News/Events

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wild world of local mountain biking:

Kudos: Molly Nealer, York County Parks Director, gave a big "Thank you!" to everyone who helped with the 30th Anniversary Celebration at New Quarter Park. She said it was a great success. Thank you, Todd Smith, for heading that up, and to all of the EVMA members who turned out to volunteer!

Fall Trip Planning: It is time to make a reservation for the fall trip to Douthat State Park. We are considering the weekends of Sept 11th or 18th.  If you haven't done so already, please check the top post on our Facebook page to offer an opinion on which is better and if you might attend. Remember the UCI World Championships are in Richmond Sept 19th through 27th. Several people will be attending.

Group Rides 

• May 16th 9:00 am Group Rides & Beginner Women's Ride at YRSP Kids to Parks Day
  
• May 17th 9:00 am Harwood Mills
• June 6th 9:00 am Freedom Park - Dirt Divas & Beginner Rides

Trails  

• Trail Captains, monthly detail reports are due to the land managers! Please log your inspections and trail work or email Jim Irby and he will log them for you.

• Lions and Tigers and . . . Okay, nothing that serious. However, many riders have reported that the ticks are out, and the first copperheads of the year have been sighted at NQP. Recent rains have made great conditions for ground-dwelling wasps to dig also. Keep a sharp eye out for hazardous critters, and use precautions against ticks.  Remember most snakes are harmless, but all of our trails are in Copperhead habitat.  Learn friend from foe at the Virginia Herpetological Society website, but please don't harm any snakes.

Upcoming Events

• May is Bike Month  Many cycling groups are having events & rides throughout the month - Google it!  Many events are shown on the calendar here.

• Kids to Parks Day YRSP May 16th Group rides at 9:00 and hot dogs/ lunch at Noon. Beginner Women's Ride at 9:00am. See volunteer opportunities below.

• WOYW Youth Race Series concludes May 17th Information & Registration. 

• June 6th EVMA Club Meeting Noon at Freedom Park. We'll be grilling burgers. Lunch will be at noon, followed by the meeting. 

• Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides June 6th at Freedom Park, 9:00 AM

Volunteer!

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer. 

• Be a ride leader  This one is easy. No ride leading is actually required, but "Ride Leader" sounds better than "Clip Board Monkey", so we went with it.  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Cooks Needed to grill and volunteers to provide a side dish or dessert for the EVMA Club Meeting, Saturday, June 6th. We'll be providing the burgers. A veggie option will be available.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.
  

Enjoy your week & Happy Bike Month!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the awesome world of local mountain biking:

Raystown Lake Report: Our trip to Raystown Lake, PA was a great success. We couldn't have asked for better weather or trail conditions.  It was a long drive, 5.5 from Williamsburg, but well worth it. THANK YOU to all that helped: Eric Van Dusen and Joe Klingshirn for making the reservation and acting as guides; Penny Rich for making sauce for dinner; Mike and Joan Benton, Justin Hlavin, Scott Reynolds for helping with dinner; It was great meeting the folks from New Jersey, Don, Stacy, Jim, Brent, Kim, Maggie. Definitely going back! 

Fall Trip Planning: It is time to make a reservation for the fall trip to Douthat State Park. Looking at the calendar, weekends of Sept 11th or 18th.  Please check the top post on our Facebook page to offer an opinion on which is better and if you might attend. Remember the UCI World Championships are in Richmond Sept 19th through 27th. Several people will be attending.

Group Rides 

• May 9th 6:00 am Dexter Klock and Jim Irby will be riding Freedom A backwards, and  D and E forwards, to clear trails of spider webs prior to the trail foot race. Come join!
• May 9th 9:00 am Dirt Divas and Beginner Mountain Bike Rides on C Loop at Freedom Park.
• May 10th 9:00 am Harwood Mills
• May 16th 9:00 am Group Rides & Beginner Women's Ride at YRSP Kids to Parks Day
• May 17th 9:00 am Harwood Mills

Trails  

• Snakes like to lay in the sun. And, where is the sun? In the middle of the trail!  Most snakes are harmless, but all of our trails are in Copperhead habitat. Keep a sharp eye out, and learn friend from foe at the Virginia Herpetological Society website, but please don't harm any snakes.

• Freedom Park  D and E trails closed all day Saturday May 9th for single track Maniac Run. Trail A will be closed until 11:00am If you're riding Freedom Park this week, please take a moment to clear small limbs from the trail, and report downed trees via email or Facebook post, so they can be removed before Saturday. Thanks!

