GHORBA News

GHORBA Trail Conditions App

radams — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 02:32:57 +0000

Article category:

Thanks to one of our members (TJS), GHORBA now has a Trail Conditions app for the Droid platform. The app pulls info from the GHORBA website so you can tell if your favorite trail is in good condition to ride before showing up at the trailhead.

Link to GHORBA Trails App

Huntsville...a major bridge is crossed (and approved)

rafdog — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 22:23:02 +0000

Article category:

General

Great news for those of you who are looking forward to the Huntsville expansion. The TPW Commission has approved the 2013 recreational trail grant recommendations, which means that the project will receive an additional $100k to cover the cost of the large bridge we need. Here's a link to the press release - http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20130523a. This is significant as the bridge will allow us to create the trail extension (and loop) that was originally envisioned.

Who do you thank. The Sam Houston Trail Coalition has been working with the FS to improve and develop access and trails for various trail users, including hikers, equestrians, motor bikers and MTBs (of course). This is all part of developing a master plan for the Sam Houston National Forest area, which includes Huntsville and DL areas. If you ride these trails, I hope you will consider supporting the coalition by becoming a member. This group continues to demonstrate that groups with different interests can work together and with the FS to improve the area now and for future generations. From GHORBA's perspective, we have Kevin Highfield to thank for his tireless efforts in supporting MTB trails and the master plan for the area.

Big Ring Challenge- a time for thanks

peach — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:26:31 +0000

Article category:

General

A time for thanks.
GHORBA had its most successful Big Ring Challenge to date with 570 racers giving it their all. As a fundraiser, I anticipate it will also be successful. For the past three years, I have been the last person to leave DL after the race clean-up. I am usually exhausted, tired, and a bit sore. I broke camp around 6 p.m. and managed to lose my keys, requiring me to unshove what I had just shoved in my car to locate them. Then my car would not start because I had drained the battery. Despite this stumbling blocks, I was relieved and happy that another BRC was finished and most of the feedback was great. So I thought this month, I would reflect on things to be thankful for following an excellent and fun weekend. No names and in no particular order, I am thankful for:

great (good) weather
family
hard-working volunteers both before and during the race
comfortable t-shirts
night riding (although I did not go this year)
good craft beer (and hops)
vendors who are easy to work with
good bar-b-que
better portacans (or at least more)
radio that worked
no doping issues
bikes of every kind regardless of size, gearing, or “purpose”
silipints…they are cool
trees and flowers
a supportive government landowner
supportive family and friends
meeting new people
coffee
faith (however you envision it) and hope
a car that works
ExOfficio skivvies
people excited about racing
people excited about the trail
new trail
books (cause they make smart, or at least seem so)
kids having fun
Huffy Toss
Sponsors
adults having kid fun
people who work on trails!
funds to build trails
air mattress
a chair
light
darkness
microphones (and apparently the sound of my own voice)
stars
t-shirts
home and a warm shower.

Perhaps you will make your own list next time you can't find your keys, or are frustrated you did not make the climb. It is, after all, the things that we are happy for that keep us going during those times when life seems “tough.”

-GHORBA President Bill Rustam

Double Lake- Henry Lake North Bridge

peach — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:13:18 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

Trailworkers at Double Lake created a 20' boardwalk over the bottom of a drainage/seep area at Henry Lake North. In addition to the boardwalk structure, 10' of concrete pavers were installed at either end of the boardwalk to fully stabilize the trail tread at that location.

Trail Building- Past and Future

peach — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:07:38 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

The Big Ring Challenge was a great chance for the past to meet the present. Ross Carrie was originally involved with the building and development of the "old" Double Lake trail. Ross has turned his focus to horses, he wanted to see the MTB community using it first hand. Ross was impressed with both the turnout for the race and how the trail has been maintained and improved over the years. He also had a chance to talk with Susan Stormer and Ryan Spates of S & S Trails, who built the 12 mile extension to Double Lake. Of course, the glue across the generations is the "Guvnor of Double Lake," Kevin Highfield. Double Lake continues to serve as a prime example of the Forest Service, trail professionals, and, of course, volunteers working together to make a fantastic natural-surface trail a benefit for the Houston area. Although not pictured, I would be remiss if I did not mention the importance of Warren Oja with the Forest Service in working with us to make the Double Lake extension a reality and Jim Mackey, whose tireless work in maintaining Double Lake (and getting volunteers) make the trail what it is. Jim was also involved in developing the "old" trail.

However, the story does not end with Double Lake. Kevin has worked hard to get TPW grant funds in order to add a substantial extension to the Huntsville trail system. Kevin continues to oversee the project and works closely with Warren Oja to make sure the trail is built to their standards and expectations. Moreover, Ross with RAVEN Environmental Services, Inc. has agreed to volunteer his time to GHORBA for the environmental studies. Yes, this is a big deal and we are very grateful. And, as many of you may be aware, S & S is building the Huntsville extension. It will therefore come as no surprise that we are anxiously looking forward to some more sweet trails to ride.

When WE work together, mountain bikers can make a difference and build trails that stand the test of time and are viewed as an asset by the landowner. Time, patience, and understanding who your allies are or can be (outside our group) are some of the essential ingredients to building more trail.

New Anthills Bridge Courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 993

peach — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:40:08 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

The old Anthills 4”x4" bridge between Dairy Ashford and Kirkwood was replaced this last weekend by Boy Scout Troop 993 as an Eagle Scout project. The scouts also cleared and bench cut about 100 feet of new trail on both ends of the bridge. Renwick Brocklehurst planned, raised money, purchased materials, organized the construction and coordinated the building of the bridge as his Eagle Scout project. Many thanks to Renwick and the rest of the scouts of Troop 993 for their efforts to construct the new bridge!

The new bridge and approach trails are set at a different angle across the ditch in order to get away from the “fall line” approach which was eroding quickly. This bridge is also several feet higher than the old bridge and will provide a high trail above the water in the non-drought years. Check it out on your next ride!

Buy Local

bobdole — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:24:44 +0000

Article category:

General

A refrain now heard throughout Houston restaurants, microbrews and farmer's markets. In addition to being associated with freshness and high quality products, the message that all of us benefit when we support local businesses. But what about brick and mortar stores who provide support to the cycling community? It seems that "buying local" should apply to these business as well.

As the Board prepares for the Big Ring Challenge, I am reminded of the importance of the brick and mortar stores who support our race and support cycling. Without the support of these businesses, the BRC would not be what it is. Yet it is not just our race, but road races, triathlons, other cycling events they help support. They help us not just with monetary contributions, but donating the time of their employees, for example, providing a mechanic at the BRC or skills clinics. Most offer classes on how to perform basic maintenance on your bike (including changing a flat). For our members, the stores who support us provided discounts on parts and services. In short, these stores are an integral part of the MTB community.

One goal I would like to see this year is for GHORBA to work in partnership with the stores. I hope by strengthening our relationship, it will encourage more people to try our sport knowing there is an organization who offers information, skills, and rides to make their experience more enjoyable. This year we are receiving sponsorship support from a local brewer and a car dealer.

Our sponsors deserve your consideration and support for the reasons above. From my perspective, our sponsors’ stores are offering more than just goods or services for sale. The benefits of their support impact all of us in positive ways and allows our sport to thrive.

GHORBA's Presidential Address

peach — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:04:11 +0000

Article category:

General

Fellow riders,

Given the new website and increased ability to communicate with our members, it seems appropriate to start the New Year off by writing my first state of the union address on behalf of GHORBA. I hope everyone’s year is off to a great start and each of you has resolved to spend more time on your local trails and improving your riding skills. For me, I am looking forward to another successful year of helping GHORBA continue to advance its missions and chart the future of Houston trails.

