BUILD.RIDE.PROTECT

The next SDMB board meeting will take place on October 11th at the Tucson Parks & Recreation Building near Reid Park, 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Board meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to attend to learn what SDMB is focused on, particularly during October when Brushtober Fest is in full swing to brush back and repair trail tread after the monsoon season. Email "president@sdmb" for details.

The next SDMB board meeting will be held September 7th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM via Zoom. We'll be discussing plans for Brushtober Fest among other topics. Board meetings are open to the public so if you wish to attend and see what we're up to, please email: rcanamar@gmail.com  to get the link to sit in. We welcome your involvement.

Our own Nat Gordon on the SDMB Board was a recent featured guest on locally produced the Mountain Cog Podcast. He talks about our trail restoration work on Mt Graham, the vision for the Graham Cracker Ride and about what's up from his perspective as the Development Chair at SDMB. Listen Here.

Below quoted from the Mountain Cog podcast site

"Ever wondered what it takes to reconstitute and epic big mountain trail system with sick vertical drop? Today, we're fortunate to have Nat Gordon, a board member of the volunteer-run Sonoran Desert Mountain Bikers (SDMB) organization on the show, to shed some light on their organization and their efforts to revive the trails on Mount Graham in South Eastern Arizona.  Nat shares incredible insights into the hard work, engineering, and environmental considerations that go into trail restorations, and how the unique conditions of the Sonoran Desert add an extra layer of complexity.

The conversation doesn't stop at trail building. We also stir up discussions about the important initiatives at SDMB to foster diversity and inclusion within their ranks. Here’s a little teaser: They are on a mission to recruit more female board members! And yes, they speak about the irresistible lure of Mount Graham, the heart of their remarkable project. It's not just about mountain biking; we also hear about the exhilarating road riding opportunities that this mountain has to offer. 

Towards the end, we steer the conversation to the responsible side of mountain biking. Nat enlightens us about SDMB's "be cool" trail safety initiatives, bike skills, and bike Academy program aimed at promoting inclusion and trail etiquette. We explore the vital role of volunteers in keeping the organization running smoothly, especially in the post-pandemic world. Lastly, we also touch upon the fascinating world of trail maintenance, the cowboy gate etiquette, and the somewhat cryptic art of securing funding for these activities. So, if you're a mountain biking enthusiast or simply love hearing about behind-the-scenes operations, you can't afford to miss this episode!"

Spring has sprung, so we are looking to grow our SDMB committees. We hope some of you are willing to help our committees accomplish more great things in the months and years ahead. In the past, we had some very active people on our committees, but COVID impacted committee participation.

We are looking to get back to having well-staffed committees again, and hope that many of you would be interested in helping out. The SDMB Board has done a great job of filling gaps and keeping things moving, but we are at the point where we need your help. IT TAKES A VILLAGE! We are looking for self-starters, folks that can look at a committee description and say: “This is how I want to support SDMB!” and act on that ambition.

Here are the opportunities for you to get involved that won’t require a lot of time.

Advocacy Committee

            This committee advocates for mountain biking and discusses strategies and implements ways to promote the development of new mountain biking trails with Pima County, Tucson and Marana. Major initiatives include the “Be Cool” trail safety and etiquette initiative; the SDMB Bike Ambassador program; and offering bike skills clinics through our MTB Bike Academy. Some members also participate in the Network for Arizona Trails which advocates for trails statewide and supports an effort to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation at the state level (like 22 other states have). We submitted comments for the Coronado National Forest Trails Plans related to MTB trails on Mt. Lemmon. There are opportunities as well to participate in the Network for Arizona Trails annual summit. To ask questions or volunteer, contact the Advocacy Chair: Kent Loganbill at: Kent7varden@gmail.com

Trails Love Corp

            This committee spearheads our efforts to build and maintain MTB trails in the greater Tucson area. Some examples are the new trails SDMB helped build at Enchanted Hills, the Explorer and Portal Trails at Kennedy Park and the reopening of trails at Mt. Graham. Committee members can be trained to be crew leaders and help with trails initiatives like “Brushtober Fest,” new trail construction under the guidance of Pima County Parks & Recreation, and other local land managers. To get involved in this committee or ask questions, contact Michael Mucker at: eyebikepa@gmail.com

