News/Events

SATURDAY 18 JAN, 8 AM - 12 PM - Harwood's trails are closed for the annual foot race supported by Newport News Parks.

UPDATE - Tuesday's night ride at Harwood's, Wednesday retirees ride, and Wednesday's night ride at New Quarter are all canceled. The Thursday night ride at Freedom is waiting on word from the park. Stay tuned.

We (finally!) have plans for Fri & Sat, Jan 17 & 18 to re-build the berm at Freedom Park, Trail C extension, The Lumps (up near the park entrance near Access C1, at the end of the rock kicker jumps).  The plan is to enlarge the berm (height, depth, and length) and armor it with turfstones to make it solid & last for many years.  We need help both days as follows.

Friday, Jan 17 mid-afternoon (exact time TBD, but maybe 2:30 or 3:00 ish?): we need about 4 to 6 more people to help unload 2 pallets of turfstones at access C1 on the park road.  Each of the 72 stones is 20”x24” and weighs about 56 lbs.  Bring work gloves.  That’s it for Friday.  

Saturday, Jan 18 morning (exact time TBD; maybe 10:00 AM but depends on the weather): we need lots of people to help haul wheelbarrows full of dirt (4 tons, which is a 20’ trailer full) and help rebuild the berm.  If you can bring a wheelbarrow and shovel, please do.

WEATHER DEPENDENT: Current Saturday forecast says high of 50^o and maybe a 30% chance of rain that afternoon.  So we’ll make a call Thursday to confirm or cancel, and decide on the time, and let you know. 

EVMA members: Check your e-mail and/or EVMA.org by Thursday night and we’ll provide more details.

The 1/9/25 Freedom Park night ride is ON, as park staff reports that trails are mostly clear of snow. 

But there are still some slick spots, so to keep more traffic off the trails, and because more precipitation is expected on Friday night and Saturday morning, park staff will keep trails closed (other than for the night ride) through at least Sunday, Jan 12, and likely Monday or even Tuesday, Jan 13 or 14.  Check the other News & Events post about downloading the trail closure app so you'll get an alert when trails reopen!  

The Tuesday night ride at Harwood's and the Wednesday retirees ride are canceled. Trails will take awhile to dry out.

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.

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.

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.

1. May 1-4, 2025, Douthat State Park & Carvin's Cove.  We've been going to the natural, rocky trails at Douthat for decades and within the last several years added the day trip to CC for some purpose-built bike trails.
2. TENTATIVE, but probably Sept 11-14, 2025, Allegrippis Trails at Rays Town Lake, PA.  Fun, flowy, mountain trails with enough elevation for fun, but not too much to wear you out.  This is a great intro to mountain riding.  We plan to work in a stop at Cacapon State Park in WV on the way there and/or back to try it out.
   
3. Oct 15-19, 2025, Brevard, NC to ride Dupont & Pisgah.  An East Coast destination!  A group of us have a rental house near Brevard. Find your own lodging and meet us to ride.
   

We have some Southsiders who want to meet up at Wahrani Nature Trail Sat, Dec 28 at 10:30 AM.  Join us for a guided tour of the best route to ride to maximize the fun.