Blog
Next year could be off the charts for Evergreen, and as the new Statewide Board President, I have big boots to fill and I'm grateful to be part of this exciting time.
I moved to the Seattle area 12 years ago knowing the mountain biking would be amazing, even back then. I spent the first year digging some of the initial trails at Duthie Bike Park and riding the three trails at Tiger Mtn.
Fast forward to 2021, and Washington state has made its mark, as a destination and paradise for riders across the country.
A time to dig, ride and connect
Thirty women from around the state met below the Raging River trailhead above North Bend, some in their 20’s, others in their 50’s, new riders, racers, and freeride shredders, all movers and shakers in their part of the mountain bike community, invited to join forces for a day of trail work, party laps and fun in the rain to dig, ride and connect to build the women’s mountain bike community.
We are incredibly grateful to be a part of a collaborative, and supportive community of riders and businesses!
Evergreen supporters come in many shapes, sizes, and even flavors, and we love them all! Thanks to our Colab partners we are able to share their stoke of great trails with a great deal for you!
In addition to your ability to get a special offer on an all-around awesome group of products, each of our Colabs is generating revenue for Evergreen! That means that your purchase not only gets you a sick beer, bag of coffee, pair of shorts, or 1st Aid Kit - but, your trails will get some love too!
Read on to learn more!
Is your business interested in a partnership?
Each year we reach out to our chapters to find the outstanding volunteers who make Washington a great place to ride, and we honor them here.
Evergreen volunteers provide more than 25,000 hours of their time each year across the state.
Our volunteers build trails, maintain riding areas, cut trees, lead rides, serve on boards, coordinate chapter events and teach skills to hundreds of riders each year.
We wouldn't be where we are without our amazing volunteers, thank you all!
Volunteer instructors are some of the unsung heroes of Evergreen, known to only a few and doing good work for so many. With a passion for giving back, a love of spreading the stoke and helping others, volunteers are the backbone of Evergreen’s education program.
Check out what these education superstars accomplished this year:
- 100 volunteers lead education programs in six Evergreen’s chapters across the state
- Volunteers donated 750 hours of their time to teach, train, and plan programs and fellow riders
- Volunteers led 200 classes and camps
- Volunteers served 1500 students aged 6 – 65, from beginner to advanced!!
No matter our differences in backgrounds or how we choose to enjoy the great outdoors, trails create a common ground that connects us. Access to trails is a privilege we acknowledge and can only safeguard through our actions toward one another... Everyone deserves to pursue happiness in nature. Let’s rise together to ensure a positive trail experience for all.
Trails Are Common Ground
It's September...finally.
We love this time of year. After a long hot summer, we are ready for the change of season! Temps are cool, dirt is damp and tacky, sweaters are getting unpacked, and the riding is as good as it gets!
The Evergreen team enjoyed a full summer of trail work, camps, education programs, campouts, and rides going on all over the state. During the ride, or afterward hanging out with our friends, we often found ourselves reflecting on how good mountain bikers have it here in Washington, and how much work that takes.
Fall is also the time where we reach out to the riders of Washington to ask for their support and to become a member of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. We tell stories about how your support leads directly to great trails for you to ride. But rather than we tell you, we're going to leave it to Evergreen member Scott Edison. Scot has been a member since 2005, with over 140 personal contributions to Evergreen. It's an amazing level of dedication and support that we appreciate so much.
Scott's story offers a great perspective of how our sport, the riding, the equipment, and the capability of Evergreen have improved over the last 30 years, and how valuable your membership is. Although Scot's story applies specifically to his local riding area, Tiger Mountain, the same can be said about your local riding area. We've seen the same thing play out in every chapter and on so many trails around the state, including yours.
It's a story that we love to hear, we think you'll enjoy it too.
Did you sleep through "Coffee with Yvonne"?
Not to worry! In this post, we're hitting you with a brief recap, and the recorded sessions - so you can get up to speed!
There is so much going on behind the scenes at Evergreen, and it's important! Every day that our trail team is out there digging on the trails our admin staff is working on advocacy, access, and trail planning challenges. Yvonne Kraus, our Executive Director, took some time to fill members in on the hot topics of the summer: eBike Access, Wilderness, and Tribal Relations. Over 150 participants joined us in June, July, and August to learn about and discuss these issues.
During each update, Yvonne delivered a synopsis of Evergreen's work and opened the floor for questions. We want to thank those of you who took the time to join us, and participate in the conversation - we are looking forward to continued collaboration and growth in these areas.
This past month I took advantage of loosening COVID restrictions and scheduled my first in-person meetings and site visits in over a year. On the road for two weeks, I experienced a wealth of project site visits, reconnected with chapter members and volunteers, and attended complex, yet rewarding advocacy meetings.
While the work we are doing across the state is challenging and diverse, I am continually blown away by what our small group of enthusiastic athletes achieves when we come together.