and hard work of several local riders, including Scott Pelletier, Mike Geldermann and Grant Drew, as well as through the support and cooperation of USACE Ranger Jen Rockett. A very special thanks to Peter DeSantis for overcoming a 28-mile Kingdom Trails epic the day before to get the trailer to the work site on time! — Holly Carson

RI NEMBA Awarded REI Grant for Trail Ambassador Program
REI awarded the RI chapter a grant totaling $2,700 in cash and supplies to support the implementation of a Trail Ambassador program this fall. We were fortunate to be nominated by our new local store in Cranston, RI. RI NEMBA's Trail Ambassador program will provide assistance to all users in various state parks and management areas in Rhode Island. The goals of this program include strengthening relations with other user groups, providing on-the-trail mechanical support, maps and directions, as well as basic first aid

NH NEMBA Members at the Races
It has been quite a season for three of our ride leaders, in addition to sharing some sweet New Hampshire singletrack on Tuesdays. Two podium finishes at Great Glen, a tie for 3rd at the inaugural Hampshire 100 and the Trip of a lifetime.
Holly Carson participated in the 4 Women's Sport team to second place at Great Glen and tied for 3rd in the Hampshire 100. Matt Bowser led the Double Single team to 2nd place at Great Glen as well. 24 hours on rigid singlespeed 29ers? Wow!
Keith Cunningham spent the summer putting his NEMBA Wojcik to the test. Riding from Canada to Mexico on the Continental Divide Trail. —Steve LaFlame

New Boardwalk at CT's Huntington State Park
A much needed boardwalk at Huntington State Park in Redding CT is finally in place on the Lollipop Trail which has now been officially renamed the "Twister Trail" on the State Park trail map.
Riders had been asking for better access to a series of loops in the north end of the park. At one time there was a very technical log ride to cross a large wet area, and most folks just got their shoes covered in mud to get to it. Some old pallets made a crossing but only in very dry weather.
CT NEMBA had wanted to work in the area for years, but the trail was not on the official DEP trail list. This made it just about impossible to get permission to do any major construction on the trail. Now, after a new inventory of trails (with suggestions from the mountain biking community), and a new map, CT NEMBA and other volunteers were given the go ahead to build the boardwalks. It goes by several names, the Lollipop Trail, the Log-Bridge Trail, and a new one, the Twister Trail.
On August 9, two of CT NEMBA's trail heroes, Dave Herde and Dave Wells, designed and built the new boardwalk incorporating several technical features such as a slight turn, different sized decking, and a grade to the boardwalks. It is decked and made of pressure treated wood. Several riders stopped to help and to carry the old pallets out of the woods, and we all had fun riding it after it was done.
For pictures of the project, go to www.ctnemba.net

CT Dirt Girlz Have a Great Season
Our group of women —and a few men, too!— had a great time riding on Tuesdays at Pequonnock Valley State Forest in Trumbull CT. We only had one rain out the entire season, and averaged five or six riders each week. We had beginners and we had racers. All had fun riding on the rocks and roots. Several of the new riders saw remarkable improvement. Thank you, Cannondale, for donating jerseys and shorts for the "Girlz.." —Paula Burton

Ski Market Partners with the NEMBA to Help Build a Strong Mountain Bike Community

June 21, 2007 - Waltham MA - Ski Market announces today that it is partnering with the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) to sell NEMBA memberships through all 17 shops in New England. The goal of this partnership is to get Ski Market customers involved with NEMBA and become life long mountain bike enthusiasts.

According to Ski Market’s president, Andy Ferguson, “By supporting NEMBA we are assisting them in building a strong mountain bike community in New England and ensuring that our customers are playing an active role in protecting the sport we love. This partnership is important to me not only because I am avid mountain biker myself but also because I believe that bringing mountain bikers into the sport creates long term customers for Ski Market.”

