January 2019 CRAMBA Board + Addison Race Meeting Minutes

CRAMBA's January 2019 Board Meeting was held on Thursday, January 10, 2019 at Shelby Township Fire Station #1 at 7pm. This was a joint meeting with the Addison Oaks Race Committee.Meeting was called to order with Brian McPherson, Roger Class, Wade Robbins, Steve Vigneau present for the CRAMBA Board. (Ivan Krasnov and Mike Reeves were excused absence.) Also present were Jeremy Verbeke (National Mountain Bike Patrol, River Bends Trail Coordinator) and Chris Westerlund (Addison Oaks Fall Classic Race Organizer, Membership Committee Chair).Board Items:

• Chris Westerlund has introduced both Business and Club support for CRAMBA, at $100 and $50 each, respectively. Metro Detroit Mountain Bikers and Guinness Bikers are two of the first supporting organizations.
• Steve Vigneau is working on new water bottles. We are currently out of stock of water bottles.
• Steve Vigneau has been working with Stephen Spry on stocking hats to be sold at Ay CRAMBA. The order is under way and delivery expected at the end of January.
• Brian McPherson handled Massive Fallout in 2018, but may not have the resources to run it all this year. Wade Robbins and Brian will be working on this together in 2019.
• Trail marking supplies as requested by TCs will be delivered 11-Jan, Steve will kit the orders up and make them available to TCs.
• Jeremy Verbeke is working with Shelby Township on mitigating local resident concerns about the proximity of the newest phase of the CK Canal Loop at River Bends Park. Requested changes will result in a loss of ~200' of trail, but will maintain a visual barrier between a local neighborhood and the single track.
• Roger Class is looking into new venues for the Chapter Membership Meetings.
• Brian and Steve are meeting with Gary Hopp at Stony Creek Metropark on Saturday, January 5, 2019 to discuss fat bike access to the single track.

Addison Oaks Race Items:

• CRAMBA is considering a new route that's more of a loop with an alternative first climb. Makes for a better hole shot and no two way traffic. Chris will be taking this up with the park.
• Food planning for the race is a concern, due to lack of volunteers.
• Sponsors are currently being pursued, much earlier this year than in the past.

National Mountain Bike Patrol Items:

• First National Ski Patrol (NSP) training for National Mountain Bike Patrol members is 30-Mar-2019.
• NMBP new member orientation will be held in April, 2019.
• Jeremy Verbeke asks the CRAMBA board to cover $25 (per member) cost of NSP training. Board approves this expense, for up to 30 people. (Maximum $750 outlay.)
• Jeremy is looking into a winter-time NMBP end-of-season thank-you event and would like CRAMBA to fund this event. (Item was not voted on.)

January 2019 CRAMBA Membership Meeting.

