Makwa Trail Now Completely Open

The entire length of the Makwa Trail is open. Work has been completed on all but a couple of the skidder crossings where recent logging took place along the Makwa Trail. Leaves have been blown off the trail, some windfalls cut, and a road crossing shoveled out. The remaining skidder crossings are not difficult to ride. These will be worked on this Saturday. This section is probably the cleanest in the CAMBA system as volunteers blew a six in layer of leaves off the trail to survey the tread work needed. Overall the logging job had a very minimal impact on the tread and the forest will recover in the next couple of years. Some of it looks OK now. The forester administering the harvest says they are done logging along Makwa between Mosquito Brook and OO for many years.

Thanks to Steve Morales, John Saunders, and Darren Winchester for heading up the work to reclaim the Makwa and all volunteers who assisted them.

Note that the Sugarbush Trail is still closed.

Outside Online Mag Cites CAMBA Trails Among Best Under-the-Radar Mountain Bike Destinations in U.S.

In its October 6 online edition, www.outsideonline.com, Outside magazine's online counterpart, asked this question:

What are the best under-the-radar mountain biking destinations in the U.S.? The piece was subtitled: What are the best American mountain biking destinations that don’t begin with “M” and end in “oab?”

Written by Greg Melville, the Adventure Adviser feature included the CAMBA trails in its short list of destinations that may not be as well known as Moab, but deserving of greater recognition. The list also included Fruita, Colorado; Sedona, Arizona; and the Pisgah National Forest in Asheville, NC - pretty good company.

Check it out!

http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/adventure-adviser/What-are-the-best-US-mountain-biking-destinations.html

Volunteers Needed During Fat Tire Fest

CAMBA is seeking several volunteers to assist in with our annual CAMBA Fat Tire Tour and help staff the CAMBA/IMBA booth during the Festival Expo.

The Fat Tire Tour takes place Friday afternoon, Sept. 16 at 1:00 at the Cty Hwy OO Trailhead. The tour will ride CAMBA's newest trail, Seeley Pass, approximately 8.3 miles. Guides are needed to assist groups of riders tour the trail and get to know this new CAMBA trail. This is a fun, casual event. All guides get to participate in random drawings for great swag.

CAMBA will also have a presence during the Festival Expo on Friday and Saturday. Volunteers will distribute CAMBA information, sell memberships and sell an assortment of CAMBA merchandise. We are suggesting two-hour shifts, but any amount of time would be appreciated.

Schedule openings: Friday - 7:00-9:00 pm; Saturday - 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm.

If you are interested in helping out as a guide or booth volunteer, please contact Ron Bergin at 715/798-3599 or camba@cheqnet.net.

Trail Updates 7/25/11

Lot's of Activity on the Trails of late:

Hatchery Creek Trail has been cleared of blowdowns from recent storm. Thanks to Steve M. & volunteers.

Esker Trail cleared of blowdowns - thanks to Dick and Laurie Woodbury.

Ojibwe Trail cleared of blowdowns and major brushback thanks to Tom and Lori Dunaway and Ron Bergin

Drummond Ski Trails: blowdowns cleared on Boulevard about 2.5 miles south of trail head, Antler and last leg of Jackrabbit. Thanks to Jim Crandall & Drummond Crew & Ron Bergin.
More work remains to be done.

Namakagon Trails are being cleared of incidental blowdowns.

Please report any blowdowns or other maintenance required on the trails to camba@cheqnet.net.

Trail Updates 7/9/11

Sugarbush Trail will be closed until further notice.

Ojibwe Trail: the logging operation south of Timber Trail Rd. near C 29 has gone active. The trail is OPEN, but be aware of activity on/near the trail.

Drummond Trails were hit hard by the July 2 storm. Riding is not advised at this time.

All other trails are open and fine to ride. Please report and downed trees. TYVM.

