LOCALadk Magazine

Fall 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 17 LOCALadk A little over a year ago, representatives from the Town of Webb and the Central Adirondack Association (C A A) got to- gether to brainstorm ideas on how to attract a new audience to the area. A handful of ideas floated to the surface, and ul- timately the group decided that mountain biking was where they'd focus. It is said that it takes a lifetime to become an overnight success. That phrase keeps coming to mind as I re- flect on what's been happening in Old Forge these days. Back in the early-to-mid-90s, mountain biking was an un- known thing in most places— especially in the eastern United States and the Adirondacks. As I hiked, camped, and paddled around the Adirondacks I had visions of climbing up, and fly- ing down, these rock-strewn trails on two wheels. I must admit that as I hiked along with my friends, one of whom was—unbeknownst to me at the time —my future wife, I couldn't help thinking how much more fun this would be and how much more terrain we could cover if we had our mountain bikes. I didn't know until my studies at SUNY-ESF that land management policies in those days prohibited bicycle use on nearly all classifications of State Forest Pre- ser ve. I just knew that this place was amazing, and I wanted to squeeze ever y last drop of fun out of these mountains. Fast-for ward a decade or so: I can remember sitting with NYSDOT colleagues and other committee members review- ing funding applications for transportation projects when the TOBIE (Thendara, Old Forge, Big Moose, Inlet, Eagle Bay) Trail concept came in. What an idea: a multi-use path con- necting the communities of Thendara, Old Forge, Big Moose, Eagle Bay, and Inlet. We had a hunch that it could be trans- formative for the area. As transportation planners we're al- ways looking for that spark that turns the tide, makes people aware of what's possible, and provides a catalyst for private investment and public benefit. I was pleased to see the proj- ect recommended for funding, and ultimately constructed in the years that followed. Now the TOBIE Trail has become the spine that connects these communities and is providing access to other trail experiences throughout the area. In my mind, I have this image of the TOBIE Trail becoming the super trail that leads to an endless network of world-class off-road bicycling. I'm pretty sure it can happen, too. At the southern end, riders can jump on the trail at the Thendara Depot of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad before or after enjoying a train or railbike ride. To the north, Inlet's Fern Park trail system is just a stone's throw away. Other op- portunities abound along the way. For example, the Sis and Bubb Trail is technical single-track that will challenge even experienced riders. There's a trailhead along Route 28, but you can also ride there from any of the TOBIE communities. Moss Lake in Eagle Bay is a nice, wide, dirt and gravel trail that circumnavigates the small lake and is a comfortable ride for the more casual crowd. From Old Forge, the TOBIE Trail crosses the Moose River on North Street and utilizes the ex- tensive Town of Webb snowmobile trail system to get riders out into the forest along well-maintained trails that always stay a comfortable dis- tance from help, should it be need- ed. The linear route from Old Forge to Inlet is the primar y TOBIE route, and efforts are now being made to map and promote other spur trails along the way. In Old Forge, the old ski hill— Maple Ridge —rises direct- ly from the TOBIE Trail behind the Town of Webb School. There is a network of hiking and biking trails on Maple Ridge that connect to the McCauley Mountain Nordic trails, all of which are available to ride. Until recently, these trails have been relatively unknown and only lightly used. That is all changing and it's a truly exciting time. We've now come to an era where mountain biking is em- braced by our state officials, policies and recommenda- tions on how to properly build and maintain bike trails have been developed, and bands of mountain bikers have grown up, organized, and formed alliances who work with various stakeholders to fund, build, and maintain proper trail net- works. These bikers have become designers, engineers, and business owners who are creating and selling bikes that are so technologically advanced and fun to ride that it almost seems unfair at times. Kelly Ann Nugent of Clinton became the enthusiastic voice that sparked the formation of the Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance (AFTA), a network of mountain bikers who share the common interest in building, riding, and maintaining trails throughout Central New York and the southern Adirondacks. O l d F o r g e : T h e N e x t G r e a t A D K M o u n t a i n B i k i n g D e s t i n a t i o n By Matt VanSlyke

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