However, I would like to challenge you to do more than just riding your local trails—I would like to see every one of our members give something back to the trails and MTB community. Why? Because I believe that all trail users have a responsibility (not burden) to give back to an essential component of the mountain biking experience—the trails. This is especially true in the Houston area, where we constantly battle erosion and unique trail soil conditions, normal wear and tear, and unexpected events such as last year’s drought. The responsibility of making our trails useable, sustainable and better, falls upon us. This is true for bikers, runners and hikers alike. For the benefit of those unaware, GHORBA does not own or control any trails in Houston. Everything we do is with the permission of the landowner or manager and with access comes responsibility. All the work we do is from the sweat and hard work of the volunteers, which is where you come in.

How can you help improve our trails and give back? First and foremost, plan on attending one work party this year. Just one. Get to know your trail steward and those working on the trails. They are no different from you; they have family, work and life issues that make their time precious. Yet without our trail stewards and volunteers, the trails would eventually fail or be lost. It’s time for all of us to recognize our stake in the trails we ride. It is up to us to create and improved and sustainable product by helping and working with landowners.

A second way you can help is by getting involved with this organization. GHORBA has lots of needs, but it can be challenging to find volunteers. We are always looking for motivated and talented people to serve on the board as an officer or director. We also need people who can assist us with specific tasks. Have a talent that can advance our goals? Let us know.

Finally, you can donate money if you are unable to dedicate the time. We have been fortunate to have some members who are very generous with cash donations. Moreover, there are a number of members whose companies “pay” for their volunteer time and direct the money to a nonprofit of the employee’s choice. Large corporations such as oil and gas companies, which many of you work for, often support such programs.

Most of us are passionate about this sport. What I now ask you to consider is being passionate about giving back and making the sport better. I look forward to seeing you out on the trails…
Bill Rustam

GHORBA General Meeting

bobdole — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:32:41 +0000

Article category:

General

Please join us for our first general meeting of the year! We will discuss the status of trails, events such as the BRC, and what we intend to accomplish this year. In addition, we are privileged to have Dr. Ronald Grabowski with the Houston Sports Rehabilitation and Nutrition Center come and speak. Dr. Grabowski will discuss pre and post workout nutrition along with the importance of nutritional therapy to support the immune system during exercise. To learn more about the event and register please click the link http://ghorba.org/civicrm/event/info?id=29&reset=1

Tip of the hat to NWCC

rafdog — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:00:29 +0000

Article category:

General

Congratulations to Northwest Cycling club for winning USA Cycling's Club of the Year (Div II). Many of you may be members or ride with their members, but may not appreciate their contributions to mountain biking. NWCC, as mentioned in the link, has been very generous with its funds, including significant cash donations to help build the Huntsville and Double Lake expansions. In addition, the club continues to encourage its members who only ride the road bikes to try mountain biking. In fact, they had a few members show up to our last skills clinic. The award is well-deserved.

https://www.usacycling.org/congratulations-to-usa-cyclings-2012-clubs-of-the-year.htm

Groups audience:

GHORBA Girls

Places to Ride: Monarch Crest Trail, Colorado

peach — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:44:53 +0000

Article category:

General

Riding is good. Vacations are good. Mountain Biking vacations can be awesome. We are going to attempt to pull from our experiences some of the better places that we have found to ride over the years, try to show you some photos, and give enough details to either convince you to head out that direction or slow down while driving past to give the knobby tires a spin.

Places to Ride: Monarch Crest Trail, Colorado

This trail was designated an IMBA Epic only a couple of years ago but this trail has been around for much longer. With a trailhead located at the top of Monarch Pass between Salida and Gunnison in Colorado, simply slowing down for a day on the way to Crested Butte will permit you to enjoy this.

And it will take a day. This is a high elevation cross country ride best completed making good use of High Valley Shuttle in Poncha Springs for $20 / rider. The van will take you up to Monarch Pass where the fun starts. Given that this is at 11,500 elevation, it will be much cooler than at the shuttle office (7500 feet) so bring extra clothes. This is something that you will want to do regardless in case of summer storms in the mountains. From the drop off point in the parking lot, the trail contours upwards over about 5 miles for another 500 feet reaching 12,000, and then commences a somewhat gradual decent over 14 miles down to 9500 feet. The start quickly heads above the treeline with riding along the Continental Divide so good views are offered even in less than optimal weather. Fantastic views are offered with clear skies. Continuing down into the trees offers the usual, great mountain riding that one can expect in Colorado. Make sure to have a good map as there are a couple of turns that you need to watch for: specifically at Marshall Pass and the tight right hander just after the storm shelter. Once the decent down Silver Creek has been completed, the choice must be made to either descend down a dirt road to highway 285 and the downhill ride to Poncha Springs or sign up for another 10 miles of great singletrack by taking the right hand turn onto the Rainbow trail. Whichever you choose, turn left once you reach the highway for about 5 miles of downhill pavement taking you straight back to the shuttle office where your car awaits. There is some extra singletrack lurking on the left side of 285 as you descend back into town starting across the road from a mile marker a mile or two towards town. Also, no matter how tempting the continuation of the Rainbow trail looks on the other side of 285, I can personally assure you that there is better, more enjoyable riding elsewhere in the area.
Enjoy the ride!

The Facts:
Season: June – October, check local bike shops or shuttle for snow conditions
Hours: no open/close but best to get an early start in the summer to avoid afternoon thunderstorms
Entry Fee: free
Camping: USFS and BLM camping located throughout the area
Shuttle: High Valley Shuttle, http://www.monarchcrest.com/, $20 / rider
Miles of Trails: about 30 miles trail / 5+ miles downhill asphalt
Guidebook info: The local’s adventure guide to singletrack and tarmac (Salida, Buena Vista, Leadville)
Map: strong recommendation for the photo / topo offered by bike shops in the area

Forest Service Survey

bobdole — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:00:40 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

The Forest Service is writing a master plan for the next 20 years and is requesting input from land users such as yourself. The survey is wide in scope covering all USFS lands in the State of Texas so it is not just limited to Double Lake. This is a good opportunity to voice your input and make known how you utilize these public lands as the Forest Service moves through their master planning process. This master plan will guide the decision making and the user opportunities that will be available on these public lands. This survey is being hosted on the Sam Houston Trails Coalition website and is available at this link http://trailscoalitionoftexas.org/survey/
Responses must be submitted by December 10th 2012.

Signs, Kiosks and Maps for Anthills Trails

peach — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:52:28 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

The next order of business for the Anthills is to put information kiosks and trail signage in place. We also need to develop a good map of the trails.

The kiosks will be located at the major street crossings as that is where people typically enter the trail. A trail map, trail etiquette information, contact information, etc. will be displayed inside the kiosks.

The trail signs will be two types. One type will have “place” names on them. The other kind will be the flat flexible slat type signposts that will display trail difficulty colors (green, blue and black like the ski resorts) and will have a unique number on each one. The numbers will be somewhat like mile markers so if emergency aid is needed a person can be readily located based on the sign number.

Volunteers are needed to help design and build the kiosks, build and paint the place name signs and install the marker posts. A map maker is also needed. I will start a Signs, Kiosks and Maps thread on the forum to capture ideas and names of people who have the skills that we need.

And the fun part, we need names for the place name signs. I have heard the big hill just east of Kirkwood called “Buff’s Bluff”. I know a lot of you have been riding at the Anthills far longer than my measly 10 years so please post your ideas for names to go with locations in the forum.

The next Anthills Work Party is Dec 1st at 8:30am. Contact Trail Steward Eric Dickson for more information.

New Bridge at Jack Brooks

peach — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:45:24 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

We replaced the last bridge on the "Beginning" trail with a new & improved version. We had a good turn out & great weather. Thanks go out to Darrell Hingle, Mike Moran, Mike Renquenz, Brandon Renquenz, Peter Loose, Mike Gardin, & Karl Stoecklein for their hard work! Contact Jack Brooks Trail Steward Steve Booker to join in on trail work at Jack Brooks. Come out to Jack Brooks for a great ride.

Places to Ride: MaahDaah Hey Trail, North Dakota

peach — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:37:31 +0000

Article category:

General

A long standing epic ride that almost no one that you know has done. Why? “Why not?” should be the question although apparently only about 300 folks ride the entire trail every year.With approximately 100 miles of mostly singletrack in North Dakota on National Grassland (do not be fooled) between the two units of Roosevelt National Park combined with numerous other tourist destinations relatively nearby such as Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower, it should definitely be worthy of a road trip.

