Hoosier Mountain Bike Association

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Comment by Paul Arlinghaus on May 21, 2008 at 11:04pm

Governor announces 2008 trail grants: HMBA receives $250,000 for mountain bike trails
Governor Daniels announced on Tuesday, May 20th, the award of trail grants to 28 different projects across Indiana.
The projects include $250,000 in funding for the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (HMBA). This funding along with $150,000 of in-kind donations from the mountain biking community will be used to build new multi-use (Hike/Bike) trails at Versailles, O’Bannon Woods, and Harmonie State Parks. In total, over 20 miles of new trail will be built with these projects.
Also included is $750,000 for the paved Salt Creek Trail that when finished will connect Nashville to Brown County State Park (BCSP), where HMBA is currently wrapping up a $150,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant and a $10,000 Bikes Belong grant. The combination of professional trail builders and HMBA volunteers has built over 20 miles of world class trails at BCSP. The Salt Creek Trail and BSCP Mountain Bike trails have created a tourist destination for Nashville.
The projects at Versailles, Harmonie, and O’Bannon Woods State Parks will provide recreational opportunities to the local residents and will create trails systems that are national destinations for outdoor recreation.
HMBA will be working with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) to put trails on the ground quickly and to further develop the state wide infrastructure for multi-use trail development. HMBA builds trail to the IMBA trail building specifications. This ensures that the trail will be sustainable for generations to come.
HMBA will be looking for local support to help build these and other trails throughout the state. HMBA uses a hybrid construction process for trail construction. Professional trail builders will work along side volunteers. Since volunteers provide much of the basic labor, the professional trail builders can focus on the skilled tasks that maximize trail mileage while at the same time building world class trail features.
• Join HMBA http://www.hmba.org/amember/
• Join IMBA www.imba.com.
• Donate: Financial donations to HMBA and IMBA will further the development of mountain bike trails and mountain biking programs throughout the State of Indiana.
• Volunteer: Caring for the trails we ride is a part of being a mountain biker. Join use for trail building and Trail maintenance work session at a trail near you! (www.hmba.org)


About HMBA
The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association is a state wide organization with over 400 members, whose mission is to promote responsible mountain biking and work towards the goal of land access and natural resource protection in the State of Indiana. HMBA currently maintains over 70 miles of mountain bike trails with plans to build up to 50 miles of multi-use trail in 2008. In 2007, mountain bikers recorded over 6500 volunteer hours building and maintaining trails. In addition, HMBA manages a $150,000 RTP grant project at Brown County State Park to build a world class multi-use trail system.
HMBA Supports the following trails
• Town Run Trail Park (Indianapolis)
• Avon Park (Washington Town Ship)
• Range Line Nature Preserve(Anderson)
• Westwood Park (New Castle)
• Versailles State Park (Versailles)
• Brown County State Park (Nashville)
• Ferdinand State Forest (Ferdinand)
• Muscatatuck Park (North Vernon)
Contact: Paul Arlinghaus (Vice President HMBA): parlinghaus@msn.com
About IMBA
The International Mountain Bicycling Association creates, enhances and preserves trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, cooperation among different trail user groups, and innovative trail management solutions. IMBA's worldwide network includes 32,000 individual members, more than 500 bicycle clubs, and 400 corporate partners and dealer members. For more information visit www.imba.com.
More Information:

Complete State Press Release: http://www.in.gov/newsroom.htm?detailContent=22370.htm&backEnabled=true

HMBA Website:
www.hmba.org

Brown County State Park Mountain Biking Website:
http://www.browncountymountainbiking.com/

HMBA Trail Photos:
http://www.alexmtb.smugmug.com/gallery/3915495_B8yTZ#227246453_8s32Z

