SAVE THE HAGEN STAIRCASE!

The Forest Service is taking public comment about their desire to reroute and close the beloved Hagen Staircase.

Public Comments Due tomorrow April 30th!

Send yours to lmerigliano@fs.fed.us

Here’s Mine:

I want to thank the Jackson Ranger District for all the hard work put into our local trail network since I moved to the area in 1998. We are truly lucky to have such a proactive group of individuals representing the Forest Service here. I am in favor of all the projects proposed for the Summer of 2010 with one exception. I would not like to see the Hagen staircase closed and rehabilitated. I agree this section of trail in its current form is unsustainable and that there is no easy solution to bring this section of trail to an acceptable level of service. However, I think it is well worth the effort.

As we all know, the number of technical trail features on Teton Pass is growing. I can speak from experience at the bike shop that there are also a growing number of riders looking to learn how to ride more technical trails. Unfortunately, there are very few areas that are condusive to learning how to ride in this way. But there is the Hagen staircase. Over time, the Hagen staircase has been the local Mt Bikers’ test piece. A place that is easily accessible, challenging, relatively safe and repeatable. A place where a rider can gauge their abilities and decide if they are ready for the next step. Now with the proposed reconstruction of Philips Canyon, the Hagen staircase would be an extremely unique and necessary part of our entire trial system. Without the staircase, I’m afraid there will be no safe place for someone to decide if they are ready to attempt a trail like Lithium. Instead, riders will be forced to ride Lithium and potentially hurt themselves in a very remote area before learning where their abilities lie. Currently when a rider asks me, “Do you think I can handle Lithium?” I respond, “Can you ride the Hagen stairs?”

I want to finish with a personal anecdote. When I first met my wife, she was terrified of riding downhill what so ever. When I brought up the idea of riding down the Hagen stairs, her response was a very loud, “Never in a million years, don’t even ask me that again.” Well, I did keep asking, and after a lot of convincing she was able to ride very slowly down the staircase with flat pedals and her saddle lowered all the way. After a summer of practice like this, she decided that clipping into pedals and riding the staircase would be ok as long as she kept lowering her saddle and I was right there with her. Every time she made it to the bottom without stepping off the bike, she would hoot and holler all the way back to the trail head! Another summer of this practice and one day she was out riding by herself and decided to just go for it. She didn’t stop at the top to lower her saddle, she didn’t get off and walk, but instead she rolled right into the staircase and greased it! I’ve never seen her smile more than when she came back and bragged to me about her accomplishment. Fast forward 6 years. Jannine has now ridden, raced, and mentored other women on some of North America’s most challenging downhill trail networks including Whistler, BC, Boulder City, NV, Keystone, CO, the North Shore of Vancouver, and of course Teton Pass, WY. I am now absolutely convinced of two things. 1. The Hagen Staircase was instrumental in her development as a Mt Biker. & 2. This is not a unique story.

Maintaining the Hagen staircase in a sustainable way will not be easy. It will take a lot of resources to make this a successful project. But I think it is worth it and I think the Mt Bike community would rally behind the effort so the burden does not fall solely on the Forest Service. I for one would be glad to help save the Hagen Stairs in any way I can.

Fitzgerald’s University

Fitzgerald’s Bicycles is excited to continue building its reputation as your local neighborhood cycling pub. Fitzgerald’s is now offering a series of informational seminars geared toward educating the greater Jackson cycling community. Invited speakers will begin each evening with a presentation on their specific topic before moving into a question and answer session. Fitzgerald’s Bicycles will publish an electronic article by each speaker one week before their event to introduce the topic.

The first series of Fitzgerald’s University gatherings will take place at the bike shop on Thursday evenings May 6th, May 13th, and May 20th from 6:00 – 8:00pm. Fitzgerald’s will provide appetizers and refreshments for each event. Look for more dates in the future.

May 6th Topic: “Numb Nuts”: Cycling & Genital Numbness
Speaker: Lisa Finklestein, Urologist

May 13th Topic: Pilates & Cycling
Speaker: Jennifer Walker, Dancer’s Workshop

May 20th Topic: Little Red Riding Hood Women’s Ride
Speaker: TBA

Friend’s of Pathway’s Party for Trails this Thursday Night

FoP Party for Trails

Putt - Putt & Cahce Sidewalk Update 4-25-10

Cache Creek Sidewalk:
Dry and Good to Go! Cache Creek itself is still pretty muddy - stay up on the sidewalk

Putt-Putt:
Dry and riding good from Nelson Drive to the high point above the Sidewalk.
Still extremely muddy and CLOSED beyond the first mud spot you encounter. Don’t believe the hype, Putt-Putt is still largely unrideable as of this weekend!

Singletrack 4-23-10 - As seen in the JH Weekly

When Dreams become Reality

Spring is the season for planning and dreaming, and sometimes those dreams come true. If you like to ride your bike and want to see others do the same, you’ve certainly had some dreams come true this year. Locally, have you heard of the Wyoming Business Council Community Enhancement and Business Ready Grant? Thanks to Teton County, JHMR, Snow King, FoP, and the USFS you won! $751,430 will be spent on trail development in 2010 & 2011. Part of the mission statement reads, “Produce sustainable trails that will improve and Enhance Wyoming’s competitive advantage among resort markets and create local jobs” Are you serious? Trails create jobs and build economic advantage? Of course they do! Hearing that come from our State and local leaders is certainly a dream come true! While you are planning for your next new bike, local grant administrators are planning for 27 miles of new trails, 2 bike parks, and 1 restroom. Am I dreaming?

Nationally, President Obama’s Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced, a “sea change” in transportation policy last month. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.” Now I’m sure I’m dreaming. Did that statement really come out of the White House? If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up!

Shimano Introduces 10 Speed MTB groups

Remember when 9 speed came out for Mt Bikes? How about the first Road 10 speed Dura Ace? Whenever Shimano introduces another cog, there’s sure to be differences in opinion about it. Mechanics are sure to say it’s too finicky, but will riders fall in love with it. The only think I can say at this point is - anyone still want to go back to 8 speed thumb shifters?

For now, Dynasys will be offered as an XT and SLX group. Will XTR go 2 x 10?

9 speed remains in the line up for 2011

July delivery on Dynasys

Learn all about it here.

Wyoming Business Council Awards Trails Grant for JH Trails Project! $750k for trails to be spent this summer!

This is the biggest news that hasn’t been made big news!
Representatives from Friends of Pathways, JHMR, Snow King, Teton County, and the Town of Jackson successfully lobbied State Legislators to convince them that trails = economic growth.
Obvious to you right? Well now our leaders feel the same way. Wow! What times we are living in!
Get ready for some serious trail action this summer. Click on this link to see all the details:

Wyoming Business Council Grant Details

Here are the highlights:
The total JH Trails Project value is $751,430.
The grant award from BRC funds is $375,715.
The project partners will provide a 50% match, and will carry out the work starting in early spring 2010 with completion by fall 2011.

What’s it mean to us?
Miles of new hiking and biking trail – 27 miles
New facilities – 2 bike parks, 1 restroom, visitor signing
Job creation during construction – 12 jobs + 1 new business
Job creation after construction – 6 new jobs, 5 jobs saved, indirect jobs
Trails‐derived sales tax – improve Teton County’s sale tax revenue
New visitors attracted to area – generate 1000‐2000 destination visits