Board members present at the meeting were Brian McPherson, Steve Vigneau, Wade Robbins, Roger Class, and Mike Reeves.The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by Brain McPherson and approximately 38 people were in attendance.Steve Vigneau talked briefly about the purchase of the Snowdog Trail Groomer for $4300.00.  The old snowmobile is to go to Holdridge for the Wilderness loop and the old groomer is likely going to Addison Oaks.Several of our CRAMBA trails purchased signage and those signs should be in this Friday (1/11/19).Jeremy Verbeke stripped the CRAMBA trailer of the old outdated wrap, and put our new CRAMBA logos onto the trailer.  It looks great, thank you Jeremy.Stony Sheldon Trails redevelopment update.  CRAMBA and the Metro Parks have been working together for a few years to redesign the trails at Stony Creek.  Applied Trails Research out of State College Pennsylvania, put together their proposal for the project and we are waiting for final approval.  The design should begin in the spring and the build should be done by the end of 2019.  The trail will be a series of linked, loops, that increase in difficulty.  Much of the old trail will be retained, some of the difficult to maintain sections will be eliminated.  Keeping the skills area is something CRAMBA is trying to workout with the park.  It is ultimately the parks decision to make, CRAMBA is trying to give them options to keep it if they ultimately choose to do so.Bike Patrol update from Jeremy Verbeke.  Transition to National Ski Patrol is about halfway complete.  The 2019 roster is down to 35 from 70.  Out of the 70 patrollers last year, only 39 were active.  The rest either did not patrol, or did not report their patrols.  March 30 is the first training for non-ski patrollers on the roster.  April 13 is the training date for new patroller. Any questions, or if you are interested in bike patrol, email Jeremy at bikepatrol@cramba.org.Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out is scheduled fro February 2nd, 2019 at noon.  It's the 6th Anniversary of the event, which is a great opportunity to come out and test ride fat bikes at River Bends.  If the conditions aren't good, the makeup date is set for February 16th.  We will have CRAMBA stocking/ski hats for sale at the event for $20.  40% of the hat proceeds go back to CRAMBA .  Also KLM will be sponsoring a membership drive at the event, covering $20 of the fee.The fall 2018 membership drive was very successful.  We are at 413 members currently.  November was the best membership month CRAMBA has ever had.  Also, family memberships are the same price as individual memberships.  So, go to the website and add your family members.  This will assist us with our overall numbers.  "Strength in numbers" very much applies with advocacy.The Addison Oaks XC Race will be held on September 8th, 2019.  This year it very well may be the last race of the CPS series.  Waiting final confirmation of the CPS Schedule, hopefully later this month or in February.Massive Fallout will be the last weekend of September.  We will need volunteers to mark the route, and someone to lead the project.  We will be working with the local parks and communities to hopefully have more permanent signage put up, to make the prep for the ride every year easier.River Bends will be having its first ever Mountain Bike Race.  It will be a kids MISCA race.  CRAMBA is very excited about this.  CRAMBA has only assisted with route suggestions for the race, and is not officially hosting the event.  Go to MISCAbike.org if you have kids interested in racing.Steve Vigneau offered his Treasurer's Report.  Our current balance is at $32,320.  This is after the $3,200 for signage at Pontiac Lake, River Bends, Bloomer, Stony Creek, and the Clinton River Park Trail.  This balance also includes the $4,300 for the snowdog.  CRAMBA received a $500 donation from the MOVE IT Fitness organization.  Big thank you to them!  The big upcoming expense this spring is our annual insurance payment of around $6,000-$7,000.  The Addison Oaks race brings in around $6,000 annually.  We have been fortunate and have had good weather, and a good turnout most years.  If we have a bad year we would lose a significant portion of our income.  It is important to remember that we need to keep a "cushion" for possible situations like this.TRAIL UPDATESRoger Class stated that Addison will be groomed when we finally get snow.Columbus Park is continuing to tweak the single track when they can.  Weather and conditions are not cooperating at the moment.Pontiac Lake is receiving new signage, and the new changing station project is moving along.  Plans have been submitted to the park management and we have a good lead on funding (possible corporate donation).River Bends has work progressing on the new CK Canal Loop (red).  1.6 miles were added over the summer of 2018, and another 1.1 miles is ready to be built out.  @ new bridges were built with a donation received by Wade Robbins.  A couple residents have complained that parts of the new trail comes to close to their property.  The trail is 60-80 feet from their property, and has a rail road track and bed between their property and the trail.  Jeremy is working with Shelby Twp to come up with a solution to make everyone happy.  Watch for trail days to be listed on Facebook.We are working with Stony Creek to find a way top allow fat biking at Stony Creek.  Stay tuned.Holly High School trail is still available to ride, and plans are made for 8 miles of trail to be built in Lapeer.  This trail will be near the jail/prison, the DTE solar panel field, and I-69.Meeting adjourned at 7:45.

CRAMBA Board Meeting 12/13/18

Sorry this is so late getting posted.  I got busy with the holidays and forgot to post.The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm at Steampunk in Utica.  Attending the meeting were Steve Vigneau, Wade Robbins, Brian McPherson, and Mike Reeves.Finances for the chapter have been set up on Quickbooks and our balance as of 12/13/18 was $34,958.92.Snowdog Groomer has been purchased and we are still awaiting snow.Stony plan is in, and they are working on final approval.MMBA Seven Lakes Project- MMBA was given $20,000 for the project.  The money was not set aside as directed, and was spent.  Jason Aric Jones was working on the project and has stepped down after the MMBA 's mismanagement of funds.The January membership meeting will once again be held at CK Diggs.  We are aware of the difficulty for us to hear last time, so we have worked with the owner of CK Diggs and we have a microphone set to run through the speakers in that room.  This should solve the problem.Meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.