Outreach, Diversity & Inclusion

            This committee is working to diversify our membership as well as ways to make mountain biking more attractive to a broad range of groups—young people, handicapped and physically-challenged, minorities, and special needs, among others. We want to diversify our board, but we also want to find ways to engage with urban youth (through the 100-Acre Wood Bike Park, for example), hand cycle users, underserved audiences, and other groups. We also want to be sensitive to designing and building trails that are attractive to beginners, intermediate and advanced riders, and those riding adaptive hand cycles. To find out more or volunteer, contact chair Ruth Cañamar at: rcanamar@gmail.com

Development & Fundraising

Our committee is forward looking and seeks to help define SDMB’s sustainable future. We do this through partnership development, process improvement and the creation of new initiatives such as trail projects. If you’re interested in development, you may spend time helping to engage our sponsors and land manager partners. You may help us revamp our sponsorship program which is in the works. We take on special projects like merchandise procurement to make sure SDMB is getting the best value and we are working on supporting our membership team in revamping that program. Fundraising is a natural extension of Development as we need funding to support our general operating costs, for our projects (like skills clinics and bike ambassadors), for trail work day incentives (lunches/refreshments/prizes) and for new trail projects like consultation, design, and construction costs. This will involve grant writing, private donor solicitation, fundraising campaigns. To find out more about Development and Fundraising at SDMB, contact the committee chair, Nathaniel Gordon at: gordee151@gmail.com

Time Commitment:

For all committees, the commitment would average around 2 to 3 hours a month and probably 2 to 3 weekends a year. If you want to do more, that is up to you. The more people on the committee, the less work it will be for everyone. No experience needed.

Compensation:

The pay? Knowing that you are making Tucson a better place to ride! Priceless.

Tucson has a huge opportunity to make this area one of the top cycling destinations in the country, and you can be the reason.

We hope that many of you will join one of our committees and help us maximize our impact in the greater Tucson area.

Check out the latest video from Brice Shirbach about SDMB and TORCA as two exemplary trail organizations working on behalf of mountain bikers and all trail users in the greater Tucson area. Kudos to Dave Slagle for representing us so well.

Click here to see the video

SDMB is pleased to host the 2022 8-ish days of Christmas ride series!  This will be a series of mountain bike rides around the Tucson area to celebrate the holidays.  Come one come all for the festivities and relax.

We are currently in the planning phase for this series of events and welcome community input! 

Here is what we have so far,

Dec 23 - Sweetwater Preserve

9am @ Sweetwater Trailhead 

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Plan on 10 miles of intermediate rocky XC trails.   

Ride description: Help us kick off the 8-ish days of Christmas ride series at Sweetwater!  Meet at the Sweetwater-preserve trail head at 9am riding by 915am.  We will go West and take every right turn making a large loop.  This is prime beginner and intermediate trail riding lasting approximately 10 miles.  

Dec 24th - Our MTB Rides Family Loop Ride

9am at The Loop entrance located at Craycroft and River Rd

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Plan on an easy 15 miles on pavement

Description: Meet at 9 am, plan on wheels rolling by 915am.  We'll head West on The Loop to the Children's Memorial Park just past River Rd and Oracle Rd.  This is a chill family ride open to all riders, families encouraged!  

Dec 26 - Old Pueblo Eastside, Vail Vortex ride from Garrigan's Gulch

10am @ E Garrigan's Gulch and S Camino Loma Alta 

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Plan on 15 miles on easy XC trails

Ride description: 

Dec 27 - Fantasy Island North Loops with Our MTB Rides

7pm @ Fantasy Island North trailhead

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Plan on 10-15 miles of fun undulating XC single track

Description: Meet at the picnic table at 7pm and plan to start riding at 7:15. We will ride the North loops, Cactus, Burro Pit and Bo's loops. There will be a refreshment stop at the park off of the Xmas tree loop.(bring a beverage of choice to enjoy with us).

After the ride we all (or most of us) meet at Mulligans just down the street for some post ride refreshments and bike stories.

 

Dec 28 - 50 Year Trail ride with Old Pueblo MTB

2pm @ Golder Ranch Trailhead

Facebook event info/RVSP here

Plan on 10+ miles of intermediate single track with many fun lines suitable for all experience levels.  Estimated ride time is ~2 hours.