Trail Closing and Detour

The Makwa Trail between Mosquito Brook Trailhead and H1 (about 1.5 miles north) is currently closed to due active logging. To insure rider safety and avoid any potential conflicts riders are asked to ride from Gravel Pit Trailhead or OO Trailhead. The Sugarbush Trail is also closed in that vicinity at this time.

CAMBA IMBA Epic Trail Dedication to Highlight Festival of the Trails

Earlier this year the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) announced that the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) trails had received an IMBA Epic Trail designation. This prestigious recognition is only one of six Epics announced last year.

The IMBA Epic route will be formally dedicated in a brief ceremony on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 4 at 2:00 p.m. The dedication will take place at the Rock Lake Trailhead, seven miles east of Cable on County Highway M and is part of the third annual CAMBA Festival of the Trails. CAMBA officials will address the attendees and acknowledge the hard work that went into creating these trails.

CAMBA’s IMBA Epic trail is actually a compilation of trails in the Namakagon Cluster of the CAMBA trails. It combines the Rock Lake, Namakagon and Patsy Lake trails. With the exception of a couple short segments of linking double-track, it is otherwise entirely singletrack trails. The total route is approximately 31 miles.

Following the dedication ceremony, guided rides on the Epic route will be offered from three different trailheads, Rock Lake, Namakagon and Wilson Lake for Festival participants wishing to ride all or part of the Epic route. Riders not wishing to do the more technically challenging portions of the route may opt for the Patsy Lake segment, which starts from the Wilson Lake Trailhead.

For more information about the Festival of the Trails, visit www.cambatrails.org.

Taste de Trails - Fine Dining on Two Wheels

Imagine pedaling your fat tire bike around the forest periodically pausing to snack on delicious treats provided by some of the top restaurants from around the region and you’ll get an idea of what Taste de Trails is all about.

Part of the third annual Festival of the Trails presented by the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, the Taste de Trails will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. “The ‘Taste’ is essentially a rolling food fest,” says CAMBA executive director Ron Bergin. Six area restaurants, from Hayward to Cable to Namakagon to Delta have been invited to participate in this year’s Taste de Trails. Each will be providing a sample of their wares to the 150-plus participants in Festival of the Trails. By the time they visit each of the six stops on the eight-mile route, riders will have consumed a progressive trail lunch.

Riders will depart from the Festival base at the County Hwy OO Trailhead in Seeley at 10:00 a.m. after first enjoying a cup of coffee and scone from Mooselips Java Joint. A short ride down the Makwa bike trail Lakewoods Resort from Lake Namakagon will provide the next course in the day’s feature event. Another short ride will bring participants to the Delta Diner soon followed by the Rookery Pub from Cable. The Rivers Eatery, also from Cable, will conclude the main courses. Upon returning to the OO Trailhead riders will finish up their ride-meal with a dessert treat from Cable’s Brickhouse Café.

If you’re looking for a bike ride with a decidedly different “flavor,” then the Taste de Trails should be on your menu. The Taste de Trails is just one of many fun, non-competitive events offered at this year’s Festival of the Trails. Registration is available online until Thursday, June 2. On-site registration begins at the County OO Trailhead at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 3 and again on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. For more information visit www.cambatrails.org.

Remaining Trails to Open Friday, May 13

All CAMBA trails will officially be open on Friday, May 13, including all trails in Sawyer County (Hayward & Seeley Clusters).

With several major storms rolling through the area this week and up to a half inch of rain predicted for Saturday, riders should exercise good judgment when deciding to ride immediately follow substantial rainfall. The good news is that most of the trails drain well and quickly. However, if you are leaving more than a knobby tire tread impression, the trails are too soft and you should limit your riding to fire roads.

Trails with grass and other vegetation tend to retain water longer and for this reason CAMBA requests that riders refrain from riding any of the area ski trails at this time, including the Birkie and Birkie Classic trails. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Remaining Trails to Open Friday, May 13

All CAMBA trails will officially be open on Friday, May 13, including all trails in Sawyer County (Hayward & Seeley Clusters).

