"Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival offers muddy thrills"

Mountain bikers who live in Washington routinely ignore IMBA's rule against riding wet trails! How IRRESPONSIBLE!

Mike


http://www.issaquahpress.com/2012/06...omment-page-1/

Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival offers muddy thrills

June 12, 2012

By Lillian Tucker

By Lillian Tucker The Jump-Off Huck Contest at the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival gave riders the chance to catch air on some of the largest jumps at Duthie Hill Park.

Walking along the trail through Duthie Hill Park on June 9, the only sign that a mountain bike festival was taking place was the occasional rider that whizzed past.

Nearing the center of the 130-acre park, the tops of tents began to peek out through the trees. Soon, music seeped into the air and a clearing gave way to booths, bikes and people with mud-caked legs.

“We are celebrating mountain biking. This is just a great chance for everyone to get together,” said Stacy Karacostas, communications and membership director for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.

For the third year in a row, the non-profit group hosted the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival. The event attracted more than 1,200 people.

“This is our biggest event of the year…we are definitely hopping,” Karacostas added.

Karacostas was busy that day renewing memberships, selling raffle tickets and handing out information packs. Around her, local vendors sold bratwursts, bike companies held demonstrations and a few festivalgoers paused for a break in the beer garden.

Other riders took advantage of the park’s new practice features, like progression jumps and two pump tracks that allow riders to practice navigating the bike over bumps.

Those in the mood for some friendly competition took part in the Duthie Dash, a cross country time trial race, the Dual Slalom Race or the Jump-Off Huck Contest, where riders soared into the air to cheer of the crowd.

“This is so exciting. Active recreation is such an important part of our parks,” King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert said.

The representative for Sammamish and Issaquah didn’t let the fact that she has to temporarily use crutches to get around keep her from hiking into the festival grounds.

“It’s important we honor people who are biking and get more and more people involved,” she said.

Lambert was there that day to help celebrate the completion of the second phase of the joint effort between King County and the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to build eight miles of mountain biking trails in Duthie Hill Park.

While two miles of free ride trails offer large jumps and stunts, six miles of cross country bike trails offer something for everyone.

“The park accommodates all levels,” said Butch Lovelace, King County youth sports facility grant manager. “The demographic of the 68-year-old mountain biking woman is not who I had in mind, but they’re out here.”

So far, Lovelace said, about $350,000 from the county, $150,000 from the state, thousands of private donations and nearly 20,000 volunteer hours have gone into creating the mountain bike park.

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance officials estimate that the park already receives more than 75,000 visits a year.

“It’s been a really successful partnership with a really modest amount of money,” he said. “The park was built for mountain bikers by mountain bikers.”

Samuel Baker, 9, and his family live just down the street and estimate they have totaled about 40 hours volunteering in the park. With more than 60 hours logged building trails and features, 16-year-old Max Prendergast, of Sammamish, held his last birthday at Duthie and even has a jump named after him.

“I love this place…I’ve got to know so many people out here. There is such a sense of community,” he said.

Prendergast said for him, the mountain bike riding is freedom.

“Being out in the woods with my friends, it takes me away from homework and the world,” he added.

Karacostas said she was surprised when she learned that many of the volunteers were local high school students.

“You don’t usually see people that age out here on their own volition,” she said. “Everyone is just so excited …they have just been awesome..”

Lillian Tucker: 392-6434, ext. 242, or . Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, Duthie Hill Park, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, King County Council

Written by Lillian Tucker · Filed Under Sports, Sports News

Copyright © 2012 by Issaquah Press Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Email .

Comments

2 Responses to “Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival offers muddy thrills”
Mike Vandeman onJune 13th, 2012 10:29 pm

“Mountain bike festival offers muddy thrills”

It’s so sad that the media would actually CELEBRATE an environmentally and socially destructive activity like mountain bikng! What were you thinking?! Or WERE you thinking?

Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb10.htm . It’s dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don’t have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else * ON FOOT! Why isn’t that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking….

A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it’s not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http://mjvande.nfshost.com/scb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.

Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.

Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good about THAT?

For more information: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtbfaq.htm .

That's pretty funny. Where I live, horses cause more trail damage and
hikers do more harm to plants and animals. And the only thing keeping
housing from destroying the natural area where I was riding yesterday is
the fact that it was made into a mountain biking park.

On 6/23/2012 9:31 PM, Mike Vandeman wrote:
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good about THAT?

On 6/29/2012 11:20 AM, Trevor wrote:
That's pretty funny. Where I live, horses cause more trail damage and
hikers do more harm to plants and animals. And the only thing keeping
housing from destroying the natural area where I was riding yesterday is
the fact that it was made into a mountain biking park.

On 6/23/2012 9:31 PM, Mike Vandeman wrote:
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills
small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and
other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids
that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it�s NOT!). What�s good
about THAT?


We can only assume that an emotionally traumatic event involving a
mountain biker occurred in the life of convicted criminal Michael J.
Vandeman, Piled Higher and Deeper.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
Post Free or Die!

On Sunday, July 1, 2012 8:35:37 PM UTC-7, Tom $herman (-_-) wrote:
On 6/29/2012 11:20 AM, Trevor wrote:
That's pretty funny. Where I live, horses cause more trail damage and
hikers do more harm to plants and animals. And the only thing keeping
housing from destroying the natural area where I was riding yesterday is
the fact that it was made into a mountain biking park.

On 6/23/2012 9:31 PM, Mike Vandeman wrote:
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills
small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and
other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids
that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it�s NOT!). What�s good
about THAT?


We can only assume that an emotionally traumatic event involving a
mountain biker occurred in the life of convicted criminal Michael J.
Vandeman, Piled Higher and Deeper.

And that explains why mountain bikers ride wet trails and wreck wild lands? You are a true idiot. I can't think of anyone more idiotic, and that is saying a lot!

Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
Post Free or Die!

Well, so much for mountain biking saving the area. It's on fire as I
type.

On 6/29/2012 10:20 AM, Trevor wrote:
That's pretty funny. Where I live, horses cause more trail damage and
hikers do more harm to plants and animals. And the only thing keeping
housing from destroying the natural area where I was riding yesterday is
the fact that it was made into a mountain biking park.

On 6/23/2012 9:31 PM, Mike Vandeman wrote:
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills
small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and
other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids
that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good
about THAT?