Trail conditions and more from the Comox Valley and across Vancouver Island.
UROC’s first trail day is this coming April 7th sponsored by Comox Bike Company (Simon’s Cycles) and Gravity MTB.
Meeting place is the Middle / Lower Crafty Butcher junction at 10am on Sunday April 7th.
Bring your gloves and eat a good breakfast and help put back to the trails.
Timberwest contractors are working on road building activities currently till December 22nd.
Please avoid all Forbidden Trails 7 days a week.
Basically, all the forests between the more recent cut blocks are now on the cutting block. This includes portions or all of;
Iron Horse
Rudy’s
Goats Head
Rat’s Tails
Dustwitch
Lumpy’s
Saporro Steeps
Monkey’s Challenge
Puntledge Plunge (upper section)
Blasting activities limit access to all trails.
Thanks for the understanding.
https://www.trailforks.com/polygon/334/
PS Editors note – I’m gutted seeing all these trails on the chopping block and I won’t get a chance to ride them again thanks to my car accident… SO please we all really want to go ride them one more time, but is it worth the risk. You never know when they may be doing blasting work. The contractors are not the company. Frustrations shouldn’t be directed their way.
PPS The photo posted is from 2009 when the road location markings were first created. Sooo we’ve had 9 good years since.
As the United Riders of Cumberland roll into their tenth year of existence, they have grown in their function from a riding and racing club to a trail management organization. Recently renewing the 2 year initial land access agreement with the local private forest landowners, it shows their hard work has been viewed positively by the powers that be. To help in this ongoing project, there are a few great ways you can support the United Riders of Cumberland and the associated trails.
The future looks bright for mountain biking in Cumberland and the United Riders of Cumberland are doing great work to bring the trail network into the next phases.
Keep up to date by connecting with their Facebook page.
Cumberland trails remain open at this timeUROC and the Village are working closely with private forest landowners and will provide updates on Cumberland.ca and UROC’s Facebook page if access restrictions are implemented.
Cumberland’s trail network, including all trails on public and privately owned lands, remains open at this time and through the August long weekend. The Village and UROC are working closely with private forest landowners to assess current fire hazard risk and will provide any updates – including potential recreational closure information – to trail users via Cumberland.ca, UROC’s Facebook page, and signage at primary trail access points.
Decisions regarding access restrictions are made based on factors that include wildfire danger ratings, other technical indices, current and forecasted weather conditions, and the availability of firefighting resources. Authorities have determined that current conditions do not warrant recreational access restrictions at this time, however conditions are continuously being assessed and trail access status is subject to change.
All trail users are reminded to exercise extreme caution while recreating in the forests surrounding Cumberland. Only non-motorized recreation is permitted, campfire and smoking bans are now in effect, and any suspicious activity should be immediately reported to 911.
To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663 5555 or *5555 from a cell phone. Any information you can provide is helpful, however you can expect the emergency call taker to ask for details about the fire such as:
Location
i.e. Where is the fire? How far up the hillside?
Size
e.g. Metres? Hectares? Size of a house? Size of a football field?
Rate of spread
i.e. How quickly is the fire spreading?
Fuel
i.e. What is burning? Grass, bushes, trees?
Smoke/flames
i.e. What colour is the smoke? Are flames visible?
Threat
i.e. Are there any people or buildings at risk?
Action
i.e. Is anyone fighting the fire?
UROC has received a Provincial Rural Dividend Grant for $45,000!! This money will be used for trail head and directional signage on the Cumberland trail network.
Better signage was the most often suggested way to improve the trails in the recent trails survey. Trailhead signage will show the trail name as well as difficulty rating and directional signage will point to key network features and junctions. These new signs will augment the existing signage but the old signs won’t be removed.
Invitations to quote for this work will be advertised in the coming months and this project is expected to be completed this summer.
The BC Rural Dividend is providing $25 million a year over four years to assist rural communities with a population of 25,000 or less to reinvigorate and diversify their local economies. It was developed to recognize both the contribution rural communities have made to B.C.’s economy, and the unique challenges they face to diversify beyond natural resources.
The program will contribute to the strength and sustainability of small rural communities, making them more attractive places to live and work. The program is focused on supporting worthy projects that help rural communities navigate changes impacting their economies, such as attracting and retaining youth, using innovation to drive economic growth, and developing new and effective partnerships to support shared prosperity.
The Rural Dividend is administered by the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
The Jump Park design-build contract has been awarded to Squamish-based Dream Wizards Events Ltd. Dream Wizards will be responsible for the final in-field design, shaping and grading of four dirt jump trails (beginner through to expert in difficulty rating), a pump track and a run bike trail.
Lead by the renowned BC trail builder Ted Tempany (a.k.a. Big Red Ted), Dream Wizards has been building bike trails, jumps, pump tracks, and slopestyle courses throughout BC, the United States and as far away as New Zealand for over a decade, including for both professional and recreational riders.