NEMBA is the largest regional mountain bike advocacy organization in the country and has local chapters near most of Ski Market’s stores. It is the primary organization in our area for safeguarding the sport of mountain biking and encouraging participation. Ski Market sales staff will educate all of its mountain bike customers about NEMBA and offer to sell them memberships through each of its stores.

NEMBA’s executive director, Philip Keyes, believes that this is a win-win situation for bicycle retailers and advocates alike. “NEMBA’s motto is “Ride the Trails ~ Save the Trails”. We offer 1000s of rides, build new mountain bike trails, and provide many ways for people to become lifelong enthusiasts. By working with Ski Market and other retailer partners, we can grow the sport and increase our political clout and volunteerism. We’re pleased that a bicycle retailer as large as Ski Market shares this vision and understands that it also makes good business sense.”

Ski Market is New England’s largest family owned ski and bike specialty shop operating 17 locations including Boston, Wellesley, Danvers, Woburn, Framingham, Shrewsbury, Dedham and Pembroke, MA; Avon, Danbury, Manchester and Norwalk, CT; Nashua and Manchester, NH; Warwick, RI; and Freeport, ME. Ski Market has been selling quality bicycles for over 30 years and carries the top brands including Haro, Marin, Masi, Raleigh, Scott, Eastern and Stolen representing a wide range of bicycles from recreational to high end racing models. Please visit www.skimarket.com for information on group rides and other special biking events.

NEMBA Presents at MA DCR Conference
Representatives from Greater Boston NEMBA and SE MA NEMBA joined executive director, Philip Keyes, in participating in the Department of Conservation and Recreation's conference on stewarding state parks. With the new administration under Duval Patrick's leadership, there has been a number of changes in senior staff and administrators, and the conference provided a good opportunity to meet key personnel, and provide input to the DCR. With scores of "Friends" groups in attendance looking to improve their effectiveness, the conference also provided an afternoon of education sessions. Philip Keyes was one of the presenters, providing NEMBA methodology for working with volunteers on trail care events.

NEMBA Awards Spring Round of Trail Grants

The New England Mountain Bike Association is proud to announce the recipients of the spring round of NEMBA Trail Grants.
We’ve been awarding trail grants for over 10 years. They are designed to fund, or partially fund small trail projects or initiatives that would otherwise not happen. NEMBA's Annual Trail Grant Raffle funds the grants. Tickets for the next raffle will be on sale later this year.

Danville Town Forest, Danville NH
An award of $120 will be used to build a bridge to "The Island" in the Great Meadow. This bridge will complete a trail loop and will utilize an oak tree that was felled by beavers. The grant will be used to purchase bridge tread materials.

Wompatuck State Park, Hingham MA
A grant of $500 has been awarded to buy lumber and crushed stone. The lumber will be used to extend and repair existing bridges, while the crushed stone will be used to fill in a mucked area near an existing truck bridge.

Vietnam Land Management Committee, Milford MA
A grant of $335 has been awarded to fund the purchase of a clinometer, a wheelbarrow and some rock bars. These tools will be used to repair existing trails on NEMBA's "Vietnam" parcel as well as on surrounding conservation lands.

SE MA NEMBA
A grant of $500 will be used by SE MASS NEMBA to purchase pick mattocks, contractor shovels and McLeods to replace tools that have disappeared from the SE Mass NEMBA Tool Trailer. The tools will be used at all of the region's trail care sessions.

Bay State Trail Riders, Douglas MA
Bay State Trail Riders, an equestrian group, has been awarded $500 to partially cover the design costs for replacing an old railroad bridge on the Southern New England Trunkline Trail. The SNETT, runs from Connecticut through Rhode Island and into Massachusetts. It is part of a major greenway system that extends into New Hampshire and is open to all non-motorized users. This project, upon completion, will replace an old low clearance railroad overpass that was removed when route 146 was constructed.

Blue Hills Reservation, Milton MA
A grant has been awarded to help fund the Department of Conservation and Recreation's new Adopt-A-Trail Program in the Blue Hills Reservation. The $499.75 grant will be used to purchase hand tools such as saws, Pulaskis, rakes, shovels and loppers that Adopt-A-Trail volunteers will use when doing trail projects.