Looking Back at 2018

Happy New Year from CRAMBA to you and your family!We hope you've had another great year of riding and having fun on the trails. 2018 was a great year for CRAMBA and we want to share with you some of the big things we accomplished together.Thanks to our volunteers, donors, members, and hard work with partners we were able to:

• Keep our trails in great shape and ready for all to use.
• Build and install an information kiosk and bike repair stand at the Pontiac Lake trailhead.
• Reroute a chronically muddy section of trail at Pontiac Lake.
• Build a banked-curve, walled S-bridge at Clinton River Park Trailsover a perpetually muddy area.
• Add 150 yards of new trail at Clinton River Park Trails to avoid an old dump and make for a more fun climb/descent.
• Donate $3000 to support Shelden Trails Redevelopment at Stony Creek Metropark.
• Purchase a SnowDog tracksled for grooming snowy single track for fat biking.
• Open the first phase of the CK Canal Loop at River Bends featuring three beautiful, sustainable bridges over wet spots.
• Replace missing trail markers at Bloomer Park, and bring on new volunteer Co-Trail Coordinator Chris LaBaere.
• Raise $5855 at the Addison Oaks Fall Classic!
• Host the annual ¡Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out! winter fat bike party at River Bends Park.
• Host another episode of Massive Fallout, our annual autumn multi-trail ride spanning Stony Creek, Bald Mountain, Bear Creek, and Addison Oaks.
• Continue work with the Metroparks and Applied Trails Research on the Shelden Trails Redevelopment Project at Stony Creek Metropark, resulting in the concept design for new trails!

We're looking forward to continuing our work in 2019, starting off with grooming trails for fat biking, hosting another ¡Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out! event, donating new signage to a number of the trail systems we support, continuing work on the Shelden Trails Redevelopment at Stony Creek, and doing our best to enhance mountain bike access to trail systems throughout Southeast Michigan!Please join us for our next Chapter Membership Meeting happening next Tuesday, January 8th, at 7pm at CK Diggs in Rochester Hills!Then, we hope to see you at ¡Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out! happening on Saturday, February 2nd, at noon at River Bends Park. Click here for more information.

Stony Creek Shelden Trails Redevelopment Concept Design Announced!

You wrote, you showed up, you donated, and the Metroparks listened. The concept design put together by Applied Trails Research for the Shelden Trails Redevelopment Project at Stony Creek Metropark has been approved by the Metroparks Board of Directors!Click here to read the update from the Metroparks and download a PDF of the whole plan: Stony Creek Metropark Shelden Trails Update #1So what's next? CRAMBA will continue working with the Metroparks to support the design, construction, and maintenance of these new loops. We hope for construction to begin late Summer of 2019!

October 2018 CRAMBA Board Meeting

The October CRAMBA Board Meeting was held at Steampunk in Utica.  Present at the meeting were Steve Vigneau, Brain McPherson, Ivan Krasnov, Mike Reeves, Wade Robbins, Roger Class, and Kristen Barry.  The meeting began shortly after 8:00 PM and we discussed the following topics:New Board Positions are as follows; Brain McPherson Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson Roger Class, Treasurer Steve Vigneau, Secretary Mike Reeves, and Wade Robbins and Ivan Krasnov will be Members-at-Large.Trail Section Adopter Program (TSA) is a program that we are considering implementing on a trial basis.  It is a program that would have several different people responsible for different sections of trail, and overseen by the Trail Coordinator for that particular trail.  Poto has done something similar in the past.  Pros and Cons of this program were discussed, more to come in the future.The Howlin' at the Moon event at Stony Creek has been moved to the spring time.  We will let everyone know when a date is set.Stony Creek has a new Co-Trail Coordinator.  His name is John Huff and will be focusing his efforts on the Skills Park that is in much need of some attention.Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out! February 2nd 2019 at River Bends.  Bike shops will be at the event with Demo bikes to ride.  Uncle Peter's Pasties and Fries will be on site.  Beer and wine is allowed at River Bends, but remember liquor is not allowed.  More to come on this event as things develop.Thank you to Jeremy Verbeke for working hard on the tool trailer and getting new decals on it.

