Meeting Minutes - October 2009

Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association - Meeting Minutes

Location: Mangiamo Restaurant - 2nd Floor, Lake St. Grand Rapids, MI

Board Members Present: Rick Plite - President, Jason Dew-Vice President, Martin Hall - Treasurer, Jennifer Bechtel-Secretary, Nate Phelps-State Representative, Dennis Murphy-State CPS coordinator.

Members Present: Jason Bechtel

Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
0.0 Meeting called to order at 6:40 p.m. - Rick Plite

1.0 Minutes review w/updates - Rick Plite
1.1. Brown County Indiana camping trip October 23 - 25th.
1.1.1. We have a large Group Camping Spot so anyone who wants to attend can show up and pitch a tent with the group. If you would like to carpool, please contact Rick at: amtnbiker@chartermi.net
1.2. NCT Ride is this coming weekend (October 9th,10th,11th). There are two double-rooms available. Contact Martin Hall at:
1.3. Halloween Party - no party this year
1.4. Meetings - still seeing low attendance. Discussed sending email reminders and reminding Jason S. to update Twitter/Facebook links
1.5. Motion to approve the minutes by Nate Phelps. Motion seconded by Martin Hall. Motion carried.

2.0 Film Festival Update - Nate Phelps
2.1 Planning this for mid-February at Wealthy Theatre.
2.2 Side note: the movie "Race Across the Sky" will play one night only (10/22) at Celebrations theatre in Grandville (Rivertown Crossings)

3.0 State Games Committee Members - Rick Plite
3.1 Scott Chambers, Wade Bagnell, Reid Arnot, Christian Glupker, and Dave Staublin
3.2 State Games scheduled to happen June 25th - 27th, 2010 with an opening ceremony Friday night in downtown Grand Rapids.

4.0 Trail Coordinators/Updates - Rick Plite
4.1 Game Area closed
4.2 Ski area closes November 7th
4.3 Luton Park - it has been noticed cars are parking on Kies street instead of in the parking area and that people are drinking at their cars even though it is posted No Alcohol. We do not know if these are MMBA members, but everyone please remember to keep this trail a safe and family-friendly environment.
4.4 Bass Trailhead - Tom Landry and crew had a trail day this fall and worked on filling low areas.
4.5 Allegan - had a good turnout for the Trail day this past weekend. Still needs some work but thank you to those who helped.
4.6 Ionia - the Trail Coordinator has been sidelined with various events/issues this summer.

5.0 Treasury Report - Martin Hall

6.0 State Rep Update - Nate Phelps
6.1 Pleased to announce that WMMBA member Dennis Murphy is the new CPS Coordinator and Heather Kubiak is also a member of the CPS Committee (also a MMBA board member).
6.2 Annual Meeting
6.2.1 Looking at MSU Pavilian for the last weekend in January
6.2.2 Possible two day event with the first day (30th) being for classes, retailer presentations, trail schools, etc
6.2.3 Separate speaking rooms for presenters
6.3 Insurance review occurring
6.3.1 May cause Trail Day moratorium until insurance is secured. Please check with Nate before scheduling a trail day.
6.4 Strategic Planning Session will be occurring at the State level, led by WMMBA member and board member Martin Hall (note that the WMMBA will resume its Strategic Planning meetings with the winter season).

7.0 CHAPTER ELECTIONS
7.1 We are looking for a Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice President for the 2010 year.
7.2 Nomination period will be October 19th - 26th and voting will be via SurveyMonkey from November 1st to the 15th. Winners will be announced at the December 7th meeting.

8.0 Local Government Updates
8.1 Aaron Smith and Nate Phelps will go to the October 6th City Commission meeting for final approval of the bike park. Looks hopeful. If yes, we can schedule the first two weeks in November for Jason Wells to be building trails.
8.2 The Bike Friendly Community (BFC) results are due soon. The Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition (GGRBC) were hoping for a bronze level for Grand Rapids.
8.3 On a related note to the BFC, Nate Phelps would like Aaron Smith to be the WMMBA Chapter Representative to the GGRBC. Motion made by Martin Hall, Rick Plite seconded. Motion carried.

Meeting ended: 7:45 p.m.

NEXT MEETING IS: DECEMBER 7th at Mangiamos (upstairs) at 6:30 p.m.

These minutes to be posted at: Western Mmba on Facebook and western@mmba.org (blogger.com).

Previous months' minutes can be requested from: ricejennbud@yahoo.com

If you received these minutes via email, it is because you signed in at a previous general or committee meeting and gave us this information. If you wish to be removed from the list, please reply to this email with the message "Remove me from WMMBA Minutes notification."

