Powell River Cycling Association

Archive - Mountain Biking News

Mountain Biking News

Posted on 05-Oct-2011

Here’s some dates to note on your calendars!

For the two trail maintenance days in October and November, we will continue to enter names of those that participate into a draw for some cool stuff. Including: BC Bike Race competitor bag, BCBR sunglasses, tons of bottles, socks, etc. We’ll hold the draws for the schwag at the PRCA Christmas party.

October 22^nd – Trail Maintenance – 1 pm

Penticton Trails work party. Meet at Stevenson road just off the hwy south of town next to Sunshine Self Storage.

October 30^th– Halloween Ride

Halloween Ride at Inland Lake. Details to follow later.

November 19^th – Trail Maintenance – 1 pm (meet at Suicide trailhead)

Saturday, November 19 for a BIG work party, probably on the Oil Can Trail, to both:

a) blaze a smoother transition onto it from the old rail bed trail we now call Spur #7 as we had an awkward bottleneck there during the BCBR, and

b) buff rooty sections etc to create a better flow. Previous big work parties made an amazing difference to what was previously an almost unrideable trail.

Promise: it'll be a short work party, kids are welcome and if people are interested, we'll consider a bonfire at the Mud Lake parking lot afterwards (yes, that's the one opposite Suicide Creek trailhead, not to be confused with the Squirrel Crossing parking area).

November 24^th – PRCA gathering

Another PRCA gathering to share ideas and strong arm people into volunteering. Preferably somewhere where we can quaff some bevies and not necessarily in that order.

December 9^th or 10^th PRCA Christmas Party (exact date to be confirmed)

Likely chez wizard / wizardess. Details to follow. Contact Rose Temple at r_temple@telus.net if you are willing to help organize.

Posted on 16-Aug-2011

Mind Over Mountain Adventure racing anyone?

This is a brilliant event, and very popular with Powell Riverites! Come and join the numbers already entered, and we'll have a huge turn out from this side of the Salish Sea.

Kayaking, Mountain Biking, and Trail Running! Not forgetting 'The After Party' and some competitive banter.

Posted on 14-Feb-2011

Ride Guide - BC Bike Race - Powell River

Ride Guide just released their episodes on last year's BC Bike Race. The first half of part 1 features the Cumberland stage, then it features the Powell River stage. This is in addition to this coming spring's 6 minute feature on Powell River. The air date for that episode is expected to be late March and I will let you know once I hear more on that.

To quote one of the participants: "They don't have this in Belgium."

Watch it now HERE

Island Cup Series - Mountain Bike Race - MARCH 20TH

We are hosting a cross country race on March 20^th for the Island Cup MTB Race Series. We are seeking volunteers to help with some trail work and definitely to marshall on race day. If you are interested in helping please send me a note at president@bikepowellriver.ca.

Mountain Bike Tourism Association

As part of our partnership with Tourism Powell River to promote mountain biking in Powell River with Ride Guide and the Mountain Biking Tourism Association, a new dedicated website to support the campaign is now live and our page can be found at Powell River page on MBTA website. This is intended to be a “soft launch” at this point so if you see anything that needs to be tweaked, added or edited, please let me know.

Banff Mountain Film Festival

We were the opening act for this year’s Film Festival on January 7^th during which we had a couple minutes to say a few words about PRCA. Kolton Fuller from Kelly Creek community school spoke about the community bike park and we finished with a presentation of the post-race BC Bike Race video. We also had a couple information tables in the lobby both nights for PRCA and the community bike park. Great exposure and a great weekend!! Many thanks to Jim Palm for the invitation to participate. Word is the WWCC may be working on their own film for the BMFF!!

Grant Application to Promote Youth Cycling

We submitted an application for funding to 2010 Legacies Now to help support a project to provide youth aged 6 to 17 yrs an increased opportunity to participate in road and mountain bike cycling activities in the Powell River area. The goals are to provide some bicycling safety and skills education in the schools and during extra-curricular skills rides. Final funding selections were to be made by February 15th so we should know shortly whether we will receive any funding.