From the Governor's news release:
Governor Mitch Daniels today announced $19 million in new investment for trails development as a part of his Hoosiers on the Move statewide trails plan.
“By making Indiana a ‘State of Trails’ we not only create new recreational opportunities, but also show the people who can bring businesses here the quality of life that Hoosiers enjoy,” said Daniels.
Projects were chosen based upon geographic diversity, readiness to build, connectivity to the trails system, and local support. These funds are in addition to the $20 million the state invests annually as part of Daniels' Hoosiers on the Move trails initiative to connect communities throughout the state. The 10-year plan calls for every Hoosier to be within 15 minutes of trail.
“The governor's announcement truly marks an historic day for the future of trails and greenways in Indiana. We could not be more enthused or appreciative of his efforts,” said Matthew T. Klein, board president of the Greenways Foundation. “It really shows that Gov. Daniels embraces the many economic and health benefits of linear parks."
DNR will manage both the new funding being allocated to local trails projects and the 150 miles of abandoned railroad corridor the state recently acquired for distribution to government entities and local trail groups for potential trail development.
Statewide Mountain Bike Development Award: $250,000.00
3 trail locations for approximately 25 miles of trail have been identified as high priority for use of these funds.

Harmonie State Park: This is a new trail system in the far south west corner of the State. Building a world-class trail system in this region will act as a catalyst for future trail construction in this region. The initial 5 miles of trail will be built largely by volunteers, but the steep nature of the ravines will require a number of bridges. Also, a beginner section of trail will be built by machine to ensure new riders experience a premier trail.

O’Bannon Woods State Park: The existing 25 mile Adventure Hike Trail at O’Bannon has fallen into disuse. The long-term plan for the Adventure Hike Trail is to provide a rugged back county trail for serious hikers and mountain bikers. In order to attract the mountain bike community, a campground trail built to Intermediate specifications is needed. Due to the remote location of O’Bannon, the percentage of match funding and labor at O’Bannon will be less than other projects. If additional volunteer labor can be found, improvements to the Adventure Trail will begin.

Versailles State Park: Versailles is a hidden gem with ten mile of mountain bike trails that rival Brown County State Park. The current trail system has a single trail that links the trailhead to the system of loops. A loop is possible, but will require a difficult, but spectacular segment of trail underneath a cliff wall. This difficult segment leads to an area of the park with unique sink-hole features. The “Cliff Trail” will add this unique section of trail and will lay the ground work for a difficult yet spectacular segment of trail, along the base of the cliff wall.

Next HMBA Event:

2008 Midwest Women's Mountain Bike Clinic
When: Saturday, June 7th
Where: Brown County State Park ~ Nashville, In
Time: 10:00 a.m. ~ Continental Breakfast and Lunch included

Click here to register: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6337

Join us for a full weekend of camping, cookouts, biking, trail building, group rides, bike demos and more. Group camping is available on both Friday and Saturday night at $10/night, per tent. If you would like to stay in the area, but you do not wish to camp, additional lodging information can be found at www.browncounty.com. Brown County State Park also offers cabins for rent as well as rooms at the Abe Martin Lodge.

Come on Friday for a pot luck dinner. Brown County is a great place for riding after dark, so bring your lights for a casual group night ride. Stay after the clinic on Saturday for a bike demo and free bicycle fitting sessions (courtesy of Nebo Ridge Bicycles). The Trek Woman Specific Demo Truck will be onsite and offer demo bikes to test ride.

The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association will also be hosting trail building sessions for anyone that would like to participate. All volunteer hours will count toward HMBA's matching portion of a $150,000 RTP Grant that was awarded to the club in 2006. With this grant, HMBA will build 10-12 miles of single-track within Brown County State Park. This is in addition to the nearly 20 miles of trail already established in the park. Trails range from beginner to advanced, with a new "intro" trail that will offer interpretive signs at different skills stations.

Saturday night we will have a huge cookout for everyone who participated in the clinic and trail building sessions.

Finally, join us on Sunday for National Trails Day. HMBA will again be holding trail building sessions and we will also have group rides.

Comment by Leilan McNally on April 28, 2008 at 4:02pm

Hello Fellow Bikers!! I am the guy most of you pass on the Town Run trail.

Comment by Paul Arlinghaus on April 16, 2008 at 8:25am

Indy Start Article

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080414/NEWS/80414051

This is going to be a challenging year for HMBA. We have 4 new trails that will start construction in 2008. Fort Ben, Southwestway, O'Bannon S.P. and New Harmonie S.P.

Paul