News/Events

This Wednesday's (20 Nov) retirees group ride will be at Harwood's, 2 PM.

Sorry, tonight's (Weds, Nov 20) New Quarter Park night ride is cancelled due to the combination of overnight rain with lots of wet leaves, and more rain in the forecast picking up right around ride time.

Want to get push notifications when trails are closed due to weather/wet conditions?  James City County just added Freedom Park to their Rainout Line.  Sign up at the Rainout Line Website https://rainoutline.com/subscribe/notify/7572392002/0 and use the tabs to choose app, text, or e-mail alerts.  You can sign up to get alerts only for Freedom Park Trails A-E, or any JCC facilities that face weather closures.  (*This is ONLY for Freedom Park bike trail closures, but if Freedom trails are closed, we should probably avoid nearby trails like New Quarter, YRSP, Wahrani, Harwoods Mill.)  You can also still call 757-259-4022 x1, or visit here: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Freedom-Park-7.

This Sunday, Nov 17^th some of us from Williamsburg and the Peninsula will head to the Southside to check out EVMA’s trails there. We have a few Southsiders who will show us around. PENINSULA FOLKS: come join us and try something new. Looks like great weather.

Meet at Marshview Park at 10:00 AM (meet at the north side, near the dog park), then head to Indian River Park afterwards.

Note: we are not allowed to have "events" at Marshview & IRP, which we previously thought included group rides.  But we just got clarification from VA Beach Parks & Rec that a group of us gathering just to ride, with no other activities, is not an "event."

We get lots of new EVMA members but many miss the annual renewal e-mails (spam folder, too many e-mails, etc.) and their membership lapses.  Download the "Wild Apricot for Members" app from the Apple App Store or Google Play to get renewal reminders on your phone and never miss a renewal again!  It's free and you can renew and pay right from your phone.

Night Rides begin Tues, Nov 5th. Important info:

• Tuesdays at Harwoods Mill; Wednesdays at New Quarter; Thursdays at Freedom Park.  First rides are Nov 5/6/7, 2024. 
• At NQ Park, meet in the first small lot outside the gates.
• All rides require sign-in, so please arrive by 5:45 PM to sign in and get geared up to ride at 6:00 PM.
• All rides start at 6:00 PM; we must be off the trails by 7:45 PM; we must be out of the parks by 8:00 PM.
• All rides are weather dependent.  If the weather looks at all questionable, or we’ve had rain recently, check your e-mail and/or EVMA.org by 5:00 PM (or sooner) to check ride status.
• 2 lights required: one each for your helmet and bars.
• These are GROUP RIDES.  The parks/trails are not open for anybody to just ride around by themselves.  You must be there for the 6:00 PM start with the group.
• If you have any questions or ARE WILLING TO BE A RIDE LEADER, contact us at evmamembership@gmail.com.  We need some backups for when the regular ride leaders can’t be there.

It's been raining in Williamsburg all afternoon, and the forecast calls for continued rain through this evening.  So no ride tonight.  Sorry.

The below planned ride has been postponed.  Our guy Karl in Lynchburg is really keen to show us around out there, so we'd like to go try it sometime, but it didn't work out for Nov 9.   Check back later for a possible group ride on Nov 9 somewhere closer to home.

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Field trip!  Sat, Nov 9, Peavine Mountain area, near Lynchburg

We’ve arranged for a local guide there (the son of an EVMA member) to show us around some lesser-known trails in the mountains NW of Lynchburg.  We’re still working out details, so look for updates later this week. 

Some of us are considering driving to and staying in Lynchburg Friday night to get a morning start on Saturday.  More to follow.

Meet in the parking lot to get rolling by 9:00 AM.  ***This ride is intended as an introduction to Wahrani for those who either haven’t ridden here before or who want to be guided on the best route of the interconnected trails.  There will be plenty of stopping to regroup.  If you are unfamiliar with Wahrani, it has plenty of punchy climbs (steep but short) but you always get rewarded by fast, fun downhills.  There are plenty of dirt berms and tables, a small, easy creek gap jump, and an all-natural “monster pipe.”  Everything has a ride-around.  It’s both a good challenge and super-fun.  Come check it out.

About 11 of us are up here at Stokesville riding Oct 16-20.  Join us if you can:

Weds, Oct 16: we rode up Narrowback, Tower, Tillman West, Tillman Rd, Dog Grave, & down Narrowback.

Thurs, Oct 17: Morning: We rode from Braley Pond up Dowels Draft and down Wild Oak (including Magic Moss).  Afternoon ride: we shuttled to Reddish Knob and rode down Timber Ridge to Wolf Ridge.

Fri, Oct 18: TBD.  Possibilities include self-shuttle to Reddish Knob and ride down Timber Ridge, or Hone Quarry, or Narrowback/TillmanWest, or Confederate Breastworks area.

Sat, Oct 19: Massanutten Western Slope, starting by 10:00 when the shuttle starts.  Buy your access and shuttle pass in advance.  Meet us in the parking lot before 10:00 AM.

Sun, Oct 20: TBD, if we ride.