Actually the trail is longer than 100 miles but since mountain bikes are not permitted to ride on the trail through the National Park, most riders start just south of the northern unit at Bennett Camp and make use of the Buffalo Gap Trail on the south end to avoid this. So, lest you be fooled into thinking that this ride must be done in one day, which it has been, most shuttle services set this up as four days/three nights with varying degrees of support. Companies such as Escape Adventures and Western Spirit are quite happy to give full support including food and a guide while Dakota Cyclery (based in Medora, ND where the trail finishes), which can offer a guide as well, offers the minimalistic gear trailer shuttle as an option. You meet at their shop, load up their trailer with your camping gear keeping only what you would need to ride approximately 25 miles, everyone gets shuttled to the start, and you find the trailer when you arrive at the first campsite. Repeat process starting at the campsite the next day. They keep your cooler stocked with ice so a cold beverage is available at the end of the day along with the possibility of food substantially better than the standard dehydrated pouches.Water pumps and standard park toilets are found at each campsite. With a large enough group or tagging onto an existing reservation, the cost per person for this drops significantly.

So enough about the logistics although I suspect that this is what folks flinch about. The riding is wonderful provided that it hasn’t rained. Rain makes this much, much less enjoyable and significant rain may alter the shuttle plans requiring a van ride around the river crossing. But if the weather is good, the trail just keeps going. Everything is well marked with wooden posts so you can spend your time riding rather than navigating but having a good map will not hurt. This is mostly a non-technical ride with almost everything rideable for those strong of leg and lung. Others might walk a little but well within most people’s tolerances. Oh yeah, just in case you were thinking that 25 miles in a day doesn’t sound like that much, besides being the spacing for the campgrounds, there are enough short and punchy climbs to give most legs a workout in that distance. That being said, don’t feel that you need to be able to ride 100 miles in a day to enjoy this trail. Turtle-style with a smile while get you there with decent conditioning and a good mindset.

Oh yeah, just in case you want some more, there are another 40+ miles of trail continuing south out of Medora, ND (where this ride finishes) called the Deuce (MDH II) that was recently built. These are well suited for day trips with the northern 20 miles being pretty well packed down at this point.

Hurry out there and experience it while you can. There are definite signs of encroachment courtesy of the recent oil boom in the area. Enjoy the ride!

The Facts:
Season: May – October (September seems to have the least rainfall, non-freezing/non-sweltering temperatures and the leaves are changing)
Entry Fee: free
Camping: USFS campsites
Shuttle: Dakota Cyclery, www.dakotacyclery.com, 701-623-4808
Miles of Trails: 100+ of mostly singletrack
Guidebook info:none
Map:USFS maps exist but the National Geographic map for Theodore Roosevelt National Park is definitely the map to have. All sections of the original trail are very well covered.

Upcoming Events!

bobdole — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:01:45 +0000

Article category:

General

GHORBA has an event for everyone in November. Skills Clinics, Group Rides, and Work Parties come on out and join in with us.

Group Ride
November 3rd and 4th - Now that the weather is cooling off it’s a good time for us to head up to Austin for a weekend road trip! With all the excellent mtb trails in the area it’s hard to decide which ones to ride so our group rides leader Mike Strawn has selected two of the most popular that are easy enough for most beginners but still challenging for more experienced riders. Saturday November 3rd features Pace Bend at 10 AM and with a side ride at Muleshoe later in the day. Sunday November 4th features a joint ride with the Austin Ridge Riders at Walnut Creek at 9:30 AM. Interested in knowing more about the rides and the trails? Check out the calendar.

Work Parties

Jack Brooks will be hosting a work party on November 3rd at 10:00 AM to repair the broken bridge at “The Beginning”. More info here.
Memorial Park is working on the Green Trail on November 5th at 6:00 PM, they will be working on completing trimming and drainage repair on Green. More info here.
River Bend is working on finishing the last sections of trail. Help the Sugar Land crew put more trail on the map. More info here.

Skills Clinic
You asked for it so you got it! Come join us at the Cypresswood trail located in Collins Park on Saturday November 10th at 10:00am for our GHORBA Beginners Skills Clinic sponsored by Bike Barn –Champions. Two clinics will be offered, Beginner 101 and Beginner 102. Though the clinic is free, pre-registration for the clinic and a current GHORBA membership is required to participate. For more information on the curriculum for each clinic as well as how to register, click here.

Support for Proposition B

rafdog — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:14:09 +0000

Article category:

General

Dear GHORBA members and friends,

As many of you know, our organization has endorsed and supports the Bayou Greenway Initiative. That Initiative means many things, but at its core, it reflects a value judgment made by most Houstonians that our bayous – the natural waterways flowing throughout this great city – should be protected and enhanced and serve as a respite for birds, wildlife, kids and the community. This week, early voting begins throughout the city and it is important to remember that Proposition B -- the Parks Bond -- is incredibly important to seeing the Bayou Greenway Initiative completed over the next decade. Prop B is a $166 M Parks Bond with approximately $66 M going directly into existing parks and $100 M towards the completion of the Bayou Greenway Initiative--an initiative to complete the parks and trails along all 7 of the bayous that flow throughout the city. As you vote at the top for President, it will be incredibly important to go all the way down the ballot and look for the City's propositions. Please consider voting for all of these propositions, but particularly for Prop B. And together, we can invest in Houston's future, and protect our bayous permanently by creating an urban park system like no other. We believe the application of this money for land acquisition and connectivity will result in future opportunities for natural-surface trails in the City of Houston.

For more information, take a look here: http://houstonbayougreenways.org/about-bayou-greenway/frequently-asked-questions

Thanks in advance for your consideration. And remember to vote! Bill Rustam, President of GHORBA

Upcoming Events

bobdole — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:17:12 +0000

Article category:

General

Anthills Work Party Saturday 10/13 8:30 AM - The Anthills crew will be working on removing old bridges, cleaning up the trail and completing a few trail work projects.

General Meeting Monday 10/15 7:00 PM - GHORBA will be hosting a general meeting at Star Pizza on Norfolk. Come out and meet the Board of Directors as well as your fellow members. We will be covering topics on current events facing the trails as well as opportunities for the organization. If you have an idea for the board this is a great time to come out and share it. Since pizza will be provided, please RSVP if you are planning to attend.

Group Ride Saturday 10/20 10:00 AM - GHORBA is hosting a beginners only group ride at Sugar Land Memorial Park on 10/20. Much of the well shaded, triple-wide track runs along the banks of the Brazos River which offers a couple of nice views from high up. Roots, rocks, and long climbs are nowhere to be found! Instead the Justin P. Brindley trail offers smooth, flowy, and fun track with minimal sand and a couple of very short uphills. Perfect for new riders looking to improve their bike handling skillsGHORBA will provide drinking water, Gatorade, and light snacks for all riders. GHORBA group rides are open to all bikers and not just GHORBA members so bring your friends and family!

Anhills Moving Forward

bobdole — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:45:21 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

It has been roughly two years since GHORBA folks started work on the Anthills mountain bike trails. The Anthills natural surface trails are located on the south side of Buffalo Bayou between the Eldridge and Wilcrest cross streets.

The first order of business was to get the major bridges repaired or replaced. Through a generous grant from REI to pay for tools and materials and lots of elbow grease by GHORBA trail work volunteers, eight bridges have been replaced or redecked. Of special note is the "Long Bridge" as it now provides a high water crossing when the Corps of Engineers is releasing water from the reservoirs. Now that the bridges are in place you can ride end to end on the high trails even when water is being released to empty the reservoirs. Please note though that big rain events may cause the river to run even higher right after a major rain.

The next order of business is to put in information kiosks and trail signage in place. After that, the fun stuff really begins as we can focus on creating new trails and technical features. This of course includes reroutes around several badly eroded sections of the old trail.
Many thanks to all of the people that have helped so far! We not only build new stuff but trim the trails and remove fallen trees. Please consider helping out on a trail crew!