Ride description: A "Midday Mayhem" ride ::: A Basic Intermediate level trail with lots to explore. Midday Mayhem rides can be shortened, or portions of the trails can be skipped often times to create a more Beginner friendly experience. MM rides often times have locations that are chosen for their flexibility & variety to provide riders of various technical skill levels & fitness level to make their own ideal route. Rides are generally big enough to allow for groups to split on routes and meet back up to finish together.

FIP (Feet In Pedals) @ 2:00 PM, so Meet about 1:45 PM. (approx ride time 2 hours)

Dec 29 - Tortilita Preserve hosted by Brian/Catalina Brewing Company 

10am at the Tortilita Preserve Trailhead

Facebook event info/RSVP found here

Plan on a 9.5 mile loop of easy cross country single track suitable for all experience levels.  

Ride description: a fun easy loop of classic desert singletrack fun for all skill levels.  Post ride refreshments to be had at the one and only Catalina Brewing Company!

Dec 30 - Honeybee & Badlands trails with Old Pueblo MTB

10am @ Honeybee Trail Head

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Planned for 14+ miles, but there's LOTS of possibilities to improvise and adjust the distance and difficulty realtime on the trail based on how one is feeling.  (approx ride time 2-3 hours).

Ride description: A "Midday Mayhem" ride ::: A Basic Intermediate level trail with lots to explore. Midday Mayhem rides can be shortened, or portions of the trails can be skipped often times to create a more Beginner friendly experience. Midday Mayhem rides often times have locations that are chosen for their flexibility & variety to provide riders of various technical skill levels & fitness level to make their own ideal route. Rides are generally big enough to allow for groups to split on routes and meet back up to finish together.

SPECIAL INFO: Route selection is the now in-famous Travis special "Sweet-Ass Seahorse" that includes a stop at the summit of 420 Hill and a counter-clockwise loop around "The Badlands".

FIP (Feet In Pedals) @ as close to 10:00 AM, so Meet at 9:45 am at Edwin Rd. & Honeybee Intersection on the dirt road.  

Dec 31 - AZT shuttle with SAMBA

9am @ Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead

Meetup event info/RSVP here

Plan on 26 miles of beautiful XC trail along the Arizona Trail. 

Description:

From Oak Tree Canyon the ride will be about 26 miles with several hills and valleys. Roughly 2000’ of climbing through hilly terrain. The trail is a blue/intermediate level ride for endurance. Probably a few hike-a-bike sections for most riders.

From the Lakes Rd to the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead is about 13.5 miles, mostly downhill. This section could be rated green/blue for some rocky downhill areas and hills.

We will plan to load shuttle vehicles at the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead at 9am. Please RSVP on the Meetup site so we make sure to have enough shuttle vehicles.

Jan 1 - MTB Addicts & Our MTB Rides Hangover Ride

1130am at the McKenzie Ranch Race Course parking lot

Facebook event info/RSVP here

Plan on 10-20miles of buttery smooth XC trails 

Description: Ride off that New Years Eve hangover with MTB Addicts and Our MTB Rides at the McKenzie Ranch race course!  More details to come...

Jan 2 - Millagrosa Trail with Brian

10am at Avenida de Suzenu 

Facebook event info/RSVP to be announced

La Millagrosa the champagne of trails, need I say more? 

Ride description: double black diamond chunky goodness, one hike a bike and three climbs cooked coupled with the gnarliest downhill Tucson has to offer courtesy Tucson MTBs Godfather himself.  Meet at Avenida de Suzenu at 10am for shuttles or meet at Molino Basin at 1045am to start the hike a bike with the group.  Come prepared with downhill level protection, lots of water, and a snack.  Adult beverages are recommended for the mid point.  

More bike rides!

Jan 8 - SDMB Poker Ride

9am at 

Facebook event info here

Description: the SDMB Poker Ride is coming back January 2023!  Test your luck at poker and bike riding simultaneously with a chance to win some cool stuff!  

Registration starts 9am at the SDMB table, look for the SDMB easy up and banners.  Want to host a poker spot?  Contact our guy Kent Loganbill  at kent7varden@gmail.com.

Arizona State Parks & Trails recently released its new 5-Year plan that outlines the agency's priorities for both motorized and non-motorized recreation on state park lands. Included is information about applying for grants as well as a host of information from surveys of trail users. It is a lengthy document but might be worthwhile for you to scan for your own areas of interest. View the plane here.

