The grant funds will be used to produce design and construction documents to build many of
the different features in the bike park. These features will be designed for a range of skill levels and include some of the following:

Pump Track Area will allow cyclists to learn and perfect their riding skills. This track will allow for progression of skills and fitness for riders from kids to advanced adults.

Advanced Flow Trail will contain flow features such as rollers, dips, berms, jumps, and man-made features allowing users to transfer their pump track and jump park skills to trail use.

Fellow parks and trail lovers:

There is an important MidPen meeting regarding the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve on Wednesday, April 29 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Los Gatos Community Center – Adult Recreation Center 208 E. Main St. Los Gatos, CA 95030. It is an ‘information gathering’ session put on by the District – essentially an opportunity for the public, the staff and the board to propose ideas for how the Preserve will be used. The existing plan calls for no mountain bike access but we believe there is an opportunity for true multi-use access on at least part of this preserve. It is important that mountain bikers show up to this meeting to let the MidPen staff know we are looking for. I’ve been to several of the meetings regarding the plan for the stables and have been impressed with the openness of the process and the desire of staff to understand the preserve user’s interests.

Some of the comments that we have heard from SVMTB members, other riders and the broader community are summarized here:

1. We would like to see the District create a regional connector trail so that cyclists can ride from Los Gatos or Lexington Reservoir up to Skyline. This would create safe loop options utilizing the recently opened John Nicholas Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail and reduce traffic congestion riding up narrow Bear Creek Road.
2. The preserve is only a five minute drive from Los Gatos. Can we get some loop trails that families, kids and beginner riders can use that aren’t as steep and challenging as the dirt roads in Sierra Azul?
3. Please recognize that Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve has been a great place for equestrians to ride, keep their horses and give children opportunities to experience nature. We believe that allowing cyclists a safe route would maximize the public benefit by broadening public access and use of the Preserve. It appears that it would be easy to open the preserve lands west of Bear Creek Road (currently closed to ALL users) to allow true multi-user access for hikers, equestrians and cyclists.

What I’ve learned from working with Land Managers and staff is that you should:

1. Keep your message simple (ask for a few concrete things)
2. Keep your message respectful (these are people doing their jobs just like you)
3. Let them know what you want and why (why you want something is as important as what you want)
4. Figure out how you can get what you want and help other users get what they want (classic Win/Win)
5. Be pleasant and persistent (these processes take time)

Details on the planning process and the April 29 meeting can be found here http://www.openspace.org/plans_projects/bear_creek_planning.asp

Construction of new 1-mile segment of the Ancient Oaks Trail was completed last fall by District field staff. The new trail was the final phase of the POST-funded Mindego Gateway Project, and will connect the new Mindego Parking Lot with Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve’s popular multi-use trail network. The trail also provides a new, 4-mile loop opportunity for hikers, bikers and equestrians to experience the spectacular vistas and shady woodlands of the Mindego area.

One of our directors, Charlie Krentz, rode the Fifield Cahill Ridge ride in SFPUC’s Crystal Springs Watershed yesterday. Outrageously beautiful land! Though our docents were great, we look forward to the end of their accompaniment’s being mandatory. We also look forward to the proposed opening of Whiting Ridge out to the coast and perhaps the opening of other areas. The San Francisco Board of Supervisor’s is having a public meeting on Thursday April 2, 2:00 pm. We need a packed house!. Please join us.

Don’t forget! The next Volunteer Trail Work Day on the flow trail at SDSF is scheduled for this coming Saturday February 28, with Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers (SVMTB) generously providing the day’s hospitality, along with regular work day sponsors Whole Foods, Summit Store, Adventure Sports Journal, and Ninkasi Brewing. We’re looking forward to another inspiring day of trail building and camaraderie out on the flow trail! Sign up for this work day HERE.

You Dig, You Ride! And All Are Welcome!

Volunteer involvement is crucial to completing the flow trail. Work days are scheduled twice a month (see Volunteer Trail Work Day Schedule), and include breakfast, lunch, and post-work day gathering featuring refreshments and a volunteer raffle provided by Adventure Sports Journal and other generous project supporters. Trail work days sponsored by Ibis Cycles and Mick’s Automotive are still ahead on the winter schedule.

Everyone is welcome — no trail work experience required! Our supportive, experienced crew leaders and trail builders will teach you techniques and make a confident trail builder out of you in no time flat. Plus, volunteer trail workers get to test ride and dial in new sections of the flow trail—how cool is that?!

Keep in mind that trail work days may be cancelled or rescheduled due to inclement weather and/or hazardous conditions.

Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NFIFltm3DKZ2dZKSy1Pcxl9rU2oV-i2SjovkPP5RnlE/viewform

Amazon has opened up another source of donations to non-profits such as SVMTB.

Just do your shopping through the Amazon Smile web site, choose SVMTB as the recipient of Amazon’s donations, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to SVMTB.

Yes, Amazon Smile has the same prices and products as the normal Amazon web site, but with the benefit of painless donations for more trails.