Buggered Pig, Haigai, Bucket of Blood and Trail Tuna Juice are some of the creative names of trails that wind through the network in the Cumberland forest.
The United Riders of Cumberland are in the process of installing signs at the start and end of each trail to indicate the name and difficulty rating.
鈥淭he whole network will be signed,鈥� said Evan Loveless, vice-president of the UROC board. 鈥淭he signs are both risk management in nature and directional in nature. Each sign will have a rating for the trail, whether it鈥檚 green circle, blue square or black diamond. That dovetails with the map that we have. We have an app that people can log onto. It鈥檚 all GPS-oriented, so at any time in the network people can see where they are, what trail they鈥檙e on, and how it corresponds to the signage.鈥�
A dedicated group of volunteers have built the trails, which are a magnet for mountain bikers, and which contribute a significant sum to the local economy, according to a survey. The club hosts five mountain bike races and three trail maintenance days a year. At least once a year, it hosts a trail building academy with a professional builder, who conducts a workshop.
UROC has negotiated a Land Access Agreement with land owners TimberWest, Hancock Timber Resource Group and the Village of Cumberland. Trilogy Properties Corp. is an additional owner.
鈥淧art of that agreement was an obligation on the club鈥檚 part to prepare and implement a trail management plan,鈥� Loveless said.
The club also maintains a database of each kilometre of trail, detailing anything newly constructed, such as bridges and ramps, to ensure safety.
With a management plan in place, the club was able to hire trail manager Nathan Kwan 鈥� the first person hired by the volunteer club, Loveless notes.
UROC, which has secured a $55,000 rural dividend grant from the province, also has a contract to hire two trail maintenance people.
鈥淚鈥檇 say we鈥檙e punching well above our weight for a little bike club,鈥� Loveless said.
www.unitedridersofcumberland.com
If interested in donating to the trails, visit bit.ly/2uaJwIZ