CRAMBA Fall Membership Drive

Join or renew CRAMBA in October and you're entered to win a Yeti Cycles SB5 or SB5 Beti C-Series GX kit, plus a $2,000 JensonUSA shopping spree, a Western Spirit cycling trip for two and a BikeFlights shipping voucher for two.Visit CRAMBA.org/join

CRAMBA FALL 2018 MEMBERSHIP MEETING AT CK DIGGS

October 2018 CRAMBA Membership meeting at Ck Diggs in Rochester Hills.  The meeting was called to order by Steve Vigneau at 7:15 pm.  Board members present at the meeting were Steve Vigneau, Kristen Barry, Brain McPherson, and Mike Reeves.Stony Creek Update:Applied Trails Research is finishing up, and will be seeking approval later this year.  The project is estimated to run around $250,000.Howlin at the Moon event is coming up at 6:30 on 10/27/18, bring lights.  It is a fundraiser for the new trail project.  It includes something for all the major user groups.  Hiking, Running and MTB.  We are looking for volunteers to lead rides by people that are familiar with the Sheldon Trails. Addison Oaks Race update:The race was successful even with the threat of poor weather.  Around 300 racers entered the event and is our major fundraiser for the chapter apart from the dues and individual donations.  The race generated around $6,000 for the chapter.  A new start finish route was utilized this year and it worked out great. Aye CRAMBA It's Cold Out!:This event is coming up February 2nd with 2/16 has a make up day.  It is a demo day with local shops being on site at River Bends.  We are in search of volunteers for this event.  Please contact Kristen Barry if you are interested in helping out. Massive Fallout update:Brian McPherson spent a lot of time setting up the course due to a lack of volunteer support.  The weather was not good and Brain stated that only 4 people actually completed the whole route.  Despite the weather there was a pretty big turn out considering the weather.  Next year we may try and coordinate Massive Fallout with the Rochester Octoberfest.  There are some logistical struggles such as parking.  If you have ideas please consider coming to the January membership meeting and sharing, or contacting a board member. Membership update:Chris Westerlund reports we have around 450 paid members at the moment.  Please renew your membership.  The IMBA is sponsoring a membership drive where you can win a Yeti Kit plus a $2,000 JensonUSA shopping spree, a Western Spirit cycling trip for two and a bike flights shipping voucher for two.  This is good for the month of October only. Kristen Barry's treasurer report:Kristen states that we are in good shape financially with about $36,000 in the bank with no further major expenses coming up this year.  Last year at this time we had about $30,000.  As a board we decided to set aside $10,000 for trail improvements.  We let the various trail coordinators know that they could have up to $1,000 for projects, and to let us know.  We have around $12,000 a year in operating expenses which includes such things as $7,600 for insurance ($1600 for race and $6000 for chapter insurance),  and $600 for the storage unit. Addison Oaks Update:Working on an agreement with the park that will allow us to have large scale trail days, above and beyond the great work that Paul does out there.  They are going to try and improve the trail grooming process this winter, so look for groomed fat biking at Addison this winter. Bald MountainNo report Bloomer Update:There will be a fall project, not sure what it is yet, so more to follow.  Continuing to try and peacefully coexist with the other trail users and making sure all parties are happy.  Looking to for a volunteer and a truck to pickup a large amount of flagstone and bring it to the park. Clinton River Park Update:everything is going good at CRPT and look for improved signage in the near future. Columbus Park Update:Approximately 1 mile of new trail and continuing to work with the park for more trail. Holdridge Update:No report. Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Update:No report. River Bends Update:New CK Loop about half done and will hopefully be completed this fall.  The temporary bridge accessing the new loop will be replaced soon and will be about 6 feet wide with railings.  The new loop will also be included in the fat bike grooming process this winter. Stony Creek Update:The major Sheldon Trails Project is really the only news here. Night Riding Etiquette:Make sure the particular park is open for night riding.  And if you are riding backwards please yield to the riders going the standard direction. Bike Patrol Update:No report from Jeremy Verbeke at this time.  However we ill report that Jeremy passed the medical certification process and is the mountain bike patrol director.  This transition is on going and look for more news in the future. CRAMBA Board Update:Steve Vigneau can no longer be the chairperson (Term limited), but will be staying on the board in come capacity.  Kisten Barry can no longer be the treasurer (term limited), and will be stepping down from the board and will be the CRAMBA volunteer director.  Mike Reeves and Brian McPherson will also be staying on the board.  Eric Mile will be stepping down from the board.  Thank you to Wade Robbins, Ivan Krasanov, and Roger Class who volunteered to be on the board. The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.

Massive Fall Out is upon us!

Hope to see a lot of riders at MFO tomorrow morning!  The trail marking is being finished as I type, and folks are preparing food and drink as well.  Keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds.  Please remember the running event at Bloomer Park, and give them some space.  Also, please be careful riding past the Rochester Library, watching for pedestrians.

