On September 1st, MORC implemented a new and improved website. We're putting considerable effort into building a site that will serve as a valued resource for Minnesota off-road bikers. Please be patient, as it will take us a while to complete some of the content areas.

Speaking of content, MORC is developing a comprehensive Minnesota Trail Guide as a key component of the website. The Trail Guide will provide authoritative trail reviews and information, from the people who build, ride, and maintain them. This effort will only succeed with your help. If you'd like to submit trail information, please use our online Trail Review Form, which may be accessed found under the "Trail Guide" menu on the MORC website (http://www.morcmtb.org).

Your feedback and suggestions are needed to ensure this website fulfills it's mission! Please email your comments to: mnbiker@mediaone.net.

Thanks!

Steve Garnjobst, MORC Webmaster

MORC's ongoing partnership with Ramsey County park management to maintain and enhance the mountain bike trails at Battle Creek Park continues to grow. MORC has already completed several trail projects at Battle Creek Regional Park this summer.

On May 12th and June 18th, MORC created a new trail section on the South edge of the park, to replace a trail that is home to some invasive weeds that park management wants to contain and also included a dangerous blind downhill exit onto a public road. The new section of trail includes a long, multi-stage climb, offering excellent aerobic and technical challenges. As an added bonus, the new trail is located on a hillside that park staff will soon be restoring to native Minnesota prairie.

On July 18th, MORC constructed three small bridges over drainage trenches on the multiple switchback hill just East of Battle Creek, using plastic pallets and treated 4x4's. The bridges replaced some enterprising, but unsafe, constructions placed by unknown riders to permit passage over muddy sections this spring.

On July 21st, MORC built a minor re-route coming into the Fern Gully area, to avoid cross-country ski trails. The end result will be another 150 feet or so of challenging singletrack that will flow into the valley better. MORC also received approval to keep some of the singletrack trails through the pines in the Southeast corner of the park. For those who didn't know, NONE of the trails through the pines were officially sanctioned until now, so this is definitely a positive development. Volunteers placed some new signage so riders know where to go, and closed off a couple sections that the Land Manager wanted restored.

Park Management held a Mountain Biking Informational Meeting at the Battle Creek Recreation Center on Monday, July 23rd at 7 PM. The agenda included:

• Updates on the Battle Creek Trails and new re-routes
• MORC trail crew update
• North Central Mountain Bike Patrol kick-off
• Discussion of Trails in other Ramsey County parks

Several projects are scheduled at Battle Creek Park for the remainder of 2001:

• The 90 degree turn and descent to the paved trail along Battle Creek needs some remedial work. Although this section of trail received some attention last year, we're experiencing usage-related erosion problems, due to unusually soft soil in exactly the wrong places. MORC has received approval from Park Management to experiment with some new trail hardening materials, as a field trial for later work on troublesome ski trails. This trial should provide valuable information for future projects at Battle Creek and other trail systems.
• Park Management and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department have given preliminary approval for trail patrol support at Battle Creek Park by the North Central Mountain Bike Patrol (NCMBP). NCMBP is the regional affiliate of IMBA's National Mountain Bike Patrol, and provides information, education and assistance for park patrons. You can learn more about the NCMBP at their website: http://www.ncmbp.org.
• MORC and Cross-County ski racers have both asked for a re-route of a badly rutted hill on the core ski trail loop at Battle Creek Park. We'll be working cooperatively with Park Management to implement a solution later this summer that meets the needs of skiers, bikers and hikers.
• A major construction and re-route project is planned for the severely rutted and sandy descent in the far Southwest corner of the Park. Work is tentatively scheduled for early fall. We'll keep you posted, as the scope of this project firms up.

Steve Garnjobst
On behalf of MORC's Battle Creek Trail Crew
E-mail: mnbiker@mediaone.net

MORC members are invited to Jeff Schalz's 2nd annual fun race/ride and party on Saturday, Sept 22. Riders will meet at his house at 10:00 AM, and car pool to the Cherry Bomb racecourse in Winona. Jeff, aka the Road Warrior, is a frequent worker at trail projects with a good perspective on our sport - he wants to have fun and share the fun in addition to working hard for our trails.

There will be a short and long race, distances and age groups yet to be determined, with medals for the winners. There is no entry fee. After the riding there will be a keg party at Jeff's house, limited to the first 50 people that sign up, with potluck on the food, starting about 6:00 PM. This is not an official MORC event.

Riders not sufficiently challenged by the Cherry Bomb course may want to try the 0.6 mile extreme mountain bike course in Jeff's yard. In case of rain, the alternate date for the event will be Saturday, October 6.

You can contact Jeff at 651-738-9595
1399 So. Sterling St, Maplewood, MN 55119

I was at the Elk River Planning Commission last night to pitch for the trails and organize events for fund raisers and advocacy.

The BLAST is approved to hold a "Classic Blast" event Saturday September 29th. If you missed the spring event, now is the time to ride some of the best single track in the state. This event will be fund raiser for the BLAST Big Trail. Information on the event will be posted on the web site.

Building a gemstone: The BLAST will also be organizing a fund raiser to generate funds to bring water to Hillside park as well as Kiosk, paving the front trailhead parking area and a lawn picnic are as well. If every mountain biker in the region would donate $5 or $10 towards this cause we will be able to make this a reality this fall. There is no charge to ride Hillside and this is little to ask everyone that is involved in mountain biking to generate the funds to make this a reality. It would be nice to see this as an effort by all and not a handout from other clubs and organizations. There should be no ties except if you are a Midwest mountain biker, wanting to support the trails in your own name. This is a great opportunity and something we all can be proud of.

The BLAST is also coordinating with the Elk River Parks and Rec department to hold a clinic on mountain biking for beginner riders wanting to know more about the sport. In conjunction with the clinic the BLAST team will hold a trail building and maintenance clinic for anyone interested in learning from the Trail Masters. We hope to educate to people the right and the wrong ways of designing, maintaining our trails in the years to come. If you think you know what you are doing on the single track you will be surprised on what you will learn and why most trail designs, re-designs and construction procedures fail. These 2 clinics will be held September 22.

We appreciate your support

Bob Mueller
The BLAST (Build Land Access Share the Trail)
Minnesota IMBA representative
Licensed Landscape Architect

Every Tuesday evening in September 5:30 PM until dark
Every Tuesday evening in October 4:30 PM until dark

Meet at the Johnny Cake Ridge Road trailhead parking lot.

Saturday October 20th 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Contact
Dale Gundberg
612-242-1887

Bontrager Race Disc Wheelset-brand new, still in boxes-755g,1010g-$285
Call Erik @ 952-888-8583

Next Board Meeting
Tuesday, October 9th
7:00 p.m. at REI Bloomington

The MORC MISSION: The Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of mountain biking in Minnesota through the promotion of responsible mountain biking, the establishment and maintenance of mountain biking trails, and the preservation of Minnesota's natural resources.