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07/29/2014 - 6:30pm
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08/15/2014 - 8:00am
New Partners, New Tools
Disciples of Dirt Receive $8,000 Grant from REI
It's never been DOD's style to swagger about, tooting our own horn and calling attention to ourselves. We are more comfortable just quietly working deep in the woods, taking care of business tending to our local trails. Nonetheless, a lot of folks have been paying attention to DOD lately ... noticing, appreciating, and respecting the hard work and professionalism of our board of directors and volunteers. Land managers like the US Forest Service and the BLM have already seen fit to enter into official agreements with our club, and now DOD has forged a partnership with national outdoor retailer REI to promote trail stewardship and advocacy in the Southern Willamette Valley. So we'd like to toot our horn about it!
To kick off this partnership, REI has awarded DOD grant money to the tune of $8,000! Some of these funds will be invested in a power wheelbarrow as well as a heavy duty brush cutter—equipment that will help DOD continue to improve, maintain and expand the singletrack options in our area. In addition DOD will work with REI to help promote mountain biking and introduce new and beginner riders to our sport. Thank you REI—this is definitely the beginning of a beautiful new friendship!
O'Leary, Olallie ... Oh, My!
Trailworkers Tune Up an IMBA Epic Trail
The Disciples of Dirt trailwork party at the Horse Creek Lodge on Memorial Day weekend was an amazingly fun and hugely productive event. In the continued reclamation of this IMBA Epic trail, 38 trail workers headed out on Saturday to buck trees, bench tread, bank turns, and brush back vegetation on the O’Leary Trail. On Sunday smaller crews spent the day on Castle Rock Trail brushing, benching, and buffing out that section of the loop. Over the course of the weekend our trail volunteers logged a whopping 350 hours of work!
This event was truly a community effort. The McKenzie Chamber, along with the folks at the Horse Creek Lodge, accommodated and fed everyone. Tyson Cross of the USFS McKenzie District came up with a detailed “battle plan” and organized the work crews. And volunteers from DOD and GOATS showed up in force to put their backs and strong arms into making this wild and beautiful trail system more accessible ... and even more fun to ride!
New Trails in the Works at Whypass
Members of DOD's Whypass Task Force have been extremely busy this spring. They have been tramping through the brush at the Carpenter Bypass Trail System scouting and flagging what will soon become some fun and flowy, brand new trail. These new lines still need to be approved by the BLM and their "ologists" but once DOD gets the green light to build, we will be able to add several more miles of sweet singletrack to our beloved network. In the works are two new lines in The Gift, a long meandering trail connecting The Pile to the Yellow Gate on the west side of the road, and at least three more trails that will create all kinds of loop options in the Fun Girl area. For the full scoop on these and other planned new lines, go to the DOD Trailwork Forum.
Disciples of Dirt: The Movie
Announcing the release of Tom Lyons Media short video showcasing the Disciples of Dirt doing what we love to do ... digging in the dirt and riding bikes.
A Saturday Singletrack and Silver Screen Social
Ride Bikes, Watch a Movie and Win a Diamondback Bike
Saturday, February 22nd: Spend a fun day riding bikes, watching a movie and socializing with the Disciples of Dirt (DOD) and the Greater Oakridge Area Trail Stewards (GOATS). All proceeds from this event go to supporting our local trails.
We'll start the day off with an early ride over to the Ridgeline Trail and back, then head into the David Minor Theater to eat, drink, socialize and watch the movie, Reveal the Path. Prior to the movie showing, awards will be presented to a couple of folks in the mtb community who have given their time to causes outside of riding and digging. The afternoon culminates with a raffle drawing for a Diamondback Haanjo bike and other great prizes donated by our sponsors. Note: Secure bike parking will be provided at the event.
In conjunction with the movie, Ninkasi Brewing will host Pints for a Cause all afternoon at The David Minor Theater with $1.00 from every pint sold going to your two favorite trail steward organizations, DOD and GOATS. The benefit continues into the evening over at Ninkasi Brewing's tasting room in the Whit.
For more details about the schedule and a description of Reveal the Path check the DOD calendar.
All Comers ... All Good
DOD's annual event draws the biggest crowd ever!
Smiles, old friends, new faces, crisp air, nervous energy and a sublime chaos surrounded the staging area for the tenth annual Disciples of Dirt All Comers Meet just before riders sped off into the mist to find the trails of Whypass and see how much fun they could unlock.
With 300 riders, dense fog giving way to sunshine and melting frost ACM X was far and away the biggest and rowdiest All Comers Meet of all time. It's astounding, awesome and humbling to think that what began as a small band of mountain bikers has grown into, truly, the premiere free mountain bike event in the pacific northwest. What started with a couple dozen folks huddled around a tailgate and a six pack after a few miles has turned into a destination event with folks from several different states, all manner of abilities/riding styles, vendors, demo fleets, hot food and a six tap beer wagon!