Upcoming Events

• May is Bike Month  Many cycling groups are having events & rides throughout the month - Google it!  Many events are shown on the calendar here.

• Kids to Parks Day YRSP May 17th Group rides at 9:00 and hot dogs/ lunch at Noon. Beginner Women's Ride at 9:00am. See volunteer opportunities below.

• WOYW Youth Race Series continues in May & concludes May 17th Information & Registration

• June 6th EVMA Club Meeting Noon at Freedom Park. Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides at 9:00 AM

Volunteer!

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer. There will be a Beginner Women's Ride at 9:00 AM

• Be a ride leader  This one is easy. No ride leading is actually required, but "Ride Leader" sounds better than "Clip Board Monkey", so we went with it.  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.
  

Enjoy your week & Happy Bike Month!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the crazy world of local mountain biking:

Group Rides 

• May 2nd 10:00 New Quarter Park 30th Year Celebration - we hope to have an A/B & B/C group ride, but still need volunteers!
• May 9th 6:00 am Dexter Klock and Jim Irby will be riding Freedom A D and E at to clear trails of spider webs prior to the trail foot race. Come join!
• May 9th 9:00 am Dirt Divas and Beginner Mountain Bike Rides on C Loop at Freedom Park.
• May 10th 9:00 am Harwood Mills
• May 16th 9:00 am Group Rides at YRSP Kids to Parks Day
• May 17th 9:00 am Harwood Mills

Trails  

• Marl Ravine Trail remains reversed thru April and returns to normal direction May 1st.

• Upper County  is next to a hunt club & it's turkey season. There is a land dispute, which means hunters may wander into the park. Hunters do not wear blaze orange in the spring. Exercise caution!

• Freedom Park  D and E trails closed all day May 9th for single track Maniac Run.

• New Trail Captains Thank you Chris Ferguson (NQP) & Greg Hurley (Freedom D) for volunteering!

Upcoming Events

• Spring Camping Trip   It's not too late to join in! April 30th thru May 3rd  Be a happy camper &  SIGN UP

• May is Bike Month  Many cycling groups are having events & rides throughout the month - Google it!

• Kids to Parks Day YRSP May 17th Group rides at 9:00 and hot dogs/ lunch at Noon. See volunteer opportunities below.

• WOYW Youth Race Series continues in May & concludes May 17th Information & Registration

• June 6th EVMA Club Meeting Noon at Freedom Park. Dirt Divas & Beginner Mountain Bike Rides at 9:00 AM

Volunteer!  *We especially have a need volunteers at NQP on May 2nd!* 

• New Quarter Park 30th Year Celebration*  Saturday, May 2nd. We are still looking for volunteers to help out with this event. It's not an all-day commitment, come out and help for an hour or two! VOLUNTEER

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer.

• Be a ride leader  This one is easy. No ride leading is actually required, but "Ride Leader" sounds better than "Clip Board Monkey", so we went with it.  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.
  

Enjoy your week & Happy Bike Month!

Good Afternoon, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the fascinating world of local mountain biking:

Group Rides - there are no group rides this week

Trails  

• Marl Ravine Trail remains reversed thru April.

• Upper County  is next to a hunt club & it's turkey season. There is a land dispute, which means hunters may wander into the park. Hunters do not wear blaze orange in the spring. Exercise caution!

• Heavy Winds are bringing lots of limbs down. Stop and drag a couple off of the trail if you have the time! 

Upcoming Events

• The Burning of the Socks  April 25th 10 am to noon - York River State Park is hosting The Burning of the Socks to celebrate the beginning canoe season. Bring your old socks to burn and then take your canoe out.  Kirk and Penny will be leading group rides for those who prefer two-wheeled land-boats. 

• Spring Camping Trip  April 30th thru May 3rd  We still have room, be a happy camper &  SIGN UP

Volunteer! *We especially have a need volunteers at NQP on May 2nd!*

• New Quarter Park 30th Year Celebration*  Saturday, May 2nd. We are still looking for volunteers to help out with this event. VOLUNTEER

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer.

• Be a ride leader  This one is easy. No ride leading is actually required, but "Ride Leader" sounds better than "Clip Board Monkey", so we went with it.  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Be a Trail Captain  We need a Trail Captain for New Quarter Park. Ride the trail once a month, report conditions and hazards, and log volunteer hours. Contact Jim Irby to volunteer or get more details.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.
  

Enjoy your week & keep the rubber side down!

Good Morning, EVMA Members!

Here's what's happening this week in the wild world of local mountain biking:

Insurance     Our insurance has been reinstated, so group rides are on.

Group Rides

• Saturday, April 18th    9am  Freedom Park - Ride leader - Penny

• Sunday, April 19th      9am York River State Park- Ride leader Penny ( moved from Harwood due to short notice)

Trails  

• Marl Ravine Trail remains reversed thru April.

• Upper County  is next to a hunt club & it's turkey season. There is a land dispute, which means hunters may wander into the park. Hunters do not wear blaze orange in the spring. Exercise caution!

• Freedom D Loop has a new Trail Captain. Thank you, Greg Hurley, for stepping up!

Upcoming Events

• Wednesdays On Your Wheel Race Series at New Quarter Park  Races start TODAY, April 15th .  Register at -http://www.yorkcounty.gov/Portals/0/publicinfo/2015-029.pdf .  Volunteers needed: Course Sweeper, Course Marshall, Scorer, Awards & Starting Line.  Contact Crystal Richardson to volunteer. 

• The Burning of the Socks  April 25th 10 am to noon - York River State Park is hosting The Burning of the Socks to celebrate the beginning canoe season. Bring your old socks to burn and then take your canoe out.  Kirk and Penny will be leading group rides for those who prefer two-wheeled land-boats. 

• Spring Camping Trip  April 30th thru May 3rd  We still have room, be a happy camper &  SIGN UP

Help Keep the EVMA Awesome - Volunteer!

• New Quarter Park 30th Year Celebration May 2nd. We are still looking for volunteers to help out with this event. VOLUNTEER

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer.

• Be a ride leader  This one is easy. No ride leading is actually required, but "Ride Leader" sounds better than "Clip Board Monkey", so we went with it.  Bring a clip board with a sign-in page & collect the signatures of riders participating in the EVMA group ride. Contact Penny Rich to volunteer.

• Be a Trail Captain  We need a Trail Captain for New Quarter Park. Ride the trail once a month, report conditions and hazards, and log volunteer hours. Contact Jim Irby to volunteer or get more details.

• Events Coordinator needed contact Jim Irby  for more info, or to volunteer.

• Fall Trip Organizer needed. Mostly involves showing up at  the park and guiding parking, etc. . .  Once again, email Jim Irby to volunteer.

May the week bring you blue skies, sweet single track, and may your  rubber side stay down!

EVMA April Meeting Minutes April 4, 2015

1.)  Treasures report

• General Fund Balance   $5,089.38 
  
• Trail Fund                       $5,946.98
• Checking Balance        $11,036.36
• Savings                             $674.55
• WOYW                                $52.00

2 .) Additions to Budget – Wahrani $1000 

3.) Insurance update

Our policy is currently lapsed while we search for a company that will provide the kind of coverage the parks ask of us, at an affordable price. No good solutions - too many industry losses on Mtb clubs is causing insurance companies to drop Mtb club coverage, especially general liability coverage (a nationwide problem).  Many companies were vetted, with close analysis of the three most promising policies.

• Motion: Renew with K&K. Pursue modified MOUs with each park in the coming year and use a less expensive policy next year. Passed with a majority vote.

4.)   Events & Call for Volunteers

• Spring camping trip April 30th to May 3rd Signup is still open.

• New Quarter 30th Anniversary Celebration May 2nd  
• • CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!  There will be an EVMA tent, and EVMA group rides. We need volunteers to lead A/B ride & B/C ride with two leaders apiece, and parking attendants. Park will have lots of vendors, hikes, bird watching etc 10:00am - 2:00pm Volunteers start at 8-8:30. We need about 18 volunteers. Please sign up on the Volunteer Page.

• Kids to Park Day at YRSP May 16th -  Group rides, grilling lunch. Volunteers needed to lead rides  at 9:00 & grill lunch 11:30 to noon. Contact Penny Rich or Kirk Moore to volunteer.
• Next meeting June 6, at the Freedom Picnic shelter. We need a volunteer to grill. Email Jim Irby atpresident@evma.org to volunteer.

5.)   Trails & Call for Trail Captain Volunteers

• Freedom Park – On busy weekends, additional parking is available at school on Jolly Pond Rd.  The park has permission to use the school for overflow parking
• • Met with Nancy Ellis. Quarterly inspection of features with Freedom Staff.  Possibly add staff to the trail report systemso they can view reports.
  • Greg Hurley will take over as the New Captain of Freedom D loop.  
  • May 9th JCC will be holding Single Track Maniac, Trail A and B will be closed in the morning and D and E will be closed all day. 
  • D & E closed all day long A closed AM Dirt Diva & beginners will ride C first. No lunch will be served. No Meeting afterwards

• NQP - Trail Captain needed. Captain rides the trail once a month, reports condition & hazards, and logs volunteer hours. 

