Blog

Evergreen is excited to work with the Washington Department of Natural Resources to help extend the riding season on Tiger Mountain this year.  Unlike the set closure date of past seasons, this season trails have remained open pending weather conditions—great news for anyone who’s enjoyed the last week’s cold snap. But that also means riders need to take special care because the extended season offers more potential to impact trails.  “Tiger Mountain is extremely wet and large sections of the trails have a higher clay content than other trails in our area,” says Evergreen Project Manager Mike Westra “and that can lead to more moisture wicking back up to the surface.”  During freeze-and-thaw periods that can mean moisture affecting the trail from above and below, and has the potential of turning your favorite Tiger ride into a wheel-trapping mud pit.   And the worst kind of mud pit is the one that crews and volunteers have to spend valuable time fixing. “We just ask that people ride cautiously and use good judgment,” explains Westra “some of the new trails on Tiger just happen to be more susceptible to impacts right now.”  So if you’re in doubt about Tiger, give those trails a break— instead consider Tokul, Grand Ridge, or any number of winter rides here waiting for you.

It's been a huge year for mountain biking in Washington.  We've seen a groundswell of support for riding, the most volunteer hours yet, and more new trails being built for mountain biking than in our state's history.  There is a lot for all of us to be proud of. And it's because of your continued support that Evergreen has been able to accomplish more this year than ever before.   Sure there's still tons of work to be done-but take a look back on what you've helped achieve in 2014.   This is just a small sample of what your support resulted in: Four new trails opened on Tiger Mountain- doubling the trail mileage! New trails finished in Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Chelan, and approval for Tokul  Construction under way on a new descending trail on Tiger  Finishing trails planning at Raging River (I-90 near North Bend), Wenatchee, & Spokane Completion of Phase 1 construction at Swan Creek Park in Tacoma The launch of our brand new website and completely redesigned Trail Guide  But you won't catch us sitting back to admire those accomplishments - we've got work to do!  We have momentum and we're ready to think, plan, and act big in 2015.  Here's what you'll have to look forward to as Washington mountain bikers in the next 12 months:

Last Friday over 140 people—more than 3x last year’s attendance—came together to hang out and celebrate the hard work and dedication of Evergreen's incredible community of volunteers.  Volunteers, Evergreen staff, and board members spent the evening catching up, talking trails, and making plans for the coming year—all while enjoying pizza sponsored by Element Cycles, beer from Bellevue Brewing Company, and some great mountain biking movies.  Attendees were even treated to a premier of the latest installment of the Peak to Creek series provided by our friends at Freehub. The night allowed the Evergreen board and staff to publicly thank the volunteers who are the engine behind Evergreen. “Without your time, commitment, and passion” said  Executive Director Glenn Glover “there would be no Evergreen.  It’s all of our work together that has turned us into a powerhouse for mountain biking in Washington.”

Washington's recreational immunity statute greatly limits a landowner's liability when they open up their properties to the public for recreation--like mountain biking--without charging a fee.   However, if landowners and land managers don't fully understand recreational liability in Washington, then they will be less likely to allow access out of fear.  While this may not be a hot topic at parties, thanks to Evergreen it was at the biennial Washington State Trails Coalition Conference this past October.   Evergreen board member and attorney Andrew Rigel led a standing-room only presentation along with representatives from The Mountaineers and The Access Fund.   Topics included an interpretation of the statute (RCW 4.24.210) itself along with a review of case law, additional risk management tools that can be used, and the risks versus benefits of encouraging recreation. The WSTC Conference, held in Bellingham this year, brings together organizations from across Washington to discuss all aspects of trail-based recreation and had over 300 attendees.