Anthills Trail Steward: Eric Dickson

Board of Directors Election Results

bobdole — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:04:45 +0000

Article category:

General

Board of Director elections have completed and the winners of each position are listed below. The Board remains unchanged as all winners currently hold the office which they ran for. To learn more about each Board Member visit our bio's page and as always feel free to contact the board via email or forum. Come out and meet the board at our next general meeting being held on October 15th, details in this link.

President - Bill Rustam
Vice President - Justin Dunn
Treasurer - Russell Adams
Secretary - Marcus Jennings
Membership Director - Ashley Dunn
Director At Large-Bill Begnaud
Director At Large-Chris Brown
Director At Large- David Cervera
Director At Large- Eric Dickson

Anthills Voted Best in Houston

bobdole — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:36:39 +0000

Article category:

General

The Anthills were recently voted Best Bike Trail in Houston by the Houston Press. GHORBA brought these trails to official status in 2010 and since then has put in significant work to improve and maintain the trails through bridge rebuilds, reroutes, and other maintenance. Help GHORBA support the Anthills by volunteering to helpout in a work party or joining GHORBA to support our mission.

Check out the article at the Houston Press, good job Anthillers!

Trails Clinic a Success!

bobdole — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:57:13 +0000

Article category:

General

GHORBA hosted a two day trail building and maintenance clinic on September 22nd and 23rd. This clinic focused on sustainable trail building and maintenance techniques and was taught by professional trail builders Ryan Spates and Susan Stormer of S&S Trails. S&S Trails has completed projects throughout Texas and abroad and if you have ridden the Double Lake Expansion, Flintridge, or Warda you have surely ridden and enjoyed their handiwork. Attendees came from a diverse range of individuals from Mountain Bikers to Backpackers, Volunteers to Land Managers.

The first day of the clinic was held in the classroom, covering topics ranging from sustainability, the steps to follow when building a trail, proper trail design, and use of a Clinometer amongst many others. Very applicable to Houston was the information relating to how water flows down the trail and how it impacts the trail. Trail users in Houston are very familiar with the pooling and erosion that can happen on the trails, the signs of which are evident in root exposure, wash outs, and muddy areas. To quote Susan, “Erosion is not a technical feature.”; sustainability and design instruction centered heavily on how to properly design a trail that will see minimal impact from flowing water while maximizing user enjoyment.

Sunday we took to the field to apply the techniques and theories that we learned to a real world project by constructing a re-route around an area of trail that routinely floods and remains flooded. Students applied sustainable trail design techniques to route a trail across varying terrain and slopes, using a Clinometer to measure both the side slope and the slope of the proposed trail tread. Once the design process was completed, students applied construction techniques to clear the trail, build a bench cut, and construct retaining walls. Through this work, students gained hands on experience designing and building sustainable trails in a dynamic and challenging project.

GHORBA was able to provide this clinic through a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Grant administered through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) with the goal of increasing trail sustainability awareness throughout the Houston area. GHORBA is a 501c3 Non Profit, for more information on becoming a member of GHORBA or donating to support our mission, please visit ghorba.org/membership.

Upcoming September Events

bobdole — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:11:43 +0000

Article category:

General

Group Rides – Two group rides will be held in September. A beginners only ride will be held at Timberlane Trails on September 8th 9AM and an all level ride will be held at The Anthills on September 15th. These rides are free of charge and open to all riders so come on out and experience a new trail or ride an old trail with friends and try some new challenges.

Trail Building/Maintenance Clinic – GHORBA will be hosting a two day trail building and maintenance clinic, taught by S&S Trails, on September 22nd and 23rd. If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable trail building techniques and proper maintenance techniques, this is the place to learn it. Space is extremely limited for this clinic and you must have a confirmed registration to attend. More information is available on the clinic here and questions can be sent to the VP trails. The clinic itself is free and is provided via a TPWD RTP Grant.

For all you racers out there (or those wanting to get started!) the TMBRA Fall Series kicks off Labor Day weekend with the Camp Eagle Classic. Check out tmbra.org for more information.

Letter from the President: Upcoming Elections

bobdole — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:54:17 +0000

Article category:

General

Members,

Each year, the membership elects the officers and directors for the nine-person board that governs who GHORBA. We have been very fortunate to have passionate riders who share a vision about molding the future of mountain biking in Houston. The strides we have made as an organization in obtaining funds to build new trails, maintaining and improving existing trails and creating a new website, for example, are the result of hard work by the board and those of you who have volunteered your time.

But an all-volunteer organization can only accomplish its objectives if it replenishes its leadership with new blood and new ideas. Your opportunity to be a part of pushing GHORBA and mountain biking forward is by serving on the board (or volunteering your time). I hope you will consider running for a position if you are interested. Even if you are not ready this year, I hope will take a moment to learn about the officer positions described in the attached link. Or better yet, come to the general meeting on Monday, August 20, 2012, and talk with one of the current board members directly. For more information on the duties of each position, click here.

We are accepting nominations for President, Vice President of Trails, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Director, and the four At-Large board positions from now through September 10, 2012. The slate of candidate will be published and voted on September 17, 2012—October 1, 2012, with the new board being presented at the October general meeting.

-Bill Rustam
President, GHORBA

Action Alert: RTP Funding needs your support

bobdole — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:41:52 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!

SIGN ON to a letter to your Governor to ensure they keep funding the RTP in your State!

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) was reauthorized - with dedicated annual funding of $85 million for the remainder of this year and Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 - when the President signed the transportation reauthorization legislation known as MAP-21 on July 6th. The new legislation does contain one potential roadblock to the continuation of the RTP at the state level: a provision allowing the state governors to opt out of the program if they notify the U.S. Secretary of Transportation of their decision no later than 30 days before the funds are apportioned. Since the funds will be apportioned on October 1st, any opt-out decisions must be sent to US DOT by September 1st.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has taken the lead for the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) and developed a grass-roots campaign to convince every state governor NOT to opt out of the RTP. IMBA has prepared a letter to be sent individually to each governor that RTP supporters - organizations (not individuals) - from every state are asked to sign. Signers will be broken down by state and 50 separate letters will be prepared.

We need your help to reach out to your grass-roots contacts, other regional, state and local groups and communities, and any other organizations that benefit from the RTP to ask them to sign the letters, too.

Marianne Wesley Fowler and Derrick A. Crandall, Co-Chairs of the Coalition for Recreational Trails have expressed their gratitude to the trails community, "Working together, we have come a very long way in our effort to protect the RTP.... RTP supporters everywhere should be very proud of that amazing achievement, which was only made possible by the widespread, visible and continuous support that the RTP received prior to enactment of the law. Many, many thanks for your help. The deadline to sign on to the letters is August so we urgently need your all-out help with this last (we hope) hurdle."

Please ask your Governor to keep funding the Recreational Trails Program. Click here to sign on to the letter to your Governor. In addition, please ask other organizations to sign the letter, and everyone should be encouraged to directly contact their Governor as well.

Learn more about this issue and about MAP-21...

STS Results

bobdole — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:20:35 +0000

Article category:

General

The STS results are here! PDF files for each race as well as the series overall are listed in the links below. The series is 3 out of 4 races and you must have participated in a minimum of three races to take an overall win in your Category.

How to read the results:
In the final file there are some points listed in red and in green. The red stands for changes in Cat (up or down). Example, if you are in Cat 3 but you race one time in Cat 2 you will be awarded one level up, the opposite will take place if you are in Cat 2 and race one time in Cat 3.
The green is the lowest score in the series for those racers that participated in all four races.

Have a correction that needs to be made? Contact Raf via our webform. Corrections are due by Wednesday 8/8.

Results:

Final (pdf)
Cypresswood (pdf)
Sugar Land (pdf)
Jack Brooks (pdf)
Flintridge (pdf)

Flintridge STS and more

bobdole — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:27:45 +0000

Article category:

General

The moment we’ve all been waiting for! After a few delays for weather the Flintridge STS is ON for Saturday August 4th. The weather is looking good this week to have a trail in prime shape for race day. Registration is online only and current GHORBA membership is required to participate. To register, click here. To join/renew your membership, click here. Questions? Contact the Racing Director or Membership.

Help out your trail by joining in on a work party. Memorial Park and Carl Barton have upcoming work parties on the calendar and other trails post them regularly, watch the calendar for more updates.

Interested in what the GHORBA Board is up to lately? Board meeting minutes for April and May have been posted in the Meeting Minutes section.

Flintridge STS Rescheduled to August 4th

bobdole — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:19:27 +0000

Article category:

General

Due to the rain the area has received over the last few weeks, Flintridge will still be too wet to hold the STS race this weekend. The Flintridge STS has been moved forward one week to Saturday August 4th to give the trails more time to dry out. Long range weather forecasts look good for continuing to dry out the trail and to give minimum rain between now and next Friday. The rain sure puts a damper on riding, but we'd rather keep the trails in good condition than see them damadged when ridden while wet. All current registrations for the event will still be good for Saturday August 4th, see you there!

Weekend Event Updates

bobdole — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 19:53:22 +0000

Article category:

General

The Flintridge STS race re-scheduled for 7/22 has been canceled due to the significant rainfall over the week and rescheduled to July 28th. The TTF Skills clinic is still on and the weather forecast looks good to keep it that way. Space is limited for the skills clinic, currently the Beginner class at Noon has one slot remaining and the Intermediate class at noon has one slot. All other classes are currently full. Get in while you can!

For more information and to register for the upcoming Skills Clinic on 7/21, click here.
For more information and to register for the upcoming Flintridge STS on 7/28, click here.
Current GHORBA Membership is required for Skills Clinic events, click here to renew.

Upcoming Events: TTF Skills Clinic and STS Flintridge

bobdole — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:39:12 +0000

Article category:

General

This coming weekend GHORBA is offering two fun events, the popular Technical Trail Features (TTF) Skills Clinic and Justin P Brindley Park in Sugar Land and the final race of the STS Series at Flintridge in The Woodlands. Space is limited for the skills clinic, currently the Beginner class at Noon has two slots remaining and the Intermediate class at noon has five slots. All other classes are currently full. The STS is not capped for participants, join us for a fun day of racing and a celebration of the expansion at Flintridge.

For more information and to register for the upcoming Skills Clinic on 7/21, click here.
To register for the upcoming STS Flintridge race on 7/22, click here.
Current GHORBA Membership is required for both events, click here to renew.

Flintridge STS - July 22nd RESCHEDULED

bobdole — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 16:03:42 +0000

Article category:

General

Final STS race at Flintridge in The Woodlands, TX on July 22nd. Racer check-in opens at 8 AM and racing begins at 9 AM. Click here to register!
Registration Details

Current GHORBA membership required. Please join or renew your membership first (you may also use the Membership menu at the top).
13 to 18 yr. old and 9 to 12 yr. old youth classes
Prizes for podium finishers in each category: Men, Women and Youth
PRIZES FOR SERIES CHAMPIONS
Races start around 8:30-9 AM, depending how many sign up.

Registration is $17 per event, online, by credit card or check – NO ONSITE DAY OF RACE REGISTRATIONS! Click here to register!
If you need to renew or start your GHORBA membership please do so. If you are unsure of your current membership status please contact our membership director.

Give back to your trail - Join in on a Work Party

bobdole — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:59:16 +0000

Article category:

General

GHORBA work parties are one of the primary sources of maintenance and enhancement for the local trails. Each trail has a local trail steward who coordinates and often leads these work parties. Helping out at a work party is a great way to give back to your local trail and to help maintain the upkeep (overgrown brush, downed trees) or to improve the trails and their structures. Work party funding is supported through annual Membership Dues and various Grants. For the racers out there, these work parties are also pay-dirt eligible.

Volunteer trail stewards and workers have been busy lately with projects directly affecting the quality of the trails and their work is immediately visible. Through the past few months The Anthills have replaced multiple bridges, Double Lake has re-opened and repaired the trail from the Dangerous Trees Drought Closure, and Memorial Park has built re-routes around unrecoverable trail sections. These are just a few examples of some of the work being done around town; join up with your local trail steward to help make your trail a better place.

Upcoming opportunities are regularly held at trails throughout the Houston area, watch our Calendar Page or join one of the mailing lists below to keep up on new opportunities. There will also be significant opportunities for work parties at some of our new trail constructions such as the Huntsville Expansion, Flintridge Expansion, and River Bend. You can read more about these opportunities and their backgrounds on our Advocacy page.

Want to help out? Contact information for our trail stewards is available on each trails page or by selecting the appropriate trail on our contact form.
You can also join in on GHORBA’s email lists to be advised of upcoming work parties

Anthills
Carl Barton
Double Lake
Flintridge
Memorial Park
Sugar Land (This includes both Brindley and River Bend).

Cypresswood and Jack Brooks Park also maintain their own Yahoo Groups. These links will take you outside the GHORBA Domain.

GHORBA is a 501c3 non profit and is comprised of an all volunteer board of directors and contributors. Your annual member dues are used to support trail work and other club activities. Looking to renew your membership or join GHORBA? Click here for our membership page.

Brindley trail in the news

bobdole — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:14:45 +0000

Article category:

General

Local news source, Culturemap, puts the Justin Brindley trail in Suglar Land in focus in this segement of their Hidden Houston series. The video segment takes a look at both the scenery and features of the park, including the Technical Trail Features (TTF) which add a unique component to the park. Speaking of TTF's, GHORBA is hosting a skills clinic on 7/21 to teach how to ride.

Click here for the video segment.

GHORBA Update 6/27

bobdole — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:14:05 +0000

Article category:

General

Memorial Park Work Party
Hello trail workers, a reminder that we'll be holding the monthly memorial park work party on July 3rd at 6 PM. A few different things to note this time. First, our scope of work will be building a re-route on Green to bypass the "washout" section that is current closing the Green Trail. That said, we will be parking on Crestwood, north of Memorial Drive. Use the google maps link below to see the parking spot/get directions. We've got a lot of work to do on Green as it's been closed for awhile, so there will be something for everyone, from trimming back overgrowing vegetation to helping cut the re-route. We probably won't get it all done in one night so we'll have a few more throughout the month to continue our work on Green. Please bring water, gloves, and some bug spray for yourself. Since we've got a lot of work to do, I would appreciate it if you would email directly to me and confirm your attendance. Thanks.

https://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=29.763739,-95.427349&hl=en&sll=29.763...

Anthills Work Party
The little bridge just east of Kirkwood in the S-turns continues to fall apart. This is the bridge made of a hodge podge of materials and has a slight dip in the middle of it. I would like to replace this bridge and then call a halt to bridge building for the summer….it’s getting too hot. Please email Eric the Trail Steward at This Link if you can participate. Happy Trails!

Buffalo Bayou Trail Update
As you know, the trails on Buffalo Bayou have been under construction by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) these last few months. In just a few weeks, construction on the $55 million Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine project will also get underway.

What this means for you and your members as trail users is that there will be a temporary inconvenience of closures. TxDOT, City of Houston, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership will all be working on the south side of the bayou at Taft and Allen Parkway and eastward to Sabine Street. Therefore, for safety reasons, the trail on the south side of Buffalo Bayou at Montrose (on the west) and Sabine (on the east) will be closed from July 5, 2012 and last about three months.

In addition, the Harris County Flood Control District will start work to realign the north side of the bayou and create a large flood bench near the Police Memorial (on the Memorial Drive side). The intention is to remove silt and sediment and re-grade the slopes of the bayou to reduce the risk of erosion. There will be temporary windows of time – perhaps one hour or one day – when the trails in this area will be closed due to trucks loading in and out. Overall, trail users should not be heavily impacted by these closures.

It is very important to Buffalo Bayou Partnership that we inform you in advance about these closures as your members use these trails frequently.

This temporary inconvenience is part of the overall park improvements planned for Buffalo Bayou that we are confident you will enjoy once they are complete in mid-2015. You can learn more about the upcoming work during our community meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 27 at 6-8 pm at United Way.

Also, we encourage you to share with your members the details of the trail closures, stay informed through our Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine In the Works bi-monthly e-newsletter.

If you have any questions, please visit buffalobayou.org or contact Trudi Smith at tsmith@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 3.

Flintridge STS - July 14th

bobdole — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:31:38 +0000

Article category:

General

Final STS race at Flintridge in The Woodlands, TX on July 14th. Racer check-in opens at 8 AM and racing begins at 9 AM. Click here to register!
Registration Details

Current GHORBA membership required. Please join or renew your membership first (you may also use the Membership menu at the top). Please join at least 48 hours prior to the race to ease processing.
13 to 18 yr. old and 9 to 12 yr. old youth classes
Prizes for podium finishers in each category: Men, Women and Youth
PRIZES FOR SERIES CHAMPIONS
Races start around 8:30-9 AM, depending how many sign up.
Please fill out the release form beforehand and bring with you. If you have family membership and your children will attend, please also fill out this Parental consent form <18 yrs. old .

Places to Ride: Palo Duro Canyon State Park

bobdole — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 14:30:33 +0000

Article category:

General

Places to Ride: Palo Duro Canyon State Park

When the kids are out of school and the high temperatures in Houston can melt the grips off your handlebars, we frequently head to the mountains in the west. In doing so, many of us go within 30 miles of Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second largest canyon system in the United States. At the bottom of the canyon exists 12 miles of singletrack in some of the best scenery found in Texas.
Sure, it will be hot but if you overnight there on your way you should be able to get an early or late ride in to duck the worst of it. Be wary of simply parking at the top of the canyon and riding down if you get there before the park opens for the day during the summer. The climb out will be hot and steep. Do not bother detouring off our route to ride here if it has rained recently as the clay in the soil will make riding slippery and probably bike damaging. Enjoy.

The Facts:

Hours: change throughout the year but earliest opening is 8am
Entry Fee: $5 / person
Camping: tent and cabin available – reservations may be made through Texas State Parks at 512-389-8900
Miles of Trails: 12
TPWD info link: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon
TPWD Map link: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_...

UPDATED: Double Lake MTB Trail in SHNF Opens

bobdole — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:30:52 +0000

Article category:

General

Double Lake Mountain Bike Trail in the Sam Houston National Forest is open, according to Forest Supervisor Mark Van Every.

Trails, trailheads and other areas where the public gathers in the forest were closed in March when it became apparent that the large number of dead trees killed in the drought created a safety hazard.

Trail sections open in the Sam Houston National Forest include:

Double Lake Mountain Bike Trail in Double Lake Recreation Area.
3 miles of the Lone Star Hiking trail from Forest Service Road 219 Trailhead parking lot (the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club Trailhead No. 1) to FM 149 South Trailhead parking lot (Lone Star Hiking Trail Club Trailhead No. 4).
Three miles of the Lone Star Hiking Trail from the parking lot on the I-45 feeder road north of Huntsville State Park (Lone Star Hiking Trail Club Trailhead No. 7) to the Camella Lake spillway.
One mile adjacent to the Ranger’s office in New Waverly.

Full Details of the press release available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/texas/news-events/?cid=STELPRDB5375306

Upcoming TTF Skills Clinic - July 21st

bobdole — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:20:20 +0000

Article category:

General

If you’ve ever been out to the Justin P. Brindley trail at Sugar Land Memorial Park you’ve no doubt seen the 14 man-made technical trail features that were installed when the trail was built. Have you ever wished that a real pro could teach you how to ride some of them? Well here’s your chance! Our expert TTF skills instructors Scott McCloskey and Alex Tsounis are ready to show you all you need to know to safely conquer these obstacles and more. We are offering two beginner and two intermediate classes on Saturday July 21st. Each class will have a maximum of 5 students to optimize the amount of one-on-one time. All classes will start out in the field near the pavilion on smaller TTF’s then move to the larger ones out on the trail. Registration is first come first serve so get your email to me quick! Please do not sign up if you have no intention of trying the TTF’s out on the trail. Make room for those who will.

Current GHORBA Membership is required to participate. Click here to Verify Membership Expiration Date (must be logged in) or Contact the Membership Director.
Class Times: (Click each link to register)

Beginner – 9:00am (2 Slots Remain)
Intermediate – 9:00am (5 Slots Remain)

Beginner – 12 noon (4 Slots Remain)
Intermediate – 12 noon (4 Slots Remain)

In addition to registering you MUST email me, Mike Strawn, Clinics Director to reserve your spot. Just clicking on the register button on this page will NOT guarantee you a spot. Please include which class and at what time you would like to attend. Do to insurance requirements you must be a member of GHORBA to attend this clinic. GHORBA will have water, Gatorade, sodas, and light snacks on hand free of charge for all students. You must bring a bike, helmet, and water bottle or hydration pack to participate.

For more information on what will be taught please check out our Skills Clinic page on the GHORBA website here: http://ghorba.org/skills-clinics

Want to hear what former students thought of our last TTF clinic? Go here: http://ghorba.org/forums/where-are-we-riding-whats-going/1848

Great news for Flintridge and more!

bobdole — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:36:39 +0000

Article category:

General

Flintridge Expansion
As previously indicated, GHORBA has great news for the Flintridge Trail system. In conjunction with the Spring Creek Greenway project, Flintridge will be undergoing a large expansion, doubling in size! The expansion is made possible through a $100,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant sponsored and created by GHORBA and strongly partnered with Montgomery County Precinct 3 through matching funds. The funds will be utilized to add up to an additional six miles of natural surface trail and to improve the sustainability of an additional six miles of existing natural surface trails. The end result will be a Flintridge trail system spanning all the way to I-45 on the northern side of Spring Creek. Construction will not start until a bid process is completed and contracts are in place with contractors, this is estimated to occur by the end of 2012. GHORBA is very excited for this upcoming project with special recognition to GHORBA Board Member-At-Large Bill Begnaud for being the driving force behind the success of this project.

This Courier Article has additional information on the project.

For more information on past and present GHORBA projects, check out our advocacy page or just ask one of our Board Members when you see them on the trail.

Flintridge STS Race
Let’s celebrate the Flintridge expansion! Rafael, GHORBA’s Race Director, is working on rescheduling the postponed Flintridge STS for the first weekend in July. Interested in seeing the race happen on this date? Email Raf via our contact form and let him know.

RTP Needs your help again!
The RTP program has been VERY beneficial to Houston area mountain bikers yielding $461,000 for local trails over the past few years to include Carl Barton (City of Conroe sponsoring) $45k, Double Lake $120k, Huntsville State Park $160K, Community grant $36k, and Flintridge $100k.
RTP is arguably the most important government program ever created to benefit trail based recreation, and funds the development and maintenance of thousands of miles of motorized and non-motorized trails. Please click the Take Action link to weigh in today!
TAKE ACTION!

STS Results
The up to date results of the Short Track Series are available. Each link below has the results information for each race as well as the series.
Overall (pdf)
Cypresswood (pdf)
Sugar Land (pdf)
Jack Brooks (pdf)

New Flintridge Trail Steward
Help GHORBA welcome our new trail steward for Flintridge, Karl Thompson. Karl is a local mountain biker and is eager to maintain Flintridge and see the upcoming expansion become a success. Look for Karl’s work party announcements on our calendar and on the Flintridge email group. Karl can also be reached utilizing our contact form at this link.

GHORBA Advocacy Update

bobdole — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 20:11:45 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

TPWD 2012 Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) seeks public comment on the draft of the 2012 Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan (TORP) which identifies outdoor recreation issues of statewide importance, and acts as a guide on how to best administer Texas' apportionment of the federal Land and Water Conservation Funds.
This plan is required in order to maintain state eligibility to continue receiving funds through the LWCF State and Local Assistance Program; the only federal source of funds partnering with states and local governments that is solely dedicated to protecting conservation and recreation lands for future generations of Americans.
Public feedback has been obtained in the development of the TORP through a variety of surveys. The draft is available for comment until June 22, 2012 at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/.
Comments regarding the 2012 TORP draft can be sent to rec.grants@tpwd.state.tx.us. For more information, please contact Local Park Grants Manager, Dana Lagarde at (512) 389-8175.

Upcoming Public Meeting for Buffalo Bayou Trail
Transformation of Buffalo Bayou Park, one of Houston's most iconic green spaces, is well underway. With an historic $30 million catalyst gift from the Kinder Foundation, a strong public-private partnership has been created to include Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP), City of Houston led by the Houston Parks & Recreation Department, and Harris County Flood Control District. BBP has been charged with leading the enhancements of the 160-acre, 2.3-mile bayou stretch from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street.
Likened to Houston's own Central Park, the ambitious $55 million project will:

Restore the bayou to a more natural and self-sustaining version of what exists today.
Reintroduce native park landscape.
Add amenities to enhance safety and visitor experience.

After two years of design and engineering, trail work is being constructed and additional improvements are slated to begin this summer. The entire project is expected to be complete in mid-2015. See the Master Plan.
Buffalo Bayou Partnership invites you to learn about the vision for this project and how the upcoming construction may impact your use of the park on June 27th @ 6 PM.
Learn more about the project at www.buffalobayou.org

Lone Star State Mountain Bike Trails are Under Fire - IMBA
A message from Jenn Dice, IMBA Government Affairs Director

“This month I have seen some of the biggest attacks against mountain bikers in many years of working for better trail access.
Old-guard groups have distorted the facts about mountain biking’s impact in an attempt to derail the tremendous momentum behind a new trail system at Big Bend National Park in Texas. Read about the Big Bend project here.
Can you believe this misleading headline?

Big Bend Breaks Ground On Single-Track Bike Racing Trail — Precedent-Setting Embrace of Converting Park Backcountry to Thrill-Sport Venues

Or what about these recently published attacks?

"While hikers would be technically allowed, they would have to dodge speeding bikers."
"The advantages of the double track (jeep road) are that the hiker can proceed on one of the tracks or jump to safety if he/she encounters a biker. Danger is increased if bikers and hikers share a single track."
" Now the problem with a multi-use mountain biker-hiker trail at Big Bend, aside from the legal and aesthetic (The park “forgot” to do the environmental paper work) is one of safety."

In fact, the trail has been designed with excellent sightlines and moderate grades to encourage a friendly hiking and bicycling experience. Read more of IMBA's response.
Help IMBA stop a few outspoken recreation opponents from spoiling a good idea. Give to the Trail Access Fund now.
Your support will fund the attorneys, professional advocates and trail designers that will protect your right to ride trails in Texas. IMBA is working in many areas to help parks be more relevant to today’s recreating public, especially kids.
Currently there is mountain biking in 44 national parks, and more are asking for IMBA’s help to plan for trails for bicycles. Mountain biking gets visitors — kids and families— out of cars and gives them a chance to experience the sights and sounds of our amazing national parks.

GHORBA Update - June 6th

bobdole — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:23:12 +0000

Article category:

General

Double Lake Re-Opening Progress
Hazard tree removal is underway by the USFS at Double Lake with a few miles of the original loop being cleared so far. This process is expected to take at least a few weeks to complete and all trails will remain closed until further notice. We’d all much rather be riding on Double Lake this time of year and we will need your help in the final stages of re-opening the trail. Work parties will be held to clean up debris and complete other tasks on the trail.

Remember, Double Lake and all other trails in the SHNF are closed until further notice due to a Forest Supervisor order regarding falling trees. GHORBA is working closely with the USFS to both expediently re-open and minimize impact to the trails.

Flintridge Trail Steward Needed
Is Flintridge your Home Trail? Are you interested in helping maintain the trail? GHORBA is in need of a volunteer trail steward for the Flintridge trail. Duties include organizing and leading work parties on an as-needed basis, maintaining volunteer hour records, and acting as liaison with the local Land Manager. Support such as tools and materials are provided through GHORBA. Contact the VP Trails if you are interested in learning more.

New trail Steward at Carl Barton
David Duroy has joined the ranks of GHORBA Trail Stewards by volunteering for the post of trail steward at Carl Barton. If you ride at Carl Barton and want to help improve and maintain the trail, you can reach David via our website. Sign up for the Carl Barton trail work mailing list at carlbarton-trailwork+subscribe@ghorba.org to receive information on upcoming work parties.

Group Ride – Lake Bryan June 16th 10 AM
An official GHORBA group ride will be held at Lake Bryan on June 16th at 10 AM. For more information, View the Event on the Calendar. As always GHORBA will provide cold water, Gatorade, and light snacks for all riders free of charge. This ride is open to all riders and is not limited to GHORBA members. All riders must bring a bike and a helmet. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We hope to see you there!

Jack Brooks STS is ON!

bobdole — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:36:09 +0000

Article category:

General

The Jack Brooks STS on June 2nd is a GO. Yesterday's thunderstorms moved quickly through the area and made the trail fast. Racer check in opens at 8 AM with racing starting by 9 AM. Click here to register for the race. If you have questions before the race, please contact the Racing Director.

Note: Current GHORBA membership is required for the race. To verify your membership, please visit this link while logged in. If you have questions about your membership, please contact the membership director.

If you want to hang out at the race, we're always looking for volunteer course marshalls and race day support. Help make the race succesful while cheering on your family or friends. If you'd like to assist, come out to the race or contact the Race Director for more information.

GHORBA Update - May 30th

bobdole — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:08:54 +0000

Article category:

General

Upcoming STS Races!
Jack Brooks Park on June 2nd at 8 AM. Click Here to Register. Current GHORBA membership required to verify your GHORBA membership, click this link while logged in. Your expiration date will be displayed near the membership pricing.
If you need assistance with membership, Contact the Membership Director.

Upcoming Group Ride
An official GHORBA group ride will be held at Lake Bryan on June 16th at 10 AM. For more information, View the Event on the Calendar. As always GHROBA will provide cold water, Gatorade, and light snacks for all riders free of charge. This ride is open to all riders and is not limited to GHORBA members. All riders must bring a bike and a helmet. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We hope to see you there!

Save the Anthills Update
In April, Channel 39 NewsFix did a segment on the efforts to Save The Anthills from destruction. View the video at this link.

Great news coming for trails in The Woodlands
Stay tuned for an upcoming update regarding a very impressive trail expansion in the North.

Upcoming Work Parties
GHORBA will be holding its monthly Memorial Park work party on June 5th from 6PM to 8PM. If you’re interested in helping maintain and improve the trails at Memorial Park, come join us. GHORBA will provide all tools and instruction, please bring water and bug spray for yourself. More information available at our calendar link.

GHORBA Update – May 21st

bobdole — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:22:22 +0000

Article category:

General

Upcoming STS Races!

May 26th Justin Brindley Park Sugar Land, TX. Click Here to Register. Current GHORBA membership required to verify your GHORBA membership, click this link while logged in. Your expiration date will be displayed near the membership pricing.
June 2nd Jack Brooks Hitchcock, TX. Click Here to Register. Current GHORBA membership required to verify your GHORBA membership, click this link while logged in. Your expiration date will be displayed near the membership pricing.

If you need assistance with membership, Contact the Membership Director.

Cypresswood Temporary Access Restriction
NOTE FROM P4 PARKS - ACCESS TO TRAILS CLOSED AT COLLINS MON (5/21)-WED (5/23). PLEASE PARK AT TC JESTER OR STRACK RD DURING THIS TIME.

Enterprise Pipeline will be working on pipeline maintenance on the line that runs across Cypress Creek behind Collins Park from 7:00am to 5-5:30pm on Monday, May 21 through Wednesday, May 23 and Thursday if needed. They will have some equipment and trucks in the parking lot by the girl’s softball complex and the road that accesses the creek. The entrance from the park to the creek will be barricaded for safety and the hike and bike trail will be closed.
If you’re interested in volunteering for work parties and other improvements at Cypresswood, contact the trail steward via this link.