With several major storms rolling through the area this week and up to a half inch of rain predicted for Saturday, riders should exercise good judgment when deciding to ride immediately follow substantial rainfall. The good news is that most of the trails drain well and quickly. However, if you are leaving more than a knobby tire tread impression, the trails are too soft and you should limit your riding to fire roads.

Trails with grass and other vegetation tend to retain water longer and for this reason CAMBA requests that riders refrain from riding any of the area ski trails at this time, including the Birkie and Birkie Classic trails. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Limited Trail Openings This Weekend

Despite yet another rainy spring day (at least it's not snowing), we anticipate several trail openings this weekend. Conditions have dried up considerably since last week, and with a 60-degree, dry day expected for Friday, riding conditions should be very good this weekend.

As always please exercise good judgement and discretion when deciding to ride after wet weather. If you're leaving a tire impression deeper that a knobby tire tread, conditions are too soft and you should ride on firelanes and gravel roads.

Open Trails - May 7, 2011

Cable Cluster
Ojibwe Trail
Telemark Springs Trail

Namakagon Cluster
Rock Lake Trail
Namakagon Trail
Glacier Trail
Patsy Lake Trail

Drummond Cluster
All trails

Delta Cluster
All trails

PLEASE DO NOT RIDE ON THE BIRKIE OR BIRKIE CLASSIC TRAILS.

At this time we do not know if trails, other than fire roads, in the Seeley or Hayward Clusters will be open this weekend. Watch for updates.

CAMBA Trail Work this Saturday, May 7

Looking for a way to help CAMBA advance its trail building program

without breaking your back?

Several volunteers are needed to help "swamp" the new trail being built from Cty Hwy OO north. Work is light-duty, compared to digging the trail, and entails picking up and removing from the trail corridor brush and deadfall that have already been cut and is still lying on the ground.

Plan on meeting at Cty Hwy OO Trailhead at 9:00 and then driving to the work site.

Please contact Stan Walczak who will be leading the project at smwalczak47@msn.com if you have any questions.

The trail building season has begun.

Thanks for your help!

CAMBA Trails to Remain Closed

With two days of snow, 5-plus inches in some areas, followed by only one day of warm/dry weather forecast for Friday, followed by another day of rain on Saturday all trail openings scheduled for May 1 will be delayed until late next week or next weekend.

Please spread the word and do not ride the trails until they have thoroughly dried out. Your patience and cooperation is appreciated. This is the most vulnerable time of the year for our trails. The frost is only just out of the ground and there have not been sufficient or extended dry periods to allow the spring moisture to dry up.

Stay tuned to the CAMBA website for further updates.

News, News, News

SPRING NEWSLETTER
It's spring time in CAMBA Country - but there's still snow on the ground, so the trails won't be open for a while yet. Meanwhile, check out the Spring Newsletter at http://www.cambatrails.org/news.html. Click on Pre-Season 2011.

CHAINSAW CERTIFICATION RESCHEDULED
Please note that the chainsaw certification class originally scheduled for Saturday, April 9 has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 21. Please RSVP camba@cheqnet.net if you are interested in participating.

FESTIVAL OF THE TRAILS ON TRACK
The Festival of the Trails organizing committee has been hard at work ironing out all the details for this year's event. Things are coming together fabulously. We hope you can join us. More information and links to online registration can be found at: http://www.cambatrails.org/festival-of-the-trails.html.
This year's event is June 3-5.
Volunteers are needed too.

EPIC TRAIL DEDICATION
CAMBA will hold a brief dedication ceremony to formally recognize the designation of the Rock Lake/Namakagon/Patsy Lake IMBA Epic route at 2:00 pm Saturday, June 4. The dedication falls on National Trails Day and is part of this year's Festival of the Trails. Following the dedication there will be guided rides touring part or all of the Epic route, starting from the Rock Lake, Namakagon Town Hall or Wilson Lake Trailheads.