IMBA's Foundations Trail Lab Has Solutions To Your Trail-Related Challenges
Cedar City, Utah, is not the easiest place to get to. For me, it was about a two-hour flight from Portland to Las Vegas. Then it was hopping on a shuttle to the rental car center … and another shuttle to the OTHER car rental place. After more lines and waiting, I finally got my rental car (a Jeep Wrangler). But my journey wasn’t over, as I had another two-and-a-half-hour drive from Vegas to Cedar City. I actually had a quick and easy trip to get there compared to others.
So, why Cedar City? Why did a few dozen people descend on this small town in southwest Utah? Since this was last October, you might’ve thought we were there for the Annular Solar Eclipse as countless sun watchers migrated to that part of the state. While driving from Vegas, I saw signs along the interstate warning me about traffic congestion during the eclipse. However, we weren’t there for what was up in the sky. We were there instead for the opposite, what’s on planet Earth. Dirt. In particular, trails.
I’m big on “why” questions. In this case, why Cedar City? Why did a room full of people come together to talk and learn about trails? Because we each had a problem. Specifically, those in attendance faced challenges related to trails back home that prompted them to sign up, make the journey, and show up. Welcome to the Foundations Trail Lab, taught and led by IMBA.
Throughout the few days together, each participant or group talked about some of the challenges they faced back home regarding trails. Some talked about funding. Others needed skills and expertise to design and implement new trails. The backgrounds of the participants were wide and varied. There were those in the city or federal government; others worked in the non-profit trail-building world; some were volunteers, and so much more. The hope was to extract some nugget of information or expertise to be able to take back home and put into practice, thus directly tackling the problem or challenge that prompted them to show up in Cedar City.
What is the Foundations Trail Lab? Foundations are in-depth workshops designed to catalyze the next generation of great places to ride mountain bikes. Attendees will learn what it takes to create a model trail community and return home with the knowledge and guidance for how to make it happen.
Having this Trail Lab in Cedar City was not by random chance. Before the lab kicked off, and since I arrived a day early, I rented a bike from a local bike shop and drove to the south side of town to ride the Iron Hills trail system (otherwise known as Southview). I welcome any chance I get to ride on terrain that differs from the lush, loamy soil of the Pacific Northwest. While I didn’t have long, I made the most of it as I headed out of the parking lot and began ascending the climb trail. There were a few gravity-fed trails that I did laps on. I stopped often to look around and take photos. I could tell a lot of thought and intention went into these trails, not only to design and build them but to maintain them as well.
Foundations are two-day intensive workshops during which IMBA staff, trail industry experts, and local stakeholders lead participants through the recipe for a model community trail system: planning, design, building, activation, promotion, and measuring success. Attendees will also get a firsthand look at components of an intentional and diverse mountain bike trail community through field visits. Cedar City is a great model of a community rallying around its trails. It’s a growing community with over 35,000 people and is also home to Southern Utah University. Many of the participants also came from small towns or rural communities.
As you can tell, I’ve been working on this article for months in my head. The lab took place last October, and it is now May. I didn’t want to simply rehash what happened as if I were reciting and regurgitating content like I was cramming for a chemistry exam. What angle would I take? How did I want to approach this? That leads me back to the why questions. Why did people attend? Because they were looking for help or some solution to trail-related challenges they were butting up against back home. Here are the questions I asked and some of the responses …
What is the biggest challenge you’re facing back home regarding trails?
One participant who works for a city recreation department in the Southwest shared, “The biggest challenge for me has been to get my city to understand the value of having a trail system close to home. After many years, they are on board and supporting efforts for our trails.” Another challenge that a group from Texas faces rings true for many others. “Accessibility to regularly rideable trails is a challenge for most Texas teams due to the diverse weather conditions prevalent in the Lone Star State.” There is a need for more trails closer to home, which means more chances to ride.
What were you hoping to get out of and learn at the Trail Lab?
I received an email from a participant, a board member for the city parks and recreation department in a Midwest city, pointing out, “I was hoping to get a better understanding of how to get projects started, planned, and executed. It really helped me a lot in starting this process and trying to be collaborative with local governing bodies.” Again, each comment could be echoed among all of the participants. Collaboration with local governing agencies is essential to access land and build more trails. This is also a long-term and patience-challenging process, so building healthy and mutually beneficial relationships is critical. We know this is why we have a history of wildcat, bootleg, or unsanctioned trails because many simply want to build trails NOW. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen repeatedly, this can cause longstanding tension and relational damage.
What did you learn and will implement from the Trail Lab?
“What I learned was don’t give up! Be patient and work with those in power. Involve the community and keep moving forward. I enjoyed being in a group of like-minded people. The process can be long and lonely at times.” This quote resonates. Often, we’re looking for that silver bullet, a shortcut, or a hack to get trails built immediately. I feel the tension as I’m not the most patient person. If there was a theme, it was this … we have to play the long game. It’s a process. It takes time. It also involves doing this with others and working collaboratively with local leaders. I know that you all know that. This is nothing new. However, like me, I need to be reminded over and over again.
Time and space in this article didn’t allow me to go over each session at the Trail Lab in detail, and I didn’t have a chance to discuss all of the amazing happenings, partnerships, and collaborations taking place in Cedar City. It truly is remarkable. But I have a hunch that you’re fine with this. Why? Because you’re not as interested in what is happening elsewhere as you are in finding solutions to the challenges you’re battling on a regular basis at home. In light of that, hearing stories of what is happening in communities like Cedar City can at least prove inspirational, knowing that others have gone before you. There is hope. The challenges each community faces are daunting and frustrating. It is encouraging to hear and see others punch through and make progress. This is one of the reasons (among many) I’d recommend that anyone participate in a Foundations Trail Lab by IMBA.
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