The 5200 square foot custom concrete skatepark will have a street section, a bowl and a mini-ramp. Designed with an emphasis on beginner to intermediate features to reflect Cumberland’s growing demographic of young families, advanced features are also built in to challenge more experienced skateboarders. The construction contract has been awarded to the Comox firm Radius Contracting Inc., a company with experience building skateparks throughout BC and the rest of Canada.
UROC would like to invite you to participate in the upcoming Trail Building & Maintenance Workshop, which will be delivered by Mark Wood (of NSMBA and now Trail Holistics).
This workshop will provide an opportunity to learn some key fundamental techniques and knowledge about modern trail building and maintenance, and will include both in-class and field components. Mark has developed some new material and is excited to share!
The workshop session schedule is as follows:
Saturday April 1: 9-12pm classroom session, 1-4pm critical field session
Sunday April 2: 9-12pm practical field sessionThis is a great learning opportunity and will only help the riding community to continue improving the already amazing trail network! There is no cost to you for registration in this workshop, but please sign up asap. There are 3 ways to register:
Project Perseverance is underway! For the next 2 weeks (right up until Saturday October 29th) the Cumberland Forest community is going flat out to meet some ambitious fundraising targets – and every penny is matched by a generous secret agent! There are so many ways to support the incredible effort underway.
1. Buy a Perseverance Raffle ticket – raffle tickets are now on sale! Prizes include 2 flights with WestJet (anywhere they fly), Mount Washington Lift Passes, Tribune Bay Camping, a Cedar Love Seat, BC Ferries Tickets and a Legendary Date Night in Cumberland! Tickets available at the Wandering Moose and Riders Pizza or from a Cumberland Forest volunteer. $10/ticket and every $ raised is matched
2. Bid on the Perseverance Online Auction – the online auction goes live this weekend (October 15th) and there is SO much to buy from generous businesses and professionals who have donated to the cause! Bid up, bid often. Every $ raised will be matched. Check facebook and web Oct 15th for web links to the auction site.
3. Come to the Perseverance Party in the Park! – Join us for a Party in the Park following the Perseverance Trail Run on Sunday October 23rd. Enjoy live music, DJ’s, face painting for kids, scavenger hunt, delicious BBQ, craft beer and a silent auction. 12-4 and ALL WELCOME. Rain or Shine! RSVP HERE
4. Get you ticket to the Perseverance Hallows’ Eve Ball – do NOT miss this spectacular Halloween event on Saturday October 29th. Music, dance performances, aerial acrobatics, inner sanctums, spirits and ales, costume contests and so much more. CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET or stop by Riders Pizza. Every $30 ticket purchased is matched by supernatural forces!
5. Donate Cash or Silent Auction Items – there are still lots of ways to contribute to this campaign! You can make a cash donation by cheque (just mention Project Perseverance in the note) and drop off at the Wandering Moose OR visit our special fundraising site HERE and donate to Project Perseverance by Credit Card. Donations for the silent auctions on Oct 23 and Oct 29 are also welcome. Late items for the Online Auction are also welcome as we can add items as we go – message info@cumberlandforest.com to make arrangements.
6. Spread the Word! – Share the web and social media links widely and tell your friends and networks about this incredible project and fundraising potential of Project perseverance. The Cumberland Community Forest Society is a registered charity and tax receipts are issues for all cash donations over $20.
The United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) is hiring for its first ever paid position. Our organization and its responsibilities have been growing and the demands on the volunteer board are becoming too great to fully capitalize on our opportunities, such as implementing our new Land Access Agreement, trail enhancement projects, signage projects and maintenance of the existing trail network.
Through the continued support of our local businesses, the Village of Cumberland, the CVRD, and our members, we are able to fund a part-time Trail Manager position. The position includes the following:
Contract term: 2 months, with the option to be renewed for a full year.
Time Commitment: Approximately 40hrs per month, or as funding permits
Remuneration: Contractor rate to be determined. Approximately $20-25/hr commensurate with experience.
The goal with this position is to be able to fund a full-time, permanent Trail Manager. Presently, we have this position funded at 40 hours a month average over the course of the 12 month term, some months more than others. It is expected that this contract will be renewed at the end of the term. A complete Job Description is attached.
Please submit a resume and cover letter to: manager@unitedridersofcumberland.com
Application deadline is October 14, 2016.
Questions can also be forwarded to: manager@unitedridersofcumberland.com
We thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position. However, only qualified candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.
The Village of Cumberland and the United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) mountain biking association, in cooperation with the Department of Recreation & Tourism at Vancouver Island University, is conducting a survey to describe the characteristics of trails users (both local and tourists) and their opinions on trail management in Cumberland. The results will be used to support the further development and management of the trails network in the Cumberland area. The results will be published in a report for the Cumberland community.
Tell us about your Trails experiences in Cumberland and Enter to WIN a uniquely Cumberland prize package worth over $450!
Find the survey at the link below.