CRAMBA Board meeting 9/13/18

The September board meeting was held at Steampunk in Utica.  In attendance were Steve Vigneau, Brain McPherson, and Mike Reeves.  Meeting was called to order at 7:15.-We had discussion about Massive Fallout and the need for volunteers.  We also discussed the route and signage.  The route will not include Bloomer this year due to a running event.  However Bald Mountain North and South will be included.-We also discussed the need to follow the various MOU's at the different trail systems.  A violation of the agreements may result in loss of trail access.-Steve attended a meeting at Stony Creek reference the new trail.  Also in attendance were folks from different user groups and people with historical knowledge of the area.  Things seem to progressing well and we look forward to the process continuing along on schedule.-The Stony Creek, Howlin at the Moon event is on for 10/27 at 6:30 pm!  More info to be found here:  http://www.metroparks.com/howl-Lastly we discussed the upcoming board elections at the next meeting.  If you are interested in joining the CRAMBA Board, please let one of us know and attend the next meeting.  Which will be held at 7:00, October 16th at CK Diggs in Rochester Hills.Meeting adjourned at 8:32

July 2018 CRAMBA Board Meeting

The July 2018 CRAMBA Board meeting was held at River Bends and began with a 10 mile ride on the singletrack trails.  Present at the Meeting were Steve Vigneau, Mike Reeves, Kristen Barry, Brian McPherson, and Diana Skinner. The meeting was called to order by Steve Vigneau at 8:15 PM.  Steve updated the progress at Stony Creek.  Stating that Applied Trail Research will be in town from 8/22 thru 8/31 and we may be able to meet with the company for input.  DTE has had a change in upper management and it appears they MAY not be donating money to the project, however, ITC could be interested in funding the signage for the project.  On 10/27/18 Stony Creek is hosting "Howlin at the Moon" event a the park.  It is an event focused on getting multiple user groups (Runners, Hikers and Mountain Bikers) together to enjoy the trails.  In other news, please contact the board if you are available to help in anyway with Massive Fallout, food, registration, signage, etc.  The meeting came to a close at 8:42 PM.

July 2018 CRAMBA Chapter Meeting

CRAMBA Chapter Meeting Minutes 7/17/18The meeting was held at Rochester Mills Beer Co. and was called to order at 7:02 by Steve Vigneau.30 members were in attendance.Previous meeting minutes were not read.STONY UPDATE-Applied Trail Design has been selected for assessment and design of trail work at Stony Creek.  Scheduled to be built in 2019.-Planning stage is funded, the build phase will be approximately $250,000.-Still waiting on an exact date and time, but look forward to a Bike/Hike/Run event in October around Halloween.-Trail should be prime as it was recently trimmed.ADDISON RACE-Chris Westerlund sated that registration is open on BikeReg.  We are looking for sponsors and volunteers for food, marking course, etc.  If interested please email race@CRAMBA.org.RIVER BENDS REPORT-There is 1.1 miles of new trail at River Bends, please help ride it in.  The direction is counter clockwise.  An additional 2 miles of trail will be built out in the fall when the leaves fall and site lines are better.  A lot of money has been spent on bridges and machine rental, thanks to a generous donation.-The new bike park plans are held up at the Township level and a lot of good work has been put in by Jim Vanker and Ben Snyder to present the plans.ADDISON REPORT-New section of Addison trail is on hold due to a reported siting of a missisauga rattle snake.  More to come on the new trail and no other news to report.CRPT REPORT-There has been good feedback on new bridge and trail work with some tweaking planned to dial things in.-Recognition to all responsible being sought with the City of Sterling Heights so that people know who is responsible for the building and maintenance of the trail system.-The large stone within the CRPT trail has been approved to be used as a new feature on the trail.  Look forward to that in the future.BIKE PATROL-Membership is up to 70 members now.-IMBA has dropped the program and the National Ski Patrol has picked it up.  There will be no noticeable difference to any trail riders.-An application has been submitted to become a "patrol" level organization with National Ski Patrol.  Our bike patrol will now be dual trained for bike and ski patrol.MASSIVE FALLOUT-The date is October 6 and we are looking for help with food etc.  Please contact Brian McPherson if you are interested in helping.-Bloomer may not be included due to conflict with a running event.CHAPTER BOARD MEMBERS-We will be looking for more/new chapter board members at the next meeting.  If interested please let someone know.BALD MOUNTAIN-No reportBLOOMER-Trimming to come soon and looking for help with TC work.PONTIAC LAKE-Trail day this Sunday 7/22/18 at 9 am.  The trailer will be there and they may be doing a reroute.HOLDRIDGE-Trail day this Saturday 7/21/18 at 9 am with a BBQ after!COLUMBUS PARK-2 miles of trail have been opened up from over growth and they are working with the park to build more trail in the future.MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:37

