LOCALadk Magazine

18 Fall 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Eric Adsit Eric Adsit She somehow managed to get us off our bikes long enough to get ideas down on paper, and convinced guys like Chuck Schweitzer and Ed Ledda that we could rally support to take advantage of all the hard work they'd been putting in over the years. Along with others, they've been out in the woods creating riding experiences for the rest of us with little fanfare or re- ward other than having a place to ride with friends. Efforts had been made to formalize some trails over the years, but it never seemed to bear any fruit. Perhaps our region just wasn't ready, but that has clearly changed. AFTA has brought together an enthusiastic group of mountain bikers with a wealth of collective knowledge and experience. Our ideas led to discussions with for ward-thinking leaders at the Cen- tral Adirondack Association and the Town of Webb, result- ing in AFTA being tapped to help expand the mountain bike trails in the area in order to create the next premier moun- tain bike destination in the U.S. It's a lofty goal, but that's what it takes: big ideas and a bold vision. At the direction of the Town of Webb and C A A—and with specific guidance from C A A and town board members Kurt Gardner, Dave Etson, Barbara Green, and Mike Ross—AFTA has developed a phased work plan that will capitalize on existing trails and add new types of riding experiences that don't currently exist. Drawing a circle around nearly 1,000 acres of town-owned property at Maple Ridge and McCau- ley Mountain, it quickly became clear that the challenge wouldn't be to find enough terrain to build on, but rather how to prioritize trail building in an area with seemingly lim- itless potential. It's a nice problem to have for sure. Ultimate- ly, it was decided that if we want to create a trail system that attracts riders from long distances, and entices them to stay for multiple days, we needed something different than what was currently there. Local trail builder and AFTA member Eli Glesmann is our Build Team foreman, and his extensive experience building trails around the US is invaluable. He has a vision that's un- matched in the area and the dedication to make it become a reality. He guides our seasonal crew and the volunteers who help on trail build days. Phase I was completed in 2018, and added two new flow trails at McCauley, a climbing trail to get there, and improvements to the Nordic trails focused on novice and intermediate mountain biking; the technical, hand-built single-track was already there thanks to nearly a decade's worth of work done almost entirely by Chuck Sch- weitzer, a local rider and now founding member of AFTA . Phase I created an exciting experience, allowing riders to cruise down the mountain on machine-built trails with banked turns and exhilarating dips and rises. Experienced downhill riders use the naturalized features built into the flow trails in ways that boggle the mind. But even the green- est newbie can safely navigate the flow trails thanks to the banked turns and use of the natural terrain to help control speed and direction. These "rollercoaster" trails are great for ever yone —my 8- and 11-year-old boys will definitely back me up on that if you ask them!

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