Vote for Trail Grants for Copper Harbor and Brown County
Two trails near CRAMBA-IMBA's area, Michigan's Copper Harbor and Indiana's Brown County, in the running are up for Bell Built trail building grants from Bell Bike Helmets.Our fellow MMBA members at Copper Harbor are in the running for a grant towards developing the downhill Overflow Trail grant, and Hobbs Hollow trail in Brown County State Park is in the running for a Flow Trail grant.Voting ends on April 12th, so visit the Bell Built Grant page this page on Facebook to register your vote!
15 Things CRAMBA did for you in 2012
CRAMBA was born in late 2011, making 2012 our first full year as an IMBA chapter.
Here's 15 successes seen by CRAMBA last year:1. Full Board of DirectorsBefore the IMBA transition, our chapter board was 4 members large. As part of the transition, bylaws allowed for up to 12 board members. For 2012, we elected 10 members, held monthly board meetings and grew to a full 12 member board in October.2. Rerouted an eroded fall-line hill at Addison OaksA badly eroding fall-line climb at Addison Oaks was the first big project at that park in a few years. Some political wins with the park allowed us to create a process for seeking approval for reroutes and other expansion projects.3. New Trail Development at Clinton River Park TrailThrough several traildays, lots of planning and support of other local organizations and the city, we were able to give some much needed attention to the Clinton River Park Trail in 2012 which resulted in some really great development including berms, rock gardens, log piles, skinnys and two all new sections of singletrack4. Reroutes in Stony Creek's "Roller Coaster"Early in the season, an unsustainable eroding climb in the "Back Nine" section of the "Roller Coaster" was rerouted. Later in the season, a downhill at the end of the first part of the "Roller Coaster" was rerouted for a much smoother transition.5. Invested money in new trailbuilding toolsPartway through the season, we found ourselves short on Pulaskis and with many failing McLeods. We bought a bunch of new tools from Rouge Hoe (among others) that quickly became trailwork favorites.6. Stony Creek Skills Park was reborn and held a successful and well attended Jump Jam eventThe new trail coordinators at the Stony Creek Skills Park continued to develop the park and were able to hold a successful chapter event there. Many came out to participate in the Jump Jam, and the chapter was hanging out under the tent and grilling burgers.7. Great new trail development at River Bends to achieve a full singletrack loopAt the end of 2011, a return section of singletrack was added to River Bends and in 2012 there were tweaks and additions to eventually form a full singletrack loop. Details of River Bends 2012 activities can be found HERE.8. New trail project with St. Clair County Parks brought a rideable loop at Columbus County ParkColumbus County Park finally found its Trail Coordinator with the addition of former Holly Flint members to CRAMBA. By the end of the season, a short but rideable loop had been built and many more plans for next season are in the works.9. Started a chapter mapping project to ensure all of our trails have detailed and usable maps available online.Detailed, usable maps found to be a missing resource at a few of our key trails. Through many hours of hard work, we now have some great maps for our trails that are now available online at http://www.cramba.org/our-trails/10. Big progress made on a mapping, signage and trail expansion project at Bloomer Park.Hard work continued at Bloomer Park in 2012. In addition to new singletrack, new signs were added and an official trail map has been posted online and in the kiosk. Bloomer has been receiving great feedback from riders on the improvements that have been made.11. Assumed responsibility for the trails in the Holly Flint area and welcomed those area members into our chapter.The former Holly Flint Chapter realized they didn't have the resources to transition to IMBA, so their leaders reached out to CRAMBA for help. We worked with IMBA to integrate their contacts into our database and as of September 2012, the Clinton River Area Mountain Bike Association includes members and territory from the Holly Flint region.12. Sent chapter representatives to participate in the IMBA World Summit in Santa Fe, NMIMBA holds a World Summit every other year. At the Summit, a Chapter Congress is held with IMBA chapters from across the country. At the congress session, chapters addressed the goals and priorities for the IMBA Chapter program. CRAMBA sent two chapter representatives to participate in this year's World Summit. Those Board Members were able to represent CRAMBA at the Chapter Congress and also bring back some valuable information.13. 5th annual Addison Oaks Chapter Benefit Race2012 marked the 5th year the Addison Oaks Fall XC race was held as a chapter benefit and the event was our smoothest run yet. With more participants than previous years, beautiful weather and great volunteers, 2012's race was a huge success.14. 6th annual Massive FalloutOur 6th Massive Fallout Group Ride was held, once again, in cold and rainy weather. Participation was still pretty exceptional and many gallons of chili were consumed. As usual, many riders enjoyed the hot food and warm heaters at Addison Oaks as the mid-way point in the ride.15. 2206 Volunteer HoursAs a chapter, we reported 2206 hours of volunteer time. With volunteer efforts in 2011 assigned a value of $21.79 per hour, the dollar figure associated with these efforts represents a contribution worth more than $48,000. This is just what's reported. We are aware that there are many more volunteer hours that go unreported.
