Trail builders across British Columbia are picking up shovels and saws at a breakneck pace these days, which means greater opportunity for mountain bikers of all disciplines. However, the approach to where and how to develop trails diverges greatly. There are also more illegal mountain bike trails with significant stunt (“technical trail features†or TTFs) and jump features than ever before, pushing the sport to new heights, literally. However, the risk associated with these trails is significant to the builders, riders and those responsible for managing public lands.
In part one of this series we examined the new draft BC Trails Strategy. John Hawking, BC trails manager for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts – the ministry now responsible for trail maintenance, development and promotion in British Columbia – explained how the new trail strategy originated, the process of public consultation, the key areas of concern and focus moving forward and the implementation of the strategy in the months and years ahead.
Pinkbike spoke with several mountain bike societies across BC that are actively managing mountain bike trails both as pilot projects under the Draft BC Strategy and on their own. In the second installment, we look at the Kamloops Bike Riders Association (KBRA) and the Burns Lake Mountain Bike Association (BLMBA). While the success of developing “official†and sustainable trail networks in these respective areas have evolved …Â
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It’s a good time to be a mountain biker in BC. In just about every community across the province trails are being developed and enhanced, providing seemingly endless options for all levels of riders. Many are developed by enthusiastic local trail builders with the best of intentions, be it to push the limits of rider ability or simply provide more quality choices for the after work or weekend rip.
However, many of our trails are not “legitimateâ€â€¦and the province has taken notice. Driven by a need to address the liability of such trails – and the recognition of the health, economic, social, cultural/heritage and environmental benefits – BC has created a draft Trails Strategy to better manage trail use and recreation in the future.
Listen up, because this will have an impact on what, and how, you build and maintain trails the near future and beyond.
History of the trails initiative:
In 2002, the newly elected Liberal government decided, as part of their “core review… Details