March CRAMBA Board Meeting

Meeting was held at Steampunk.  In attendance were Steve Vigneau, Kristen Berry, Brian McPherson and Mike Reeves.Meeting was called to order at 7:08 PM by Steve Vigneau.-Trail Days are currently being established.  Look for them to be added to the calendar in the very near future.-Steve V. is kind of taking the lead on figuring out the Golden Volunteer program to see how we can best utilize it.  Look for more on this later.-We are looking into the possibility of using Trail Forks for trail conditions, etc.  Other chapters are successfully using this.-Stony Creek Metro Park trail improvements continues to move forward!-Bike park project at River Bends also continues to gain momentum, now with Shelby Twp. on board.Meeting was adjourned at 7:53 PM

National Mountain Bike Patrol new patroller orientation

Our next scheduled New Patroller Orientation is scheduled for May 6th 2pm at Shelby Twp Fire Station #1. Located at 6345 23 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp, MI 48316Enter the West entrance.Training will last 2 hours. At 4pm there will be a group ride at River Bends Park if trail conditions allow.Please bring your bike, helmet and any medical training you have to the training. You must have CPR/First Aid certification. If you do not hold this, there is training starting at 10am. Please contact us for more information.Please RSVP by email bikepatrol@cramba.org or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/168769593926803/If you have any questions please ask, otherwise we will see you Saturday April 30th. Please share this email with anyone else you think might be interested.View our brochure[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=negBTR1m4wc[/embed] 

February CRAMBA Board Meeting

Meeting was held at Steampunk.  In attendance were Steve Vigneau, Kristen Berry, Eric Mile, Brian McPherson and Mike Reeves.Meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM by Steve Vigneau.-Discussion was had about signing IMBA Local Program document.   Waiting for final draft with corrections and it will be signed.-Kristen mentioned that we have to renew our chapter insurance policy.  This will be done soon.-AY CRAMBA It's cold out! was a success.  Discussion was had about minor improvements for next year.-Stony Creek Metro Park is considering a fund raiser for the new trail improvements at the park.  It would possibly be an evening ride in the fall.  More to come!Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM

January 2018 Chapter Meeting Minutes

CRAMBA Chapter Meeting Minutes 1/16/18The meeting was held at Rochester Mills Beer Co. and was called to order at 7:05 by Steve Vigneau.27 members were in attendance.Previous meeting minutes were not read.STONY UPDATE-Bids are out for design to several companies.-Construction is expected to begin in 2019-The Metro Parks are writing grants to fund the project-The Metro Parks see the restructuring of the trails as necessary, to the future of the park-CRAMBA is giving $3,000 to the Metro Parks for development with more to come in the future.-The redesigned trail will begin and end at a parking lot and one of the goals is to allow fatbikes in the winter, and not interfere with the XC skiers.IMBA Local-Complete revision of IMBA by using local organizations such as MMBA.-The old system was IMBA took 50% of the annual donations. Now they will be taking $12 per donation, no matter how much the donation is. This could be as much as an extra $7,000 for CRAMBA.-You should notice no difference in the annual donation processREI Grant-$5000 was donated by REI and split between PLRA and Holdridge-We are also hoping for a 2018 grant as well.CHRIS WESTERLUND / EVENTS-Should have the events schedule finalized around late January early February-Chris also reported that CRAMBA reached its 2017 goal of expanding membership from 400-500 members.RIVER BENDS REPORT-5 or 6 grooms so far this year-Will not be grooming unless we receive over 4" of snow-New trailer for the snowmobile is working great. Old trailer will be sold for a nominal fee.-The park director wants to develop another area of the park. Plans are being made to possibly develop a bike park in this location within River Bends. Another meeting is planned for February. More to come.-Going to continue working on additional trail-Ay CRAMBA Its Cold Out is February 3rd and the backup date is 2/18/18. Pot luck, beer and wine allowed, bonfire, and multiple bike shops will be setup.-The weekly group rides on Tuesdays are still going throughout the winter.ADDISON REPORT-Grooming has been going on-Still waiting for clearance on additional 1 mile of trail to eliminate the asphalt section.CRPT REPORT-Approval has been received to work on problem sections this summer, trail dates to be announced later-Possible addition of 3 or 4 curved bridges-Will be losing the funding received from the annual 5k Run.BIKE PATROL-42 members logged 2,224 hours and 13,000 miles-Looking for new patrollers around April or May.MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:48Nest Chapter meeting will be April 17 at Rochester Mills Beer Co.