If you have a project that needs funding, please download and application. Our next deadline will be mid-summer.

NEMBA Attends DC National Bike Summit

Leo Corrigan, president of Rhode Island NEMBA, and Philip Keyes joined more than 430 cyclists from around the country for the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit in Washington, DC.

The National Bike Summit brings together stakeholders from user groups, industry, government, and elected officials from around the country to share their ideas, best practices and lobby Congress for more funding for all aspects of cycling.
This year the League partnered with the International Mountain Bicycling Association to make the event more inclusive of mountain bike issues, and more than 50 mountain bike advocates took part in the event. It was a good first step to bring road and offroad cycling issues together in a unified voice to Congress, and the National Bike Summit is the most important opportunity we have to inform our senators and representatives about the importance of bicycling as part of the solution to our nation's problems. As Ben Franklin quipped, if we don't hang together, we'll sure hang separately.

With gas prices rising, the threat of global warming, the obesity epidemic, out-of-control urban sprawl and dwindling open space, bicycling in all its forms can be made a more integral part of the solution for short money. More than ever, Capitol Hill seems more receptive to the need to promote programs that support cycling in the areas of transportation, health, recreation, tourism, energy and the environment.

While most Congressional meetings included both road and offroad advocates, Leo Corrigan had his work cut out for him - he was the only representative from Rhode Island and had to meet with his representatives and senators' staffers on his own. Despite being his first time on the Hill, Leo took it in stride and did a great job lobbying, and Philip Keyes was able to join him for the meeting with Patrick Kennedy’s staffer.

On the Federal level, there were two central issues important to mountain bikers: increased budget support for the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, and the issue of Wilderness as a tool for protecting wild places. Each year, the National Park Services RTCA program helps local partners protect 700 miles of rivers, creates more than 1,300 miles of trails, and serves more than 61,000 acres of open space. Our message to Congress was to ask for increased funding of this highly leveraged program.

Wilderness is a serious issue for mountain bikers. Though it accomplishes the worthy goal of protecting Federal land from development, it also prohibits mountain biking forever. IMBA, NEMBA and groups from across the country have worked with Wilderness proponents to find other ways to protect our landscapes while still allowing for muscle-based recreation.
Alternatives to Wilderness exist that are just as robust in their protections, and we urged Congress to move away from Wilderness and use designations such as National Conservation Areas, National Scenic Areas, and National Recreation Areas to preserve our nation's natural heritage.

NEMBA may be a regional organization, focused on protecting and promoting mountain biking in New England, yet we also have a responsibility to spread our message nationally and support IMBA's national initiatives. Indeed, some of the key decisions that affect the future of our sport are in the hands of those that represent us in Congress, and NEMBA —and all of us— have an important role to play.

NEMBA Partners with US Army Corps of Engineers at Franklin Falls Dam, NH

NEMBA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have had an established relationship resulting from cooperative trail projects at Hodges Village Dam in Oxford, Massachusetts and Elm Brook Park in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire. Recently, NEMBA and the USACE signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop non-motorized trails at the Franklin Falls Reservoir property in central New Hampshire.

Located on both sides of the Pemigewasset River between New Hampton and Franklin, the property consists of more than 2,500 wooded acres that already contain existing trails. NEMBA member Mike Geldermann initiated contact with Rangers Jennifer Rockett and Karen Tryon to discuss improving the existing trail system and creating additional single-track trails. After meetings with the rangers, the Memorandum of Understanding was executed by the USACE and NEMBA's Executive Director Philip Keyes in January of 2007 to formalize the partnership at the Franklin Falls facility.

NEMBA's White Mountains and Central NH chapters have been actively involved in helping get the project off the ground. Rob Adair, President of the White Mountains chapter remarked, "This is a very exciting opportunity. The terrain is very impressive; well-drained and full of interesting topographical and historical features. The brief tour we took appears to be just scratching the surface of the possibilities."

