Good Work...NCWR

A friend of mine and I were catching up the other day and I was telling him about what I’d been doing the past three weeks and even though he’s a motorcyclist he had no idea that a motorcycle club was doing the kinds of things this club is.

NCWR stands for Nevada County Woods Riders and I dare say most people don’t  know clubs like this exist. There are a lot of riders out there who take the trail systems we ride on for granted and don’t give it much thought about who helps maintain the trails, the Forest Service can’t do it all.

I joined the club last year for a number of reasons. A lot of my riding friends belong to the club, I trail ride up in the Tahoe National Forest at Burlington north of Nevada City. The club has a very close working relationship with US Forest Service around Northern CA and is contracted with the Forest Service to help provide trail maintenance for the Burlington trail system as well helping in the Foresthill trail system and other locations.

We just spent the last three weekends clearing the trails in Burlington as well as the Foresthill trails so the riding areas could be reopened. The club keeps track of volunteers’ hours and turns them into the Forest Service who gets reimbursed from the Federal Government for our time. That helps the Forest Service as well as us in the long run.

The turnout of volunteers the past three weekends has been amazing, fourteen the first weekend, twenty one the second week and twenty four the third weekend, well over 700 volunteer hours this year already, that is amazing. I think we’ve removed over 150 downed trees from the trails in that time and that doesn’t count all the limbs and other trash. We’ve cut up fallen trees from three inches up thirty inches. They also help in keeping the Pioneer trail clear in the area that inter twines with the trail system. The pioneer trail is used by horseback and mountain bike riders.

Because of the work the club does, a couple of years ago they received a grant from Yamaha which allowed the club to purchase an enclosed  two axle trailer as well as the equipment  needed to outfit the interior with chain saws and other tools to clear the forest. They work with an equestrian club in the Nevada County area along with a couple of mountain bike clubs to help promote unity. 

They put on events during the year, a yearly dual sport ride in Nevada County for family, friends and members. When the weather is good usually once a month there will be a dual sport ride during the week called “The retirees ride” and then on weekends another ride for those who still have to work. Every month or so there will be an organized trail ride, not always at Burlington. They occasionally have joint events usually around trail work but not always with the equestrian group and the mountain bike clubs, plus some charity events during the year. They have volunteered for years to help with the parking of motor homes and trailers for the annual Hangtown National Motocross event held at Prairie City.

We have monthly meetings that are usually standing room only. The club continues to grow and grow which shows there are a lot of good people out there who are willing to be part of what this club stands for. Below is taken off the front page of the club’s website.

The Nevada County Woods Riders (NCWR) brings together off-road motorcycle enthusiasts to enjoy trail rides and fun activities. NCWR promotes responsible trail use, advocates for off-road vehicle (OHV) access rights and fosters trail improvement programs with the Tahoe National forest Service.

NCWR is a not-for profit motorcycle club based in Grass Valley. And is a Chartered member of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and dist 36.

They have an excellent Website with a general discussion section where lots of communication happens. I’ve received as many as 20 general discussion Email’s in a day, a lot of back and forth about various subjects, it’s great.

For me its chance to give back and be part of a very worthy cause, the fellowship and camaraderie with like minded people is priceless these days. Don’t get me wrong it’s far from all work and no play; it’s a great group of men and women and I’m very proud to be a part of it.

A little history of the club, it was sort of formed in 1973 and was at first primarily a competition only club, by that I mean most of the members rode Dist 36 enduro’s and cross country events, but over the years it has morphed into what it is today.

The early trails were created in the greenhorn area and slowly moved north over the years toward the Burlington area. In the eighties and nineties there were a handful of riders who opened riding trails in the Burlington area which is part of the Tahoe National Forest. The Pioneer trail was for horses originally but is now also used by mountain bikers. Whenever necessary these trail blazers would create new trails to make sure they stayed off the Pioneer trails. 

During the Clinton administration a decision was made to close as much of the forests as they could get away with and at some point the woods riders discovered notices posted on the trails they had created saying they were part of the Pioneer Trail. The club reached out to the local horsemen’s club to find out why and was told any trails previously marked would not be closed according to the Federal Government that was a sign of early cooperation between the horsemen and the club. That started a spirited debate within the club about what to do to make sure all the trails they had created wouldn’t be taken away. Eventually the club partnered with the Forest Service to turn the Burlington trails into an OHV area. The club was given a grant to create a staging area and a bathroom at the beginning of the trail system. Over the years many more miles have been added to the trail system by the Forest Service and the club.

If you want more information about the club you can go to woodsriders.clubexpress.com

Doug 21J

PS There’s another organization I’m sure nobody’s heard of its called the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship their focus is primarily in the Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen National forests. They are dedicated to the restoration, preservation and enhancement of recreational trails of the lost Sierras. They have created over nine hundred miles of trail and help maintain a total of over eleven hundred. Their long term vision is to connect fifteen mountain communities with trails. Trails that can be used by hikers, bicycle and motorcycle enthusiasts to help provide these small communities some much needed revenue opportunities who have struggled since the timber industry shut down. You can contact them at sierratrails.org