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Saturday May 1, 2020 – In a normal times, International Women’s Mountain Biking Day is a day for riders who identify as women to gather, experience, and share their stoke for mountain biking. With pandemic restrictions beginning to ease, it’s once again possible to get out and enjoy the day with a small gathering of friends, and we hope you do! However, life in the past 14 months was anything but normal. The pandemic restrictions impacted nearly every aspect of daily life, creating a constant weight of stress felt by all. Felt but not shared, due to inability to gather socially and share experiences with friends and loved ones — perhaps the most difficult part of sustaining mental health through the pandemic. For many people stuck at home for months on end — perhaps with children — the outdoors provided a much-needed refuge for recreation, mitigating stress and easing the pandemic pressure.

Blogging for International Women’s MTB Day, MAMBA Board Member Bonnie Ammons reflects on how leaning-in to outdoor recreation helped sustain her family through pandemic times, and wanting to return the favor.

“With both my husband and I working from home and managing our two boys’ virtual learning over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time lately working with my kids on writing essays. So when I first thought about writing something for #WomensMTBday, what popped into my head was ESSAY TOPIC: What Does Mountain Biking Mean to You? Frankly, in past year of COVID, there have been so many things that we all have NOT been allowed to do. I’m so thankful to have my bike and my bike pod friends. I could spend time, safely outdoors, burning up all of my stress on the trails.  My family was on a constant rotation of hiking, biking and paddle boarding. West Virginia is a wonderful place to live for all of the outdoor opportunities right outside our door steps. Sometimes I don’t appreciate it enough, but COVID set me on a course of further love for our parks, forests, trails and campgrounds. Being forced to spend extra time outside wasn’t a burden, but a fun challenge to think of more awesome ways to explore the world around us.

“I know there are a lot of newcomers too. And I hope that they have felt that same love for the recreation options that we have. I’m proud to part of MAMBA in that one of our goals is to enhance the value of the trails and the experience of the users.  I want to continue to protect these resources that I have taken for granted for so long. But I know it takes time, effort and money to support our trail systems and I want to be part of the solution that keeps our parks and trails healthy for the long term.

“There is some pretty impressive bike-cred among the board members of MAMBA. I have a slightly different skill-set. I like to say that I’m “90% enthusiasm, 10% skill.” I don’t think I truly want to change that ratio-I never want to lose my enthusiasm for riding! But I do want to increase my skills and have that 10% make more of an impact. I think the same way of my participation in the future of recreation sustainability. I never want to lose my enthusiasm, but I hope my impact becomes more meaningful. And that’s why I am here, writing this essay, because Mountain Biking truly does mean a lot in my life and if you are reading this, it probably means a lot to you, too. The question is: what impact do you want to have?”

Greetings MAMBA members!
This newsletter contains a review of our 2020 activities, some special info (including a discount!), a link to a survey so we can better get to know your priorities, and a few of our goals for 2021. Read on and ride on!
Take the 2021 Priorities Survey

YOU GIVE US THE STRENGTH: No fewer than seventy-five of you committed your dollars to secure eighty-seven memberships, giving MAMBA a projected annual budget of at least $3,500. You’re from Monongalia County and beyond – Preston, Marion, Harrison, and Upshur counties, too. You’re even out into Garrett County, MD and Allegheny County, PA! Thank you for supporting this organization and mountain biking in Morgantown. We couldn’t be more humbled.

Some housekeeping and a small surprise…
First, a dozen or so t-shirts are left over from our Spring membership drive promo. If you want to grab another, or if you joined after the promo but want a shirt: call down to Pathfinder, speak to Andy, and see what sizes we’ve got left! We’re looking for a $20 donation to MAMBA per shirt, cash or check.
Lastly, thanks to our pals out at Big Bear Lake Trail Center, MAMBA members receive an exclusive discount on 2021 season passes… the typical $30 fee is just $20 for you! If you are a MAMBA member, check for this message in your email for the discount code!
CLICK TO PURCHASE 2021 BIG BEAR LAKE TRAIL CENTER SEASON PASSES 

In 2021, we’ve got more than a few things we want to do. We plan to take advantage of our insurance and host outdoor, small group member events* like:
-Publicized trail maintenance days
-Group ride/work combos
-Beginner rider/skills clinics
-Trail tool demos and workshops (The first from Stihl!)
Stay tuned…
*Following all CDC and local health department guidelines!

We’re aiming to adopt a local park or two. We want measurable progress on trail development and rider access to key private properties to improve connectivity. We want to see the formalization of trail maintenance programs. We’re going to address trail user conflicts in a cooperative manner and work to improve the sustainability of our existing shared assets. We’re going to ramp up our communications and social media.On the latter, consider this our first of a bi-monthly or quarterly MAMBA newsletter. We know a lot of you have been wondering what MAMBA is up to, so we want to keep you more regularly informed.

A Final Plug for the Survey: We’re here to serve you and the greater MTB community. What would YOU prioritize in 2021? Complete the questionnaire below to let us know. We can’t wait to hear from you! C’mon, click here to give us your two cents

On behalf of the board, and with all our most sincere thanks and excitement, Drew Gatlin, Secretary of the Board

The third round of Trail Accelerator grants in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and West Virginia range from site-specific bike park plans to city-wide trail systems. Several locations are seeking more beginner-friendly trails to make their trail systems more accessible and complement existing intermediate and advanced trail offerings. See more detail on individual projects below.

“We are so excited about being awarded the IMBA Trail Accelerator grant for Morgantown. We have world-class whitewater and rock climbing here, but our mountain biking trails are mostly technical. We’re excited to use this grant toward building more accessible trails. We plan to engage students, faculty, staff, and community in the project. We want to use this project as one of the catalysts to continue to grow the outdoor economy in West Virginia,” said Greg Corio, Assistant Dean, Strategic Youth Development Initiatives, West Virginia University.

Link to Press Release Below:

https://www.imba.com/press-release/imba-announces-eight-new-trail-accelerator-grant-recipients

Dear Greater Morgantown Community,
In the fall of 2019, a cohort of your fellow citizens came together to lay the foundation for what we hope will be the start of a wonderful and exciting future for mountain biking in West Virginia. It is with great joy and excitement that we introduce you to the Morgantown Area Mountain Bike Alliance ().
Our mission is to foster an alliance dedicated to supporting and building the future of mountain biking in the Greater Morgantown Area. We have chosen the word alliance because we see our entire focus being collaborative within the city, state, and the local community. We hope to be the framework by which you, the residents of Morgantown, can work, educate, and most importantly play, while using mountain biking as a vehicle for success within our communities.
By using communicative strategies for success and through the implementation of best practices in new and current trail development, MAMBA focuses on creating and maintaining exceptional experiences for both the beginner and the seasoned veteran mountain biker alike.
MAMBA is proud to work directly with city administrators, outdoor educators, universities, non-profit organizations, and most importantly you, the citizen! Our goal is to illuminate the social benefits that purposeful trail development can have for our communities and we strive to give you the tools you need to help us create a more sustainable future for our region.
On behalf of all our board members, MAMBA would like to welcome you to our family! Together we can build an extraordinary future that gives weight and purpose to your hopes and aspirations. We, like you, know the immense benefits mountain biking can have on our communities and we would like to invite you along on our fantastic journey.
Let’s Get Out and Ride!

Andrew R. Walker
Vice President, Morgantown Area Mountain Bike Alliance (MAMBA)