NWA Trailblazers hiring, new downhill MTB trail opens in Buffalo River Valley, 2020 gravel riding announcements, and an interview with the chief mountain bike officer of Northwest Arkansas.
Cover photo by @zac_milner on Instagram
NWA Trailblazers
Trail Crew & Project Manager
The NWA Trailblazers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been working to develop multi-use and soft surface trails in the region and beyond for nearly two decades. In the past 19 years, the Trailblazers have developed over 200 miles of paved and soft surface trails, and they continue to be the industry leader in trail development.
Currently, they are looking to fill a senior-level position and multiple entry-level positions on their team. Paying $12-18 an hour, the trail crew will help with maintenance and construction of existing and future soft surface trails in the OZ Trails network. Seeking someone with strong experience in trail development, the assistant project manager will help develop and implement greenway trail design, on-street networks, manage construction and facilitate maintenance projects.
Fresh Dirt
Ponca Downhill MTB Trail System Opens
The Buffalo Outdoor Center (BOC) Ponca Downhill MTB Trail system is officially open. The network is free and open to the public. BOC also has shuttles available seven days a week, operating from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“If you combine them, these trails add up to nearly six miles and 1,300 feet of descending. They’re a great place to start for riders who are just getting into gravity-driven riding, but the rocks and flowy rollers that can be turned into doubles make this run a solid warm-up for more skilled riders too. You can also use these trails to climb back to the top of the mountain if you’re not into shuttles.” – BOC
Fresh Dirt
Ponca Downhill MTB Trail System Opens
The Buffalo Outdoor Center (BOC) Ponca Downhill MTB Trail system is officially open. The network is free and open to the public. BOC also has shuttles available seven days a week, operating from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“If you combine them, these trails add up to nearly six miles and 1,300 feet of descending. They’re a great place to start for riders who are just getting into gravity-driven riding, but the rocks and flowy rollers that can be turned into doubles make this run a solid warm-up for more skilled riders too. You can also use these trails to climb back to the top of the mountain if you’re not into shuttles.” – BOC
2020 Announcements
Gravel Riding NW Arkansas
Arkansas High Country Race – June 6, 2020
The Arkansas High Country Race, a 1000+ mile adventure bikepacking race, is coming to Fayetteville in June 2020.
Borrowing from multi-day backcountry hiking or “backpacking,” bikepacking combines cycling through rugged terrain with self-supported camping.
Starting from Fayetteville, cyclists will traverse the Ozark Mountains to the Buffalo National River Corridor and into the Arkansas River Valley. From the River Valley, riders dip through the Ouachita Mountains before climbing back through the Ozark Mountains to the finish line in Fayetteville.
Big Sugar – October 24th, 2020
On the heels of its inaugural year owning the internationally renowned Dirty Kanza, the Life Time team is expanding its off-road portfolio to include a brand new gravel event – The Big Sugar. This event will feature crazy amounts of elevation gain, rugged and loose gravel and the beauty of fall in Northwest Arkansas. The weekend event will coincide with Outerbike Bentonville.
MTB Trails Interview
Gary Vernon, Chief Mountain Bike Officer
“We’re also focused on helping Northwest Arkansas become the next best destination for mountain biking.” – Gary Vernon
This is a quote from Betsy Welch’s Q&A with Gary Vernon, Program Officer at the Walton Family Foundation—the man tasked with transforming Northwest Arkansas into a mountain biking destination under the vision of Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
MTB Trails Interview
Gary Vernon, Chief Mountain Bike Officer
“We’re also focused on helping Northwest Arkansas become the next best destination for mountain biking.” – Gary Vernon
This is a quote from Betsy Welch’s Q&A with Gary Vernon, Program Officer at the Walton Family Foundation—the man tasked with transforming Northwest Arkansas into a mountain biking destination under the vision of Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