CRAMBA Bottle Openers
Want a CRAMBA bottle opener of your own? Come see our booth at the Detroit Bike City expo on March 16th at Cobo Hall and pick one up!
January 2013 CRAMBA Board Meeting Minutes
The January CRAMBA Board meeting minutes have been posted and can be viewed here:CRAMBA Board Meeting Minutes 16 JAN 2013
1st Quarter (January) 2013 CRAMBA Chapter Meeting Minutes
The 1st Quarter (January) CRAMBA Chapter meeting minutes have been posted and can be see here:CRAMBA Chapter Minutes 1:8:2013
Updated Bloomer Map for 2013
A new map of Bloomer Park has just been released by Jason Scott and Derek Wrathell. Built on OpenStreetMap data this map shows the most recent updates to Bloomer's trail system and will be great for riders looking to familiarize themselves with the park's myriad riding options.Click the map to the right or here to download a full-size printable PDF.
Draft Michigan DNR trails plan available for public review through Jan. 25
| DNR PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJan. 3, 2013Contact: Donna Stine, 517-241-3774 or Ed Golder, 517-335-3014DNR invites public review and input ondraft Michigan Comprehensive Trails PlanThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that a draft of the new Michigan Comprehensive Trails Plan for motorized, non-motorized and water trails is available online for public review and comment.The draft plan can be viewed on the DNR’s Michigan Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Council webpage and also is available on the DNR's State Parksand Trails and Pathways webpages. Comments can be submitted via an online survey that is posted along with the draft. The DNR will accept comments and feedback on the draft plan through Friday, Jan. 25.The trails plan addresses the status of Michigan’s motorized, non-motorized and water trails, and will serve as a guidebook in future decision-making on DNR trail-related programs. Michigan’s trails are enjoyed by equestrians, off-road vehicle enthusiasts, snowmobilers, hikers, bikers and cross-country skiers all across the state."In offering this draft plan for broad public review, the DNR seeks to get the best possible feedback from the people who most use our extensive trail system and those who would like to enjoy it more," said DNR Parks and Recreation Division Chief Ron Olson. "Michigan is home to a vast and varied trail system. Our goal is to provide a consistent, quality resource that best meets the needs of the steadily increasing number of trail users.”Michigan’s extensive trail network – and the outdoor recreation, health and economic benefits it brings to nearby communities – is contributing to Michigan being recognized nationally not only as the Great Lakes State, but also as the Trail State. Michigan’s more than 12,000 miles of trails include over 6,000 miles of snowmobile trails and more than 3,600 miles of off-road vehicle trails. The state’s 2,600-mile rail-trail system is the largest in the nation and continues to grow. Nearly 600 miles of trails are designated equestrian trails, including the 300-mile Shore-to-Shore riding trail. Currently, the Michigan Heritage Water Trails is an initiative connecting communities using navigable waterways with the first designated trail - the River Country Heritage Water Trail - in St. Joseph County. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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December 2013 CRAMBA Board meeting minutes
The December CRAMBA Board meeting minutes have been posted and can be found here:CRAMBA Board Meeting Minutes 12:11:2012
November 2012 CRAMBA Board meeting minutes
The November CRAMBA Board meeting minutes have been posted and can be found here:CRAMBA Board Meeting Minutes - 13 Nov 2012
Ride Dirt Trails, Not Mud Trails.
