Maintaining the North Shore’s mountain biking trails will soon become a little more manageable, thanks to a newly formed group patrolling the woods.
The North Shore Watchmen, made up of 50 members, are an offshoot of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association. These custodians of the forest will monitor trail conditions and report any concerns — such as fallen trees or broken structures — through a globally recognized online trail management system called trailforks.com.
The Watchmen bring a wealth of trail assessment experience, and are graduates of the well-established NSMBA Builders Academy.
“We now manage over 70 kilometres of trails that span two mountains and a river valley. The Watchmen will be our eyes and ears on the trails,” stated Mark Wood, NSMBA program manager, in a press release after the program launched on Wednesday.
Wood stressed the NSMBA manages not only mountain bike trails, but multi-use trails as well.
“We work for our community and are proud to do so,” said Wood.
The NSMBA plans to expand the Watchmen program through ