Managing Through COVID-19
As we all do our part to social distance and reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19, we will be suspending all TAMBA trail maintenance/construction, trainings, and events through the month of April to ensure we keep our volunteers and community safe. We have had ongoing discussions with the U.S. Forest Service and other local trail organizations, and trail maintenance is not considered an “essential service” at this time. We want to ensure that all available resources are devoted to the ongoing pandemic response.
Our tool trailer is currently sheltered in place as we wait this out, but it’s ready to go when we’re able to hit the trails again! We will be reevaluating the situation at the start of May and provide more updates regarding our summer trail days and events in the next newsletter.
Despite the COVID-19 shutdown, we’ve still been hard at work on TAMBA business. On March 25 we held a video board meeting where we approved our 2020 budget, worked to finalize our Strategic Plan, and adjusted our strategies for the upcoming trail-building season depending on the various possible scenarios we’re presented with.
Once we’re able to hit the trails again, we have a strong game plan for getting them cleared off and ready for the upcoming biking season.
Spring Riding Tips
Even though the trails in Tahoe are still covered in snow, we know everyone wants to get out and ride soon.
However, COVID-19 put some restrictions on how we operate to maintain the trails, we can all do our part to help protect them. Remember, all non essential travel to and from Tahoe is banned through at least April 30. Let’s stay hunkered down close to home to weather this storm so we can all ride together soon.
If you live in Tahoe and you’re wondering what you can do to help out, here are some tips to keep our trails in shape this spring:
- Trailheads and parking areas are closed in most locations – if you go out, ride from home.
- Avoid trails that you know are going to be muddy. In the spring, that often means avoiding north-facing trails that don’t get much sun or those that have more clay in the soil. Try and stick to those sandy trails we all love!
- If you do come across section of trail with standing water or mud, don’t ride around it on vegetation but ride through it. If everyone rides around it, the trail footprint gets wider and makes more trail for us to maintain.
- If we’re getting a hard freeze at night, get out riding early before the trails have thawed and gotten muddy.
- If a tree is down, please report it (email a photo and details to trails@tamba.org) and, again, carry your bike over it rather than make a temporary social trail around it. This just magnifies the work our volunteers have to do when they clear the down tree since they’ll also have to naturalize the social trails.
Trail Maintenance Reporting Competition: Win prizes for sending us trail conditions!
In an effort to improve how quickly we can address maintenance issues, we’re looking to YOU to help us identify problems! We’ll have a monthly drawing to win some TAMBA apparel.
Here’s how to participate:
- As you’re out on the trails this spring and summer and come across issues, we want to know. Email trails@tamba.org and include the following:
- Name of trail (must be in the Tahoe Basin) and approximate location of the issue. GPS coordinate is great too.
- Let us know what the problem is (ex: down tree (w/ approximate size), severe erosion from storms, thick brush, broken retaining wall, and other general trail issues)
- A photo of the problem
- Your name and contact information
- To be eligible for a prize, you must be a TAMBA member
- We may use your name/photo on social media
At the end of each month, everyone who’s submitted maintenance issues will be entered into a drawing and the winner will be announced on our social media at the start of the following month.
We’ll be utilizing the information sent to us to schedule maintenance days and update Trailforks conditions reports. Since we’re on a hiatus from trail work at the moment due to COVID-19, we’ll also be able to have a priority list of issues to tackle once we hit the trails again.
Thank you and if you’re recreating during April, please be safe and responsible. For the health and safety of our community, now is not the time to be taking risks!
2020 Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival Update
The Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival organizing committee is closely monitoring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on group events and the use of trails in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Given the situation, we plan to make a decision on whether to hold, delay, or cancel the event on May 1, 2020.
At this time we have temporarily suspended pre-registration. In the event of cancellation, all pre-registered participants will be automatically issued a refund.
Thank you for your patience during this time of change, and for your continued support of this community event benefiting TAMBA and the trails we all ride.