CRAMBA in 2017: Year in Review

Thanks to all of you -- CRAMBA's members, volunteers, and donors -- 2017 was another great year of Mountain Biking and Advocacy here in Southeast Michigan.Our next in-person Chapter Meeting will be next Tuesday, January 16th, at Rochester Mills Brewery. The meeting begins at 7pm, and please arrive a bit before the start to allow time for ordering food and tasty beverages!Here's an update on the more notable successes in 2017:Stony Creek Redevelopment Update: Volunteers continue to work with the Metroparks on the redevelopment of the mountain bike accessible trails at Stony Creek Metropark. We are currently planning for a professional design in 2018 and construction in 2019, funded by donations and grants. To help kickstart the design phase, CRAMBA has pledged $3,000 towards this first part of the project and will continue financial, planning, and technical support through project completion.Trail Improvements: During trail work days CRAMBA volunteers made numerous improvements to our local trails, including a new rock bridge and Wrong Way signs at Stony Creek, building rollers and skinnies to fix wet areas at River Bends, rebuilding berms at the Clinton River Park Trails, and restarting trail development at Columbus Park.IMBA Local Update: Early in 2018, CRAMBA, a chapter of IMBA, will move to IMBA's new Local Program. This is the next generation of the Chapter program and the most visible change will be a switch to a low fixed cost per member per year. At current member counts and contribution levels we estimate this change will bring around $8,000 of your membership dollars, per year, back to CRAMBA.MMBA Update: CRAMBA continues to be a member of the MMBA, our state-wide mountain biking advocacy organization, and will continue financial support in 2018.REI Grant: Funded by a $5,000 grant from REI, CRAMBA volunteers installed new kiosks and bike repair stands at the Pontiac Lake and Holdridge Trailheads!River Bends Grooming & New Trailer: Thanks to a generous donation CRAMBA has a new drive-on-drive-off trailer for storing and transporting the River Bends Snow Bike Route (RB-SBR) grooming equipment! Jeremy Verbeke and Mark Senyk have been hard at work keeping the snow on the RB-SBR groomed and riding great.Chainsaw Training: This past Spring CRAMBA hosted a Forest Safety Instruction class for Southeast Michigan chapters at River Bends Park. Attendees received S.A.W.W. Level One instruction covering proper safety techniques, Personal Protective Equipment, and safe operation of chainsaws for trimming, felling, and clearing trees.Membership: CRAMBA currently has around 500 paying members, with an average membership level of $46.95. To support ongoing projects such as Stony Creek we are looking to increase this number in 2018.Successful Events: In 2017 we continued to host a number of successful events, from our fundraising Addison Oaks Fall Classic race to Massive Fallout, the GoT MTB clinics, ¡Ay CRAMBA It's Cold Out!, and Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day. These events will continue in 2018; check out the CRAMBA Calendar or each event's page for info as they are scheduled.Weekly Group Rides: The regular CRAMBA-supported Tuesday Night (River Bends) and Wednesday Night (Stony Creek) rides keep rolling! If you haven't attended one of these rides, come on out and meet some of your fellow CRAMBA members. While the Wednesday night ride at Stony Creek is on hold for winter, the Tuesday Night Ride at River Bends is going strong on the RB-SBR. Check out the CRAMBA Calendar for more info.

CRAMBA and Stony Creek Update

CRAMBA has been working closely with the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority in support of the Master Plan goal of trail redevelopment at Stony Creek. We have been meeting regularly and the project is moving along wonderfully, with current plans for trail design to occur in 2018 and construction in 2019.Along with other user groups, we have sent the following letter to Metroparks Director Michael Reese as additional documentation of our support. This letter outlines our support and CRAMBA's four primary goals during this redevelopment:

1. Establishing a cohesive single track loop
2. Allowing winter-time fat bike access
3. Increasing single track trail mileage
4. Modernizing trail design

Click on the image or here to read the full letter of support. Stay tuned, as there's going to be a lot more to come!