ORUG (Outdoor Recreation Users Group)

On February 17^th, ORUG made delegations to the City, the Regional District and Western Forest Products to let them know who we are and what we’re up to. ORUG is an ad hoc umbrella group that includes the various outdoor recreation user groups, including the Powell River Cycling Association. One of our goals is to develop an overall trail strategy for our community with one of the purposes being getting some trails officially established. Meeting with other recreation groups provides the opportunity to share in promoting stewardship of the trail network.

Outlined below is a summary of what was presented.

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ORUG (Outdoor Recreation Users Group)

Presentation to City of Powell River, Powell River Regional District and Western Forest Products

February 17th, 2011

We are representatives of the Outdoor Recreation Users Group, also known as ORUG. As the name implies, ORUG is comprised of the various outdoor recreation groups in Powell River, including:

Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society
Powell River ATV Club
BOMB Squad
Knucklehead Winter Recreation Association
Powell River Cycling Association
Backcountry Horsemen
Powell River trailriders
Representation from regional district, city, MNRO

We are here to present ourselves so you know who we are, what we have been doing and what we are seeking to do in the short and long-term.

ORUG functions much as an ad hoc steering committee or umbrella group and seeks to promote interaction between our various groups and promote the interests of the groups as a whole to various organizations and agencies. There is a cooperative attitude between motorized and non-motorized groups with a focus on discussion to minimize conflicts with respect to trail use and access. ORUG was previously active in years past but was revived over the last year or so partly in response to the desire for public input into the IPP developments with respect to maintaining access for recreation opportunities.

Goals

To promote outdoor recreation opportunities.
To promote outdoor recreation related tourism and economic development opportunities.
To advocate for maintaining and developing access to outdoor recreation opportunities and recreation related infrastructure.
To promote the establishment and stewardship of trails.
To secure funding for recreation related infrastructure projects and development.

Benefits to the community in having an established ORUG and member groups

Huge volunteer investment and commitment on the part of our respective members, the benefits of which are significant for the community, City, Regional District and Province (i.e. parks, forestry, MNRO).
Development and maintenance of trail infrastructure such as SCT and cabins/shelters, bridges, and trails will figure prominently in events that will increase in the years to come and promote tourism to our region.
A focus on outdoor recreation related tourism and infrastructure helps promote our area as a liveable region.
Partnerships between groups such as PRATV and PRPAWS helped maintain access and minimize conflicts between user groups, and enhance recreational opportunities.

What have we been doing

Have been meeting regularly over the past year
Respective groups have been and continue to pursue getting various trails legally established and officially recognized. This will in turn help ORUG and the recreation groups secure funding for recreation related projects from various agencies and funding organizations (federal, provincial, local, etc).
Working on the development of a trail strategy and management plan
- Have secured funding for various projects and more recently funding for finalizing a mapping and trails strategy.
- Trail strategy will include production of maps and hopefully web based opportunities to generate maps.
- Obvious linkage with the cycling master plan being developed by the City and the Parks and Greenspace plan being developed by the Regional District.
- Development of a trail strategy and associated mapping will have benefits for tourism and economic development. Also a much-needed resource for search and rescue.
- A trail strategy helps with applications to get trails established and secure funding.
- ORUG is also in the initial planning stages of a project to establish a multi-use trail and bridge crossing somewhere on the lower half of Lang Creek.

Concluding comments and Recommendations

ORUG and respective groups seek to work cooperatively with the City, PRRD, and others in promoting recreation related tourism and economic development.
ORUG recommends planning be coordinated with respect to trails and recreation (i.e. cycling plan, parks and greenspace plan)
ORUG encourages the City, PRRD, etc to pursue the establishment of a position for a trails/outdoor recreation coordinator.

Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society Powell River ATV Club

Eagle Walz, President Dave Hodgins, President

Box 345 604-485-2880

Powell River, B.C., V8A 5C2 Read English, Director

604-483-9565 604-485-5971

prpaws@shaw.ca Terry Roberts

www.sunshinecoast-trail.com 604-485-6012

Knuckleheads Winter Recreation Association Powell River Cycling Association

Ron Diprose Russell Brewer, President

4021 Manitoba Avenue 6919 Hammond St

Powell River, B.C. V8A 2W9 Powell River, B.C., V8A1R3

604 485-2180 604-414-8310