This past weekend the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), in partnership with Subaru and the Fernie Mountain Bike Club were in Fernie to talk trails, teach proper trailbuilding technique, and most importantly work on a re-route on one of the worst sections of trails around Fernie, lower sidewinder.

On Saturday morning 30 participants took part in a 4 hour classroom session on how to build “sustainable” trails, which means that the trail will last a very long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment, and enhances visitor enjoyment.

In the afternoon the participants took to the trail. At the bottom of Ridgemont Dr, and 13th street, by New Horizons Village there was a very badly eroded fall-line trail which had historically sent bikers on a wild and bumpy ride flying right into traffic on a main traffic corridor, known to the mountain biking community as lower sidewinder.

The new route, built to IMBA standards, traverses across the sidehill and comes out halfway up Ridgemont Dr. Riders have a good line of sight to see if traffic is coming before exiting on to the road, unlike the previous trail. The old route has been completely re-claimed and you can hardly notice that there was ever a trail there.

In addition to re-routing the extreme lower section of trail, plans are in progress to completely re-route the entire lower sidewinder trail to adhere to IMBA standards. Not only will this create a much more enjoyable trail for novice riders, it will also enable the trail to be used as both an uphill and downhill trail and provide a new access route to the ridgemont network of trails.

Stay tuned to the Fernie Mountain Bike Club’s website (www.bikefernie.ca) for announcements of trail building work parties for the new Sidewinder.

Thanks to our sponsors who helped make this weekend a success: Fernie Brewing Company, The Grand Central Hotel, Freshies Coffee, College of the Rockies, Clif Bar, and of course Subaru and the IMBA.

About the Fernie Mountain Bike Club:

The Fernie Mountain Bike Club was founded in 1990 as a loose-knit group of riders who met every Wednesday for a ride. Its mission is to ensure the long term development and maintenance of a valuable community asset (our trails) to be enjoyed by all styles and levels of riders.