Every month, we’ll be highlighting a TAMBA Trail Legend – a volunteer, donor, or community partner who’s gone above and beyond to support TAMBA’s work. None of the awesome things we achieve would be possible without the Trail Legends who work with us.
This month, we’re celebrating long-standing Crew Lead and passionate North Shore community advocate, John Clausen.
John has played an instrumental role in making TAMBA the trail-building powerhouse it is today. He served on the Board of Directors from 2017 to 2021, providing valuable input and direction on TAMBA’s trail-building and organizational strategies. He’s also supported countless TAMBA events over the years, recently recruiting tens of volunteers for the successful Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series event with Michelle Parker thanks to his contagious enthusiasm for TAMBA and the North Shore mountain community.
Perhaps John’s greatest contribution to TAMBA over the years has been his unfailing dedication to building high-quality, connected trails, particularly on the North Shore. As a professional trail builder with decades of experience, seasoned TAMBA Crew Lead, and avid mountain biker, he has led the design and development of many major North Shore projects, including Stumpy Super G, Lakeview Ridge Trail, and the ongoing Road 73 Bypass.
John is highly skilled in combining local rider input with his own knowledge and trail-building expertise to create a network of connected and sustainable trails. In 2023 alone, John dedicated nearly 400 volunteer hours to TAMBA as a Crew Lead, facilitating the completion of 85% of Phase 1 of the Road 73 Bypass project in a single season. This was all in addition to the many hours he dedicated to other local trail-building and advocacy organizations in Tahoe, highlighting his continued passion for developing exceptional multi-use trails around the basin.
“John is one of a very few trail folks with such broad experience in the outdoor recreation arena,” says Drew Bray, TAMBA’s Executive Director. “He has worked in the ski industry, outdoor action photography, and professional trail building, and brings a true passion for mountain biking and outdoor recreation. TAMBA is very fortunate to have such a devoted, connected, and thoughtful person representing mountain biking and trail advocacy in our community.”
Thank you, John, for dedicating so much time, passion, and expertise to building and advocating for Tahoe trails! We’re delighted to have you as part of the TAMBA team and look forward to all that we will continue to achieve together.