As we get into those times of the year when trails tend to be wet CRAMBA wants to remind you to help protect our trails by not riding on them when they are muddy: Ride Dirt Trails, Not Mud Trails.Download a copy of our new Ride Dirt Trails, Not Mud Trails poster by clicking here.Our designer Kristi Heuvers and CRAMBA have also made a Adobe InDesign template of this poster available for other mountain biking advocacy organizations who wish to reuse our work to spread this message. This template is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) license and may be downloaded here.
DNR Trail Survey
The Michigan Snowmobile and Trail Advisory Committee (MSTAC) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are committed to better understanding trail user interests, needs and concerns. The MSTAC and the DNR are developing a plan for a statewide trail network that will address snowmobile, ORV, hiking, biking, paddling, and equestrian needs.The plan moves the state toward the goal of becoming known as “The Trail State”. The plan will identify priorities for improving the system and constraints for implementing those priorities. It will also serve as a marketing piece showcasing Michigan’s incredible trail network and the opportunities expanding this network presents to Michigan’s quality of life and economic prosperity. As they plan for the future of the state’s trail system, they need your help.The MSTAC and DNR would like to know your opinions about the state’s trail system, how you use the system, and ways the system could be improved. They ask that you electronically forward this entire note to other trail users. The link to the survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7H2SCSJ. The completed survey will not be sent back to CRAMBA, but will be available to the DNR for analysis. The DNR will not have access to who filled out the survey or their email address. The are asking that the survey be completed by August 31.
2012 Addison Oaks Fall Classic XC Race
In 32 (and counting!) short days CRAMBA will be hosting the fifth annual Addison Oaks Fall Classic Chapter Benefit Race!Join us on September 9th, 2012 at the beautiful Addison Oaks park for an exciting day of XC mountain bike racing. Located in the rolling hills of northern Oakland County, the ninth race of the MMBA Championship Point Series on a course comprised of ~6 miles of fast, flowing, awesome single track. (Number of laps will vary by category.)
As in the past, this year's event will include cash payouts for winning elite racers, complimentary pulled pork sandwiches for racers, and an outstanding racer raffle filled with prizes from event sponsors such as GU, ProGold Lubricants, OURY GRIP, and DeFeet.Race t-shirts and CRAMBA water bottles will also be available for purchase on an as-supplies-last basis. Pre-register for the race on BikeReg.com and purchase these items in advance to lock them in!For more information:
CRAMBA Water Bottles Now Available
CRAMBA now has logo water bottles available for $5/each. These high quality 24 oz. Specialized Big Mouth water bottles are perfect for holding your choice of beverage while showing your support.Bottles will be available for purchase at CRAMBA events including Massive Fallout, the Addison Oaks Fall Classic Benefit Race, chapter meetings, and select group rides (such as the Wednesday Night Stony Creek no-drop ride). Additionally, bottles can be pre-purchased for pickup at the Addison Oaks race when you sign up on BikeReg.com.Email info@cramba.org if you'd like a water bottle and are having a difficult time locating one.
New CRAMBA Map of Clinton River Park Trails
Hot on the heels of the Stony Creek maps CRAMBA has developed maps of the Clinton River Park Trails, a series of single track trails located in Sterling Heights. By once again using OpenStreetMap data we were able to develop a new map while contributing additional detail to the OSM data set.To download your own copy of this map click here or on the image to the right.