The Coronado National Forest recently released its 15-year trail plan for the Catalina Ranger District. Public comments are being solicited until December 2nd, and there is a public meeting scheduled for November 17th from 5-7:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center on River Road. You can also review the entire plan here

Summary

• 22 trail development projects
• 18 access or trailhead projects
• Little emphasis on motorized recreation since these are just under 6% of the trails, most of which are in Redington Pass area.
• Only about 50 miles of current trails are really bikeable (about 20% of existing trails on the CNF).  The trail system has a lopsided range of difficulty which the Forest Service is attempting to correct.
• There are currently about 240 miles of non-motorized unauthorized trails with 40 miles of those getting regular use.

• Trail system in this plan will grow by 10% or about 55-80 miles of proposed new trails. Many will be beginner or intermediate trails.

  Removal of 25 miles of existing trails that are low use, unsustainable, or unauthorized.

  Nothing in the plan is cast in stone and could be modified and changed depending on results of a full NEPA review of each project or group of projects is submitted. Projects are conceptual only—specific locations and trail alignments may change (p. 4).

  Goal 1—Create a system of trails that will meet current and future users. (p. 27)

• Seek access—resolve one issue each 3 years
• Improve parking
• Protect the AZT
• Provide full range of difficulty w/focus on beginner and intermediate trails
• Increase trail system mileage by 25 miles or 10% including both adoption of unauthorized trails and new construction.

• 
  

• Goal 2—Improve trail conditions and quality.  (p. 28)

• Increase external support in volunteer hours and 3^rd party contributions.

• 
  

• Goal 3—Mitigate the proliferation of unauthorized trails.

  Goal 4—Effectively manage trails to reduce user conflicts.

• Emphasize trail etiquette
• Create directional MTB trails
• Improve sight lines and tread surface
• Scheduling—look at add/even days for usage between MTB’ers and hikers

Goal 5—Advance non-recreation program goals (fire breaks, wildlife, move trails away from nearby roads.

From here, the plan goes into specifics, and pp. 30-41 are Proposed Trail modifications.  There is a summary of them on pp. 42-43.

Trail Development and Connectivity projects are described on pp. 44-56. There are 40 projects described in the plan. There is an increase in number of miles of trails for MTB’ers of 56%--approximately 55-86 miles through adoption of existing trails and building such as the directional Bug Jr. trail and the Fireline Trail.

Feedback can be submitted by email to sm.fs.scrd@usda.gov.

We are sad to have to announce that this year's McKenzie Frenzy Race has been postponed to an as-yet-to-be determined date in spring 2023. We know that many people were interested in participating again in this race, but logistics and other issues have prevented us from hosting the event during the first weekend in December. Stay tuned for future announcements.

Wildlife encounters are common while mountain biking Tucson trails. Please do not approach, harass, or kill wildlife. Likewise, do not chase or harass cattle or horses you may come across on some trails on leased land. Here are some specific tips.

• Snakes & Reptiles: DO NOT kill snakes, even rattlesnakes. This is their territory and most will move off given the chance. Being bitten is rare unless you get too close. Gila monsters are often seen along some of our trails. As with snakes, let them alone and they will go away on their own. Horned lizards are also common. Leave them along and do not pick them up as their defense system is often to spray blood at you from small vessels near their eyes.
• Tortoises: Desert tortoises are often seen, especially after a rain. Do NOT pick them up to move them off the trail. They will often expel all their urine out of fear and this leaves them without any water reserves so they will die. Again, like with snakes, let them move off the trail on their own or go around them.
• Predators: Coyotes, badgers, and others should be left alone. Do not harass them and let them alone. Give them room to escape. Mountain lion sightings can be common out on the trails.  Do not run or bike away. Try to look large—hold up your bike. Wave arms, spread out a jacket if you are wearing one. Throw rocks or sticks. If attacked, fight back.
• Birds: Raptors and scavengers are common on our trails. Owls can be seen on some trails (Enchanted Hills Tecolote Trail is named for the owls nesting in the cliffs). Again, leave them in peace. Take photos from a distance.
• Deer, cattle, horses, and other grazers. Again, let them alone. Do not harass or chase them. Do not ride up on stock dams and say at least ¼ mile away from water sources. Leave gates as you find them unless you find an open gate that is posted with a sign that says to keep the gate closed. Then close it.