• Upper County – Park is adjacent to a hunt club, Spring turkey season opens April 4 and runs through May, Ride with caution. Hunters do not wear orange during Spring Season.  A current boundary dispute means that hunters may enter the park.

• YRSP – Marl Ravine will remain reversed through April.  Signs come down 30th

• Wahrani – Signage and trail maintenance in planning. 

• Harwood - some horse issues, working on signage.

• Reminder for Trail Captains to log inspections and maintenance on wildapricot or email Jim or Harry

6.)  Volunteers Needed

If you would like to volunteer with the EVMA, but don't have the time to take on a major commitment, we have many opportunities to help the club out with smaller tasks. Here are two more opportunities:

• Events Coordinator needed 
• Fall trip organizer needed (mostly to show up at park and guide parking, etc. . .) 
  

Once again, email Jim Irby at president@evma.org to volunteer!

Weekend Group Rides are CANCELLED, except Dirt Divas & the Freedom Park Beginners Ride. Due to the intricacies of switching insurance companies, our insurance will suffer a brief lapse this weekend. We apologize for any inconvenience & will be up and running again shortly!  You'll need to find your own ride for just this weekend; EVMA Chatter is a great place to look. 

Good Evening EVMA Members! Here is your weekly update:

Single Track High movie shows April 3rd at the Williamsburg Library. Intro at 5:45pm, movie at 6:00pm.

EVMA Club Meeting & Lunch this Saturday, April 4th at 12:00 Noon at the Freedom Park Interpretive Center. We still need volunteers to bring a dish to share - comment on the EVMA Facebook post if you can bring something.

Dirt Divas Ride 9:00am April 4th at Freedom Park. Ride cancels in the event of rain - watch for updates.

Group Rides are 9:00am April 4th & 18th at YRSP, and April 5th & 19th at New Quarter Park & Harwood Mills.

Marl Ravine remains reversed for the month of April. Please use bail out (right turn after skinny bridge) if you decide not to complete the trail. Do not exit against the trail direction.

Caution at Upper County Park - the park is adjacent to a hunt club and it's turkey season. Avoid looking like a turkey, and be aware that spring hunters do not wear blaze orange.

Wednesdays On Your Wheel Race Series at New Quarter Park registration is open. See details & register at - http://www.yorkcounty.gov/Portals/0/publicinfo/2015-029.pdf  Watch for a sign-up genius email for volunteer opportunities.

EVMA Spring Camping Trip to Raystown Lake, PA space is still available. Join us April 30 thru May 3rd. See details and sign up at: http://www.evma.org/event-1836747

Enjoy the sunshine on the trails this week! We hope to see you all at the meeting this Saturday!

Good Afternoon EVMA Members,

This is your weekly update and notice of upcoming events:

Group Rides There are no scheduled group rides this weekend. 

It's Raining :-(  As always, please stay off wet trails. Freedom Park trails are currently closed (as of Thursday, 3/26).

Marl Ravine Trail This will be the final weekend for Marl Ravine trail to be reversed. The signs will be removed and the trail returned to normal direction,Tuesday, March 31st.  Exercise caution & enjoy the challenge! Note that there is a bailout if you try the trail and don't enjoy it. Take the first right after the long skinny bridge and continue to the exit. Please do not ride against the trail direction to exit.

Jersey Order This is final call for jersey orders. If you wish to purchase an EVMA jersey please email Jim at president@evma.org with type and size. 

EVMA Spring Camping Trip The sign up for the trip to Raystown Lake is still open. Join us April 30 thru May 3rd. See details and sign up at: http://www.evma.org/event-1836747

Club Meeting Our next club meeting will be April 4th at the Freedom Park Interpretive Center at 12:00 noon. The agenda includes the annual budget, insurance, upcoming events, and trail work at Wahrani. If you have any topics that you wish to add, please email Jim at president@evma.org.

Wednesdays On Your Wheel Registration is open. Pre-Rides April 11th @ 10:00am, April 12 @1:00pm. Races start April 15th.  See details at: http://www.yorkcounty.gov/Portals/0/publicinfo/2015-029.pdf  Watch for a sign-up genius email for volunteer opportunities.

 We hope to see you at our next meeting, April 4th!

Both of this weekend's group rides will be held at YRSP due to recent heavy rain. Freedom Park trails are closed today.