New CRAMBA Stony Creek MTB Trail Maps
We would like to announce the availability of new, CRAMBA-created Mountain Bike Trail Maps for the trails at Stony Creek Metropark.These maps, built using data from OpenStreetMap and licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, show accurate physical representations of all of the current single and double track trails, including little-used race-specific segments. They also include a number of colloquial namings for notable points and segments, including The Pines, Roller Coaster, Back Nine, The Snake, the Golf Course Climb, Woohoo Hill, and more.Additionally, auxiliary maps showing popular race and group ride routes have also been published. These routes are shown as red highlighted segments and hopefully will show trail users new and exciting routes around the park.The maps may be downloaded from here:
Rescheduled Trailday! Columbus County Park
After the big rainstorms caused us to cancel our originally scheduled trailday, we've rescheduled for this coming weekend.What: CRAMBA Trail DayWhen: Sunday, May 20 - 9:30 amWhere: Parking lot on Kronner Road, south of Crawford Rd, down the hill from the maintenance building - http://g.co/maps/wqq45We HIGHLY recommend long sleeves and pants, also gloves. There are a lot of thorny bushes that need to be dealt with.We have a couple hundred yards of trail to build, and some minor little projects elsewhere to complete the loop. Also, the Park has purchased a Ditch Witch to help with some of the bigger trail projects. They may have it out there on Sunday to help build and learn how these tools can help with trail building.If possible, let us know if you plan on coming out - either send an email to info@cramba.org, comment on this MMBA.org forum thread, or comment on the Facebook post.Hope to see you out!
Bald Mountain Public Review May 1
DNR Public Open HouseReview and discussion of Phase 1Draft General Management PlanThe Department of Natural Resources is in the process of developing a General Management Plan for Bald Mountain Recreation Area. This plan will outline 20-year goals in the form of Management Zones, which will guide the DNR in the management of park resources and the visitor experience.The public is invited to a meeting on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., where the DNR will share its thoughts on the Draft General Management Plan and welcomes your input.Tuesday, May 1, 20126:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.The Orion Center1335 Joslyn Rd.Lake Orion, MI 48360The Orion Center is located south of Clarkston Rd. and east of Orion Oaks Park.
April 10 Chapter Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes from the April 10 chapter meeting are now available:CRAMBA_MeetingMin_4_10
CRAMBA Meeting - Tuesday 4/10 - 7:00pm
Our spring meeting for 2012 is coming up next week!Please join us at the Rochester Mills Beer Co. We'll start the meeting around 7:00, if you'd like to order food, please arrive a bit earlier to get your order in.The agenda is below; if you have anything you'd like added to the agenda, please send me an email at info@cramba.org no later than Monday, April 9.Agenda:
- Trail Projects and Updates
- Addison Oaks (Bob) : Fall line hill - reroute approved, trailday April 14
- Bloomer (Derek / Dustin) : New trail and signing project
- Bald Mountain (Steve K / Dennis) : Marking project, DNR meeting
- Clinton River Park Trail (Aaron) : Recent trailday
- Stony Creek (Pete) : reroute planned, trailday April 22
- Columbus Park (Nick) : work to start soon
- Pontiac Lake Rec Area (Dave) : trailday April 21
- Riverbends (Steve V)
- Stony Creek Skills Area (Pete/Dave)
- Lake Orion HS (Steve K)
- Financial Report
- Other items / Public Comment
- MMBA / MiSCA Report (Di Ursu / Steve K)
!!!!!!!! Remember, $6 Growler Fills on Tuesdays !!!!!!!!Rochester Mills Beer Co (www.beercos.com)400 Water StreetDowntown Rochester, MIMap Link
Hope to see you there!~Marty ShueCRAMBA-IMBA Chairman
Upcoming CRAMBA Events
Lots of stuff coming up in the next few weeks, so we wanted to make sure you have everything on your calendar.
- March 31st - Trail Day @ Clinton River Park Trail. Meet @ 10:00AM at the parking lot at Pedros Court.
- April 10th - CRAMBA Chapter Meeting. 7:00PM @ Rochester Mills Beer Company.
- April 14th - Addison Oaks Trail Day - 9:00AM @ Trail Head by concession stand.
- April 21st - Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Trail Day. 9AM @ Trail Head.
- April 22nd - Stony Creek Trail Day. 9AM @ West Branch Lot B Trail Head.