Trails Day brings bicyclists together

Last Saturday morning, a crowd gathered at Scott's Bottom nature area to enjoy a full day of mountain bike riding during the annual Trails Day event hosted by the Sweetwater Mountain Biking Association (SMBA).

One of the volunteers serving breakfast and helping run Trails Day was Brenda Scores, the club secretary, who has been involved with the group since the beginning. Her husband Brent was one of the founding members of SMBA who originally built the trail system at Scott's Bottom, known as the Wilkins Peak Trail System, back in the 1980s.

The trail system consists of 30 miles of single track trails for nonmotorized vehicles, ideal for mountain bikes as well as horseback riders and hikers.

Over the last dozen or so years, the SMBA came together as an organization and began hosting the yearly Trails Day events, including a free breakfast, group rides and raffles to win prizes including a new mountain bike. Money raised from the raffles goes toward further trail development, as well as bike maintenance and insurance for the club.

Over the last few years, the SMBA has also brought in instructors for Trails Day to teach clinics for riders of all levels. Each group spends time learning from the instructor and going on a trail ride together to practice what they've learned.

"When we are giving rides we want people to feel comfortable, confident and come back and enjoy the rides," Brenda said.

This year was the 13th Trails Day, as well as being the event's return after not being hosted for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trails Day 2022 had one of the biggest turnouts yet, with around 70 participants signing up to be part of the clinics and rides.

"We know people want to get out again," Brenda said. "This is the most people that we've had in a long time, but I think they're coming back out because everybody's been so cooped up, and we're just excited that they're here."

Charles Whitaker, the SMBA's new president, was one of the people who got into mountain biking during the pandemic, so he knows how much the sport has grown over the past few years.

"Nationwide, everywhere, trails are growing, trails are expanding, more people are into it," Whitaker said.

The growing popularity of mountain biking presents new opportunities for Green River and the Wilkins Peak Trail System, which has been voted the number one single track trail system in Wyoming, according to Whitaker.

"What's so phenomenal is that we have number one in Wyoming at our back door," Brenda said. "If you go to other places you have to get in your car and drive to the trails. What's so fortunate about Green River is you can leave from your home and make it down to the trails."

Brenda and Whitaker also noted Green River's climate provides more opportunities for mountain biking than other popular areas.

"What's nice about our place is you can start biking earlier in the year and stay later in the year," Brenda said. "We have a longer season."

Whitaker noted Green River tends to have bare dirt available longer than other locations, and Brenda pointed out fat biking is possible when there's snow.

When it comes to the summer season, Green River also has more ideal temperatures than other locations that get too hot, Brenda said. Whitaker agreed, saying he's heard of people from Colorado and Utah who complain about 90 degree temperatures being too hot for biking, then see Green River's summer temperatures and decide it's worth a six-hour drive.

"Any given Saturday, if you look out at that kiosk you're going to see at least four out of state plates," Whitaker said.

Visitors don't just come from surrounding states, either. Whitaker has seen license plates from as far away as New York, New Jersey and even Canada.

Since the trail system is an important attraction, the SMBA hopes to continue working with local agencies like Sweetwater Travel and Tourism to track data on how many visitors the trail system brings in, as well as working with groups like the Green River Committee and Green Belt Task Force to continue expanding and developing the area through projects like expanding the Green Belt and developing primitive camp sites in the Scott's Bottom Nature Area.

As they work to develop the trails and the surrounding area, the SMBA also works with local land owners and groups like the Bureau of Land Management, the Grazing Association, and the cities and county.

"To start your trails, build your trails and maintain your trails, you've got to get everybody along," Brenda said. "It's a big team effort and it takes time."

The trail system currently has 30 miles of trails, and the goal is to keep expanding. The SMBA is approved to add another 25 miles of trails, Brenda said, which will eventually allow for "epic rides" where mountain bikers ride 50 miles or more. The goal is to get another 10 miles of trails added this year, according to Brenda.

"It's one of those things we keep going and developing a little at a time," she said.

Whitaker's goal is to continue developing the trail system so one day others will take up the work and he'll reach the point where he can just enjoy it.

"I want somebody else to have been so in love with what we have that they keep it going," Whitaker said.

Passing the love of mountain biking to the next generation is a goal that seems attainable, especially with over 25 kids taking part in the Little Tikes' Ride during Trails Day, and the potential for mountain biking classes being taught at Expedition Academy and Western Wyoming Community College, according to Whitaker.

Whitaker hopes getting other local schools on board could give Sweetwater County the chance to develop National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) sports competitions, which would give schools another individual sport to offer.

When it comes to the benefits mountain biking and having a good trail system brings to the community, the list goes on, according to Whitaker.

"The healthy lifestyles, the outdoors, the community side of it - all of it," he said. "It brings everybody together, keeps them active, keeps them outdoors and keeps the community together."