Latest News
SMBA in the Interior News
The Smithers Mountain Bike Association was in the news again last week. Here's what the Interior News had to say about us! The story is online at the following address: http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/interior-news/sports/129277443.html
Mountain bike association close to final agreement
By Jon Muldoon - Smithers Interior News
Published: September 05, 2011 7:00 PM
Updated: September 05, 2011 7:14 PM
The Smithers Mountain Bike Association is working towards finalizing their agreement with the province, through Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., to maintain three separate networks of trails in the area. As part of that process, a draft Management Plan has been posted online for review by members of the SMBA and the public.
Over the past couple years, the association has been working hard with grant money from the provincial and federal governments, rerouting, upgrading and building from scratch a number of mountain bike trails in three distinct areas, known as the Bluff, the Ptarmigan trails, and the Piper Down trails; all three are now official Recreation Sites.
“The purpose of the plan is to describe how we as the SMBA are going to manage our trails under the partnership agreement we have with the province,” said A.J. Downie, Vice President of the SMBA. “We’re maturing a bit as an association, and we’re trying to shift in the direction of formalizing everything.”
Although most of their funding has been used up with trail building over the past two years, the SMBA has been working with funding from the Wetzin’Kwa Community Forest Corporation to put the finishing touches on the trails. Everything has been built up with drainage and reinforcement to prevent erosion and environmental damage.
“A big focus for us has just been on ensuring that everything we built last year was built well. It was a wet spring and a late spring, followed by a wet summer, so that was a real test for our trails, and we were able to see how they held up under the worst types of conditions,” said Downie.
He said the finishing touches, including some trailhead and safety signage, as well as maps at the information kiosks at the trailheads, should be up this fall.
He also pointed out that much of the work done this year wouldn’t have been possible without the Telkwa Rangers forest fire crew, who spent days working on the trails with the contractor hired by the SMBA.
He said the association is working on getting mountain bikers more involved. He’s hoping people will get in touch through the SMBA website.
“Our focus for the past two years has been mostly on building our network of trails. We’ve been able to capitalize on some great funding opportunities and build quite a lot of trail. Now the focus is shifting towards building the club and the community,” he said.
To view the draft version of the SMBA Trail Management Plan, visit the website at www.smithersmountainbike.ca.
Older News
September 12, 2011
SMBA in the Interior News
August 28, 2011
Draft Management Plan - Posted for Comment until Sept 15
August 18, 2011
Big Pig Mountain Bike Festival - Burns Lake
July 20, 2011
Pump Daddy Opening Postponed
July 19, 2011
Aspen Partnership
July 16, 2011
Exciting News - New Trails Opening!
July 8, 2011
SMBA Newsletter, July 2011
June 26, 2011
Piper and Pay Dirt Now Open
June 25, 2011
Kevin Eskelin Wins Premier’s Award
June 16, 2011
Trails Update
June 8, 2011
What’s Up With All The Ribbons?
May 12, 2011
2011 Riding Season
November 25, 2010
2010 season wrap-up
November 16, 2010
November 2010 News from SMBA
October 20, 2010
SMBA Newsletter, October 2010
September 15, 2010
Smithers is featured in new video…
August 25, 2010
August 2009 update from SMBA
July 21, 2010
SMBA Newsletter, June - July 2010
May 25, 2010
SMBA Searching for Volunteers for Upcoming Events
April 14, 2010
SMBA Newsletter, April 2010
April 13, 2010
Trail Building-Request for Quotes
January 25, 2010
Happy New Year from the SMBA!
October 14, 2009
SMBA Newsletter October 2009
September 24, 2009
SMBA Update, September 2009
May 4, 2009