To date, Mike and friends have over 1.5 miles of new trail flagged and approved for construction. Most of the activity is centered near the Franklin Falls Dam area adjacent to the park's administrative offices. Restoration of a trail previously lost to logging in the Coolidge Woods area near New Hampton has also been approved. The long term goal is a continuous trail system on both side of the river, with potential for over forty miles of single-track trails.
Contact either the White Mountains or Central NH chapters to get involved. —Rob Adair

New England Mountain Bike Patrol Plans to Expand

The New England Mountain Bike Patrol is planning to expand into more parks over the next few years. The expansion will begin in the north shore and southeast chapter regions. The parks that we plan to expand into will include: Bradley Palmer/Willowdale, Lowell-Dracut, Wompatuck, Ames- Nowell, and Vietnam.

After these areas, the Patrol hopes to expand into other areas of Massachusetts and then other areas of New England. The hope is to truly become the New England Mountain Bike Patrol.

In order to accomplish this plan, the Patrol will be looking to add new members to it roster. You may be wondering "what does it take" to be a patroller?? Well, there really are only 2 requirements - a love of mountain biking and a desire to help other people. Some people think that to be a patroller you must possess great bike skills. This is not a necessity. The current patrol consists of riders ranging from "average" riders to riders who race. The charter of the Patrol is to "inform, assist and educate".

You may wonder, "What is required of a Patroller??" Well, the only real requirement is to spend at least 6 hours a month in any of the parks we patrol. That is probably only 2 rides a month in any of these parks. Patrolling does not need to be done on a bike. In case of deep snow or parks being closed for the winter, Patrollers have been know to go out on foot, snowshoes or cross country skis.

Other activities attended by the Patrol are NEMBA sponsored events such as NEMBA Fest and many of the MBAS events. You may have seen the Patrol tent at some of these events. The Patrol provides a First Aid tent at these events and also rides the event loops to help out if necessary. The Patrol does not only participate in bike events. Some Patrollers have assisted the Red Cross at such events as the Boston Marathon, the Head of the Charles Regatta and the Tuft's Women's 10K race.

So, how does someone become a Patroller?? The best and easiest way is to attend the Patrol Clinic held each year in June. This is a Saturday and Sunday event that covers all the skills needed to become a Patroller. Saturday is dedicated to Patrol skills such as basic bike maintenance, conflict management, park rules and regulations, etc. Sunday is for CPR and First Aid certification.

If this sounds like something you might be interested, contact the Mountain Bike Patrol for more information. You can contact us by email at nembpatrol@hotmail.com. We are excited about the expansion plans and the addition of new parks to the patrol area. We would enjoy having you join us in the Patrol and help to make others experience in the parks safe and enjoyable.

REI Funds New Docks at Wompatuck State Park

This past spring at one of the Friends of Wompatuck meetings, Bill Boles (also the friend’s president) told the group of a possible $10,000 grant that REI was willing to make to the park. REI wanted something added to the park which would benefit its customer base (camping, kayaking, fishing, biking, etc). The challenge was to identify a project that would meet both of these criteria. Bill Boles, working with Wompatuck ranger Steve Gammon, developed the idea of putting a dock in Holly Pond that people could use to dock kayaks, use for fishing, bird watching, and a rest place for hikers. Holly Pond is not too far from a road so REI could come and do canoeing and kayaking demos. Ultimately, this project was approved by DCR and by REI. The only issue remaining was where the funds would be allocated since the Friends of Wompatuck had not yet acquired their non profit tax status.

Fortunately, Bill was able to work with NEMBA's Philip Keyes and come to an agreement that would let REI donate the money to NEMBA who would then allocate the money for the project. NEMBA's commitment to improving our natural resources in the Northeast is unfailing so it was a perfect solution to the problem.