Double Lake Re-Opening
Jim Mackey and Kevin Highfield have been working with various Forest Service personnel over the last week and they report that the Forest Service has got all the "danger trees" (that's the ones that are leaning) marked and several crews going into the entire DL system to get the trees removed. As of today (5/21), we are hopeful that the entire system will be re-opened in a couple of weeks - which is really good news and a whole lot better than we've been thinking up until recently. More updates will follow.

Huntsville Expansion
The current situation with the other trails in the forest being closed has diverted the attention of Forest Service personnel, but we still hope to get the approvals done over the summer so we can start building in late Fall. Once we get Double Lake re-opened, Kevin will be getting the approval stuff rolling in earnest.

Member Meeting 5/14 - 7 PM

bobdole — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:35:08 +0000

Article category:

General

Please join us at Star Pizza at NORFOLK location (just off I-59) 2111 Norfolk St Houston,TX on May 14th at 7 PM for our member meeting.

Free PIZZA and Soft Drinks.

Topics will include:

Double Lake - Update on the status of the trail closures, GHORBA's work so far, and an outlook on how this will progress.
The Anthills - Update on "Save The Anthills" effort as well as trail work that has been occuring.
Website - See some of the ins and outs of our new website and how communication will be improved.

GHORBA Greatness

bobdole — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:09:18 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recently published an online article on GHORBA’s recent successes ranging from our Double Lake project to our in progress Huntsville expansion. Follow the link below to IMBA to read more about GHORBA’s continuing efforts to improve mountain biking in and around Houston.

Click here to read more at IMBA.com

Notice of Meeting for SHNF Trails - April 24th at 7 pm

bobdole — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:01:01 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

Where: SHNF New Waverly Office Click here for Directions
When: April 24th @ 7 PM
Click here for the Public Notice letter

The Sam Houston National Forest (SHNF) is holding a collaborative meeting on April 24th at 7 PM to discuss the recent trails assessments relating to the “dead tree closures”. There will be discussion of the results of the assessments, what trails will re-open and which will remain closed, as well as discussion on plans going forward. GHORBA representatives will be in attendance as well as reps from other user groups, we highly encourage you to attend and make sure your voice is heard, especially as the Double Lake Mountain Bike Trail is directly affected by this.

- Justin Dunn
VP Trails

Opportunity to discuss Anthills with Mayor Parker Sat. April 14

bobdole — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:13:27 +0000

Article category:

Advocacy

Who: Mayor Annise Parker
What: Three Minutes with the Mayor (Neighborhood Office Hours)
When: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, April 14, 2012
Where: Hillendahl Neighborhood Library, 2436 Gessner Rd, Houston, Texas 77080

Notes: Mayor Parker is taking her Three Minutes with the Mayor neighborhood office hours on the road again. This time the destination is Spring Branch. The mayor is traveling to a different neighborhood once every quarter because she knows many Houstonians are unable to bring their questions and concerns to her at city hall. Three Minutes with the Mayor offers the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the mayor on a first-come first-served basis. It is recommended that attendees prepare ahead as each conversation will be limited to no more than three minutes. For more information, call or email the Mayor’s Citizens’ Assistance office at 713-803-1062 or ruben.vela@houstontx.gov.

This is a great opportunity for you to tell Mayor Parker exactly how important it is to preserve the Anthills in its natural state for the benefit of the trail users and community.

It is a challenge to give up a Saturday afternoon, but how often do you have the opportunity to have the Mayor as a captive audience?

GHORBA Short Track Stampede Championship Series 2012 - UPDATED SCHEDULE!

bobdole — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:10:59 +0000

Article category:

General

Registration & Details

Current GHORBA membership required. Please join or renew your membership first (you may also use the Membership menu at the top). Please join at least 48 hours prior to the race to ease processing.
13 to 18 yr. old and 9 to 12 yr. old youth classes
Prizes for podium finishers in each category: Men, Women and Youth
PRIZES FOR SERIES CHAMPIONS
Races start around 8:30-9 AM, depending how many sign up.
Please fill out the release form beforehand and bring with you. If you have family membership and your children will attend, please also fill out this Parental consent form <18 yrs. old .

Registration is $17 per event, online, by credit card or check – NO ONSITE DAY OF RACE REGISTRATIONS!

Schedule (click trail name to register)

Cypresswood - April 28th @ 8AM
Jack Brooks Park - May 12th @ 8AM
Justin P. Brindley Trail (Sugar Land) - May 26th @ 8AM
Flintridge (The Woodlands) - June 2nd @ 8AM

Registration online only, in person registrations cannot be accepted.

If you need to renew or start your GHORBA membership please do so. If you are unsure of your current membership status please contact our membership director.

SHNF Trail Closures and a Call For Volunteers

bobdole — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:02:47 +0000

Article category:

General

As many of you are aware all trails in the Sam Houston National Forest are closed because of an order related to the dead trees. The number of dead trees in close proximity to the trails has caused for the forest service to prohibit all use of trails (including Double Lake) due to the perceived hazard that the falling dead trees may pose to users. The background to the closure is due to recent natural events which resulted in injuries occurring on National Forest property, particularly the flash flooding in the Ouachita NF in 2011. GHORBA cannot say enough good things about our Sam Houston NF district ranger though – he’s working very hard to coordinate with the user groups and re-open the trails.

So what does that mean for you? For the time being please stay off the trails in the SHNF. A huge effort is being rapidly mobilized through to get the hazard tree assessment done, with the help of trail users, by Friday 4/13. Once the plan is in place there will be a call for volunteers to travel the trails and record the location of dead trees on GPS devices. We are hopeful that the trails will be re-opened after the completion and consideration of this risk assessment and posting of additional warning signs. A strong showing from GHORBA in the assessment process will go a long way in getting the trails open.

Please respect the current closure and work with us to get through this issue. Your support will be greatly beneficial to the re-opening of the trails, if you have any questions please discuss in the forum link below or email myself.

-Justin Dunn
VP Trails, GHORBA
Forest Closure Order:http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5361496.pdf

GHORBA News

GHORBA Trail Conditions App

Huntsville...a major bridge is crossed (and approved)

Big Ring Challenge- a time for thanks

Double Lake- Henry Lake North Bridge

Trail Building- Past and Future

New Anthills Bridge Courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 993

Buy Local

GHORBA's Presidential Address

GHORBA General Meeting

Tip of the hat to NWCC

Places to Ride: Monarch Crest Trail, Colorado

Forest Service Survey

Signs, Kiosks and Maps for Anthills Trails

New Bridge at Jack Brooks

Places to Ride: MaahDaah Hey Trail, North Dakota

Upcoming Events!

Support for Proposition B

Upcoming Events

Anhills Moving Forward

Board of Directors Election Results

Anthills Voted Best in Houston

Trails Clinic a Success!

Upcoming September Events

Letter from the President: Upcoming Elections

Action Alert: RTP Funding needs your support

STS Results

Flintridge STS and more

Flintridge STS Rescheduled to August 4th

Weekend Event Updates

Upcoming Events: TTF Skills Clinic and STS Flintridge

Flintridge STS - July 22nd *RESCHEDULED*

Give back to your trail - Join in on a Work Party

Brindley trail in the news

GHORBA Update 6/27

Flintridge STS - July 14th

Places to Ride: Palo Duro Canyon State Park

UPDATED: Double Lake MTB Trail in SHNF Opens

Upcoming TTF Skills Clinic - July 21st

Great news for Flintridge and more!

GHORBA Advocacy Update

GHORBA Update - June 6th

Jack Brooks STS is ON!

GHORBA Update - May 30th

GHORBA Update – May 21st

Member Meeting 5/14 - 7 PM

GHORBA Greatness

Notice of Meeting for SHNF Trails - April 24th at 7 pm

Opportunity to discuss Anthills with Mayor Parker Sat. April 14

GHORBA Short Track Stampede Championship Series 2012 - UPDATED SCHEDULE!

SHNF Trail Closures and a Call For Volunteers

Flintridge STS - July 22nd RESCHEDULED