November 2017 Board Meeting Minutes

CRAMBA Board minutes.11/30/17Board members in attendance: Steve Vigneau, Erick Mile, Brian McPherson, and Mike Reeves.Meeting was chaired by Steve and was called to order at 7:00 pm at Steampunk in Utica.-Board approved Chris Westerlund to receive a CRAMBA Jersey and Pint glass to giveaway during a membership drive.-Board approved $3,000 towards the planning phase of the Sheldon trails at Stony Creek Metro Park.-Board approved putting old trailer, previously used for the snowmobile, on Craig's List for $100.-Board approved to support a new structural proposal by MMBA. CRAMBA will remain a club member at this time.-The board also discussed the Addison XC race, with nothing new to report at this time.Meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM

2018 CRAMBA Board Election Results

On October 19th we had our quarterly Chapter Member Meeting up at Addison Oaks. The weather was amazing and we had approximately 20 people in attendance at the meeting. As usual for our October meeting we held board elections, with some board members remaining on the board, new folks volunteering to the board, and others stepping down.In result, the CRAMBA chapter board is now comprised of the following five individuals:Kristen Barry, Brian McPherson, Erick Mile, Mike Reeves, and Steve VigneauSpecific positions have not yet been determined; this will be worked out at our first board meeting. As we get this worked out we'll be adjusting the access to different portions of Basecamp and email addresses.I would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to those of you who have volunteered your time and resources to be on the CRAMBA board. From membership growth to financial organization, from race planning to ensuring that our trail coordinators have the resources they need, we've gotten some great work done. While our members may not see the item-by-item grind that we do to keep the wheels on and move mountain biking forward here in SE Michigan, they are loving the results and we all are better for it. And we've got more to come.Mike Fitzpatrick: You've brought an amazing number of people into CRAMBA, both via the Guinness Bikers and your outstanding membership efforts. You've also donated some incredible materials and equipment (such as the two fat bike trail groomers) to CRAMBA which have allowed us to step up our trail game enormously, and the use of your pub as a regular meeting space was excellent. Not to mention the incredibly tasty, perfectly poured pints of Guinness! Thank you, Mike. We are incredibly fortunate to have had you as part of our team.Jeremy Verbeke: Since joining CRAMBA, as River Bends Trail Coordinator and grooming our first fat bike trail, with your outstanding work expanding the CRAMBA Bike Patrol into the nation's second largest Mountain Bike Patrol group, and countless more things beyond that, you've done amazing things. It's been a pleasure working with you, and I look forward to our continued work together.Marty Shue: Marty, you've been around CRAMBA and Metro North since I started mountain biking; a reliable, steady stalwart. From putting together the GotMTB clinics and getting more women interested in mountain biking to running Addison Oaks races, from chairing CRAMBA through our transition to an IMBA chapter... It feels like you've done it all because you have. I cannot thank you enough, and all of mountain biking in Michigan owes you a debt of gratitude.Tony McGee: A tremendous thank you, Tony. After joining the CRAMBA board you took on wrangling our relationship with the MMBA and many, many tasks that brought everything together. It was wonderful working with you and I look forward to seeing you on the trails.Alice Jacobs: Thank you for your regular input and for bringing a fresh perspective to the CRAMBA board. Your experiences volunteering with cons and other organizations have allowed us to think about how we work in a completely different way.Nick Shue: Since I started mountain biking, you've been one of those guys who are always there. Whether it's mentoring others on trail layout, sharing lessons learned from past work, putting together group rides, or linking up interested parties to make things happen with all the right people involved... You've done it. Hand in hand with Marty the two of you have been there, leading the Metro North Chapter and CRAMBA into the future and solid organization we now find ourselves in. Thank you, and I really look forward to continuing to work with you.Chris Westerlund: From carrying the torch with Massive Fallout to constantly following up on membership you've been a reliable, helpful part of CRAMBA all while balancing things with work and school. It's been great working with you, Chris and I really look forward to all the great advocacy stuff that we'll be able to keep doing.To Kristen (who is remaining on the board), Erick, Mike, and Brian, thank you for stepping up to help guide and run CRAMBA. From Holly Rec Area grooming to the Stony Creek project we've got a ton of great stuff going on, there's loads of great opportunities ahead of us, and a solid foundation on which to grow. We're going to do great things! I look forward to all of us working together and can't wait to see where we go.