Side note: Something not mentioned at the meeting but should have been:
The 2010 Yankee Springs Time Trial Committee is forming now! The first meeting is on October 21st at the Uccellos in Caledonia (8526 Broadmoor Ave SE) at 7:00 p.m. If you are interested please notify Dennis Murphy at 616-394-2218 or email him at dennis.murphy@gmail.com.

Grand Rapids Bike Park

GRAND RAPIDS BIKE PARK



This past Tuesday night the city of Grand Rapids Commission unanimously approved our project.
We have a bike park.

A work schedule is being developed as we hope to finish phase 1 in November.

Brown County State Park, Indiana

Join the Western Chapter for a weekend of camping and riding Oct 23rd-25^th and see why Brown County is the best place to ride within a 7 hours drive of GR. While this weekend is a chapter event aimed at getting people together for riding and socializing everyone is on their own for meals and transportation. Carpooling is recommended and if you email us we can try to hook folks up. The chapter has reserved Rally Camp #5 and everyone is welcome to camp on this site (50 max). Cost is approximately $10 per person per night. All other camping accomodations are full already! There may be cabins available for rent as well. Bring the family; there are many non-riding options to choose from including hiking, horseback riding, shopping, wine tasting, swimming and more.

With miles and miles of flowing trail, scenic vistas and amazing terrain Brown County has become a world-class mountain biking destination.

In its March 2009 issue Bike magazine named Brown County State Park one of the best 33 trail systems in North America! It was also named runner-up in the "Best Trail Network" category. The editors said "its...singletrack is among the most varied terrain east of the Mississippi. From berms to steep switchbacks to tight trees to rock gardens, these trails have it all.

Bike magazine also said that Brown County has "flowed-out berms, tight switchbacks and hand-built rock features that will leave you thinking you landed in Tsali [North Carolina] or Canaan [West Virginia]. Ride an out-and-back, and you've got 30-plus miles. Switchbacks? Plenty. Steep climbs? Just like the East Coast. Natural beauty? It's at an all-time high in the fall." Dirt Rag magazine wrote, "Hills, rocks, trees, roots. A place that reminds you why wheels turn.

The Brown County mountain bike trail system is located entirely within Brown County State Park

Links/Info:

http://www.browncountymountainbiking.com/

http://www.browncountymountainbiking.com/camping.html

Reservations:

http://www.indiana.reserveworld.com/

Last CSGA Ride of the season party!

Monday, Sept. 14th is the last day to ride at Cannonsburg State Game Area for the year. Come on out and do a lap or several. This "group ride" will have no structure, just individuals or small groups out riding at their own pace. When it gets dark, come on out to the after party which will be just up the road at my house. Weather looks like it will be perfect for a bon fire! Of course there will always be records spinning in the bike barn too. Brats and hot dogs will be provided but there is plenty of room on the grill if you have something specific you want to bring to grill (like a veggie burger for example). BYOB and maybe some chips or something if you feel like it. You can even try your hand at scratching records and wear the gold chain if you want-

Cramer

Directions to after party - Drive toward Cannonsburg Ski Area, turn north on Myers Lake road about 1/2 mile, then right (east) on Kreuter another half mile to 7101 Kreuter. Party starts when it gets to dark to ride without lights.

Luton Park....Black Loop

The new Black Loop is open for riding at Luton Park. The 2.7 mile trail is similar to the Red Loop. It is all signed and arrowed and you will find the entrance on your right just after the first bridge (if you are starting at the barn). It will wind and loop all over the northeast corner of the property, cross the Blue Trail once and dump you out right near the same bridge. We have one large log pile option to create and quite a few bench cuts to put in but it is all ride able, enjoy! With all the loops complete, the trail system now totals 9.3 miles. The largest mountain bike trail system in Kent County.

Please remember to let the trails at Luton Park dry for at least two days after it rains. Currently (8-29-09) the Blue Loop and portions of the Yellow and Orange have large muddy sections that are growing by the day as people tend to try riding around them. If you encounter mud puddles it is best to ride straight through them so the trail will not get wider.

Late notice: Luton trail day 8-26-09, 6pm

Meet at the Luton Barn at 6pm tomorrow night (Wednesday 8-26-09) and we will try to get the Black Loop open. I have counted over 130 saplings to dig out of the trail tread and 1.5 miles of the loop still needs to be raked. Need to run a string trimmer in a few areas as well. We have 9 Pulaski's or weed wrenches to dig saplings out, a string trimmer and 7-8 hard rakes available. With a good turnout I bet we could open it for riding. With the game area closure just around the corner and this park remaining open during hunting season it sure would be nice to have this loop rideable. Hate to have it sit all winter. Let me know if you can help so I can get a head count for tools.
Thanks
Rick

Workdays: Owassipe 8/16, Robinette's 8/22, Luton 8/23

This trail day will begin at 10am and last until at least 6. Some of you have worked with us before and so the drill is pretty much the same. Here's what we'll need to do; General trail maintenance and cleanup. The Scouts usually leave quite a mess just because they don't mind climbing over fallen trees. There will be several crews established for different jobs. This will be assigned during the pre-work meeting at the trailhead. New Trail:Some of the bigger jobs may include routing a new trail to replace the part of the Blue that crosses Camp Gerber property. This was in the fine print of the new terms that Matt V had to agree to. We just didn't need to worry about it when the trails were last open prior to Scout Camp.Ranger Al's Special Needs Crew: A very positive benefit for all trail users is keeping Al happy. This crew will be doing this most important job. Usually it's small jobs around camp. New Sign Crew: There will be at least one new sign at the trailhead parking area. Jim Samlow is building it currently and this will need painting for a shiny, new look. This will be the main bulletin board to be used for all trail users. It will be vastly more informative and useful than the old one. It will facilitate the new waiver system that is mandatory. There will also be new signage out on the trail. All these new signs were paid for through a donation by the W.MI Coast Riders Bike Club. Recommended Work Accessories: Bring your bike if you can. Be dressed more for a work day than a riding day. Bring any handy work tools. Small and/or folding saws, gloves, any small container for carrying paint and a small brush please. Trail crews will be asked to remark the blue or red trails as needed. I have the paint. A leaf or garden rake and hand clippers is a good idea, too. Basically, you all know what a clean trail looks like. Just consider this and bring what you've got. Also, please bring your own food and drink. the lunch budget was reallocated into the sign budget!Your Reward: Besides a making a great trail even better, you will be credited with half off the annual $60 pass. The new trail use terms have extended our riding and hiking season. This makes it a better deal than the old days. Please call or email with any questions! Happy Trails, Bryan Myers cell:231-557-3396

Robinettes: 8/22/09 9:00 am, trim trail and open new section!
Luton Park: 8/23/09 9:00 am, rake, bench cut and trim open 3 mile black loop

Luton Park Trail Day this Saturday August 8th, 9am

POSTPONED UNTIL AUGUST 23RD...APPROACHING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS WITH ALL THE WIDOWMAKERS AT LUTON PARK. Join us for another trail day on August 8th at 9:00 am. Meet at the Luton Barn on Kies Ave. Help us cut new trail. Currently we are about 2/3 of the way through the Black Loop (previously stated as the White loop). Chapter tools provided but we could use additional rakes for the day. Come rain or shine. With a good turnout we should be able to open this loop!

WMMBA Meeting Minutes - August 3, 2009

Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association

Meeting Minutes

Date: August 3, 2009

Location: Mangiamo Restaurant – 2^nd Floor, Grand Rapids, MI

Board Members Present: Rick Plite - President, Martin Hall-Treasurer, Nate Phelps-State Representative, Jennifer Bechtel – Secretary

Total Attendence: 5 members, 1 guest, 3 board members

Start time: 6:30 p.m.

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Meeting called to order at 6:34 p.m. – Rick Plite

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Minutes recap from June 1, 2009 – Rick Plite

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BikeStock Recap – Rick Plite

Was held last Saturday in Grand Rapids.

WMMBA had a membership table and acquired 8 new members. WELCOME!

Raffled off a donated Giant bike.

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Jason Schwab has linked-up our blog spot to Facebook and Twitter. – Rick Plite

Just a reminder that the blog spot is available to all board members to write a story, make a post. More updates = more readers.

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Stanaback Park Meeting – Rick Plite

City of Kentwood approached us about putting mountain bike trail on this 40 acres.

Location is 36^th and Breton in Kentwood.

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Gezon Park trail possibility – Rick Plite

Nate & Dennis met with Chad Root to consider putting in mountain bike trails at Gezon Park in Wyoming, MI.

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State Games of Michigan Coming 2010 – Rick Plite

Put on by West Michigan Sport Commission next June.

Committee members in place. Contact Rick if interested in joining committee to design the type of race and location.

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Yankee Springs Time Trial Committee – Rick Plite

Looking for Committee members for the 2010 race

Third Sunday in April

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MidWest Mountain Bike Summit Committee – Rick Plite

Current members include Nate, Jason, and Aaron. Need 3-4 others!!

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Brown County Indiana Bike Trip – Rick Plite

Had a great trip on a great trail system during July 18^th bike trip.

Planning chapter trip to there again the weekend of Oct 23^rd – 24^th

6.5 hr drive. Plan full three-day weekend.

Have cabins, lodge, indvl. Rooms, nice restaurants in the area.

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NCT Epic Trail Event – Rick Plite

October 9^th – 11^th

$145/person which includes everything, even the Founders.

A certified medic/mechanic will be the sweep this year.

Four spots still available!

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Halloween Party Planned – Rick Plite

Possible location – Mill Creek Tavern in Comstock Park with band

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Film Festival – Nate Phelps/Rick Plite

In conjunction with the Rapid Wheelman

January/February time frame.

Already have first film lined up.

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14.0 Treasury Report – Martin Hall

14.1 Currently at a low point in funding, especially in terms of planned activities.

14.3 We need fresh ideas for how to fund all these great activities!

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State Report – Nate Phelps

Funding is looking good for the MMBA overall due to spending less over the last few years. Individual chapters encourage to apply for grants from MMBA for local projects.

33% drop in membership. Will return to paper reminders, in addition to 90, 60, 30 day email reminders to renew.

Next Bent Rim Bugle will be last paper version. New pdf version will be in full color and longer. The February issue will still be print version each year.

Proposing an Advocacy Committee which will include hiring a part-time lobbyist to have a presence in Lansing. Possibly also a grant writer.

Looking at more non-race events at the State level.

Annual meeting will be inside this year. Either Lansing or Battle Creek. Looking for a facility that will allow bringing in dirt to create a pump track.

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16.0 Green Grand Rapids Update – Nate Phelps

16.1 In October, the final event is to present the five year Master Plan for the City of Grand Rapids which includes the Recreation Master Plan.

16.2 Nate has pushed for the opportunity for Greenspace and single track in City Parks.

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Bicycle Friendly Community Update – Nate Phelps

Part I was in April. Part II will be submitted this week.

Trying for a bronze level, to be updated each year.

City planners are considering the statistics showing more people move to cities that have bicycle-friendly communities.

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Trail Coordinator Reports

Luton – Rick Plite: Trail day this Saturday (Aug 8^th) to rake and cut out stumps. Had couple more trail days and now the black loop (previously white loop) adds 3 miles. Will have 9.3 miles when completed.

Ski Area – via Rick Plite: Met w/Ski Area reps and major changes include

Please, DO NOT ride across bridge nearest dumpster. That is for their maintenance vehicles and the blind corner creates a hazard.

Do not ride up the double-chair hill (trying to prevent erosion).

Do not use the gate in/out of Egypt Valley Rd.

Please follow signs that have been built, purchased, and put up.

Robinette’s – Glen: August 22^nd trail day when will extend on the north side.

The Robinette’s have been brush-hogging. Arrows have been put up.

Ionia – Guy: Please do not do work out there without notifying Guy first so he can contact DNR to let them know you will be out there.

DNR working on creating a Rails-to-Trails out there that would allow going around the swampy area (old trash dump and archeological site). Possibly next summer.

A reminder that Trail Coordinators who need to rent additional equipment for spring clearing can request extra funds above their current limit.

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18.0 Attendence at Meetings – Martin Hall

18.1 Seeking input to increase attendance at these meetings. Decision was made to market more effectively by repeating invites on Facebook and also emailing chapter members.

18.2 Need location that is quiet, non-smoking, serves food/alcohol.

18.3 Jason S. noted Twitter/Facebook users can opt-in to receive text messages to see when our pages are updated.

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19.0 Next meeting: October 5, 2009 –Mangiamos

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20.0 Motion to adjourn – Martin Hall. Nate Phelps seconded. Motion passed.

18.1 Meeting Adjourned at 7:31 p.m.

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These minutes to be posted at:

http://westernmmba.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Grand-Rapids-MI/westernMMBA/

Cannonsburg Ski Area requests

I recently met with the Ski Area management they have a requested a few changes in regards to riding on their property. They have asked me to post them up here.
#1 Please enter and exit the Ski Area property via the bridge located near the main lodge. The bridge near the maintenance building is now closed to foot or bike traffic. A couple reasons for this, the machinery in this area is dangerous and they use this bridge for vehicle traffic. They have had a few close calls with riders bombing over the bridge and nearly having head on collisions.
#2 Due to erosion, please don't ride up and down the ski slopes. Stay on designated bike trails only.
#3 Also due to erosion, the red gated entry off Egypt Valley Road is now closed to bike traffic. Please enter the property at the main driveway on Cannonsburg Road.
#4 Do not ride during the evening of Picnic Pops (5pm-11pm) every Thursday and Friday during July
They will be posting signs with all the changes and moving the Trail Head Sign to a more prominent location. I know habits are hard to break but these rules come at the request of the Ski Area and we are their guests. This is private property after all. Please spread the word so we can continue to enjoy the trails!