Wompatuck ranger Steve Gammon acted as the liaison with DCR and acquired approval for the project and then secured contractors to begin fabrication during the summer. At the December FOW meeting, Steve informed the group that the docks were finished and one of the two docks would be temporarily installed in Holly Pond for the public to view and use before the onset of winter. Both docks will be installed at Holly pond come spring for all to enjoy! —Eric Oddleifson

Jamis Bicycles Rewards Trail Builder For Volunteerism
January 18, 2007 - Milford, NH – The New England Mountain Bike Association today announced the winner of Jamis Bicycles / NEMBA Trail Care Series. The winner, Scott Nixon of Merrimack (NH), is a past president of the South Central NH NEMBA chapter and will be receiving a Jamis Dakar XLT dual suspension bike, courtesy of Jamis Bicycles.

Nixon’s name was selected at random out of over a hundred volunteers who attended at least one of the twenty trail care events sponsored by Jamis Bicycles in the state. The drawing took place at Souhegan Cycles in Milford, NH.

The Jamis Bicycles / NEMBA Trail Care Series is a volunteer program created to harness the energies of mountain bikers to build and care for trails throughout the granite state.  In 2006, the series built and maintained trails in nine parks from the White Mountain National Forest in the northern part of the state to state parks and local conservation lands in the south.  The series also included US Army Corps of Engineer property, Elm Brook Park, outside of Concord, NH.

This is the first year that Jamis has sponsored the series.  “Jamis Bicycles is excited and proud to have aligned with NEMBA,” says Jamis’ New England sale representative, Ed Barber.  “It’s rare to work with a group that is as dedicated, proactive, and as successful as NEMBA in insuring that mountain bikers continue to have access to the trails we all love to ride, right here in our own back yard!  The added benefit of sponsoring the NH Trail Care Series sends a strong signal to the trail user community at large that mountain bikers put their heart, blood, and sweat into maintaining trails for everyone.  Jamis Bicycles looks forward to another great year ahead!”

For 2007, the series is expanding to include NEMBA’s volunteer trail work in both New Hampshire and Maine.  “Giving back to the trails is critical,” says NEMBA executive director, Philip Keyes. “Mountain bikers not only appreciate getting new places to ride, but this kind of volunteerism also shows land managers and other user groups that cyclists are serious about protecting and preserving our key recreational resources. It’s also a lot of fun!”

Blue Hills Holiday Toy Ride

This year’s DCR Blue Hills Reservation Holiday Toy Drive and Mountain Bike Ride or Hike (say that five times fast) was a jolly good time. Mountain bikers and hikers powered by free coffee donated by Dunkin Donuts and filled with the generosity of the season came together for a fun filled good cause. Members of NEMBA, Blue Hills TrailWatch, and the general public enjoyed a beautiful sunny day. Several rides for all ability levels occurred along with a hike led by a TrailWatch volunteer. Santa even made an appearance! The kids on scene got the chance to enjoy some hot chocolate and tell Santa all of their holiday wishes. Those who were taking a break from riding or just relaxing were able to enjoy the warmth of the bonfire and the camaraderie of enjoying the beautiful Blue Hills. I would like to thank everyone who attended and was able to give. The Rangers along with TrailWatcher Steve Cobble were able to donate a whole truck load of toys and games following the event to the Interfaith Social Services in Quincy. I am sure the children who are enjoying those toys and games greatly appreciate the generosity. —Ranger Dave Furey

Merlin-NEMBA Trail Care Series 2007

Once again, we thank the Merlin (and Herbert Krabel) for renewing Merlin's sponsorship of our Trail Care Series.  The Merlin-NEMBA series is the largest --and oldest-- title-sponsored series of trailbuilding and maintenance in the country, and we have a huge number of events in Massachusetts and Rhode Island lined up for the coming year.  All NEMBA members who come to any of the events will be eligible to win a killer titanium Merlin hardtail frame!  Come give back to the trails and become elible for the drawing once the trailbuidling season comes to a close in December.  Check here for Merlin-NEMBA Trail Care events.