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Spring Fling showcases progress, projects, and ED transition
- carolyne334
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Hi everyone! Carolyne Whelan here, your new Executive Director for Missoula Mountain Bike Coalition. I've been working with John for the past few weeks, learning the many jobs that fall under the umbrella of ED at MMBC, and finally had a fairly ceremonial passing of the mic at our annual Spring Fling.
Special thanks to Grist Milling & Bakery for donating what I heard many people call the best cookies they'd ever had, as well as to Big Sky Brewing for the libations including their new Super Easy IPA which at just 2.5% APV kept the conversations coherent through the night. Pie Hole also donated pizza to the cause, to help feed our volunteers and humble staff (me and Nic) as we set up the event. And of course, no cycling event is truly possible in Missoula without Free Cycles, where we hosted our annual member party.
Nic gave a shoutout to the incredible trail volunteers who helped him clear over 250 trees in Pattee, Blue Mountain, and the Rattlesnake in the previous week alone, downed from the soft, wet soil of the fast thaw and subsequent strong winds we had for multiple days. If you helped clear trails either for this tree clearing push or at any other time, please fill out this form to help us keep track of the good work our community does. And if you are looking to get involved with our dig days, sign up for our newsletter and/or text messages here to stay informed about when conditions are ripe for clearing and we are gathering volunteers for a big effort.
John gave an update on the planning stages of Marshall Mountain and Fish Creek. You may have seen our recent blog post about Fish Creek's planning stage and request for comment. If you haven't already signed the comment form, I encourage you to read the blog post and sign the comment page. Here are a few general bullet points, which are gone into more detail on the post:
Responsible trail development and long-term maintenance in select areas to minimize impacts to land and help protect wildlife
Trail system with close proximity to Interstate 90 and ease of access close to the state park entrance
Stacked loop, purpose-built, and directional trails are preferable, with some trails managed as bike-only downhill trails
Singletrack style trails (both bike-only and multi-use) that offer a variety of features
Camping areas
Roads converted to trails are not a desirable experience for mountain biking
Basically, this is an opportunity to develop a smart trail network that can provide long-term recreational use to mountain bikers and other trail users, and the addition of dedicated bike-only trails is a benefit to all trail users while also enriching the area by bringing in potential tourism dollars to the Fish Creek area.
Again, the blog post about this topic is available here and comments can be submitted here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FCCComment
The evening closed out with a raffle led by Carolyne and John of some sweet bike gear and swag, each accompanied by a baguette by Grist. Some people are luckier than others, as was showcased by a couple well-carbed folks winning multiple times and going home with bread to last the week.
If you are interested in becoming a member, joining us for a volunteer day, or/and staying in the loop for future events, be sure to click the JOIN button to become a member, and sign up for our newsletter today. And remember, if you show up consistently to dig days (this year it only takes FOUR dig days!) you become a member of the McCleod Mafia and get a rad shirt to display your dedication to the shred.
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