Young guns to the fore..

For the first time in our working bee history, those 'trackies' under 20 outnumbered the...er, over 30's last Sunday morning.

We veterans see this generation of track-builders as the ones to take over the mantle as some of us gradually wear ourselves out. Not that any of us are thinking of retiring soon but it is encouraging to find young guys not only acknowledging the hard work that goes into creating trail but being prepared to front up at the coalface.

Here, Dougie, Doug, Thomas (from Upper Moutere), Mike & Reuben (from Mapua) pause for a snap.

This section of the Intermediate-grade singletrack we are benching counts as some of the gnarliest terrain in the Park. It's steep, laced with fallen, semi-rotten, pines, thick with sub-story vegetation and riven with gullies. We've even hit clumps of granite that require patient chipping away at.
What's been created in the process, though, along with the camaraderie that comes with toiling alongside fellow trackies Sunday after Sunday, is a superb, flowing singletrack that will add a whole new dimension to biking in the Park.

While many hands may not necessarily make this work any lighter, they will certainly help us achieve our objective of having the Intermediate circuit ready for the Summer. Our volunteers come from as far afield as Nelson & Richmond and represent a community of mountain bikers who not only appreciate what's being created at Kaiteriteri but are prepared to donate some of their Sunday mornings to help make it happen. We have great plans for the expansion of our track network - our only limitation is the manpower.

So, if you've been thinking about maybe putting in a w/bee or two, come along and join us. They're every Sunday morning from 9.00-12.00 and we post details on our website calendar. Instead of feeling like a MTB Park 'consumer', you'll feel great about contributing and enjoy your riding so much more!
And don't forget to put your bike on the back for a ride afterwards :-)

This week's treat was supplied by Mick Zeewoldt: "Paul & Gorse on Flamin' Nora" and can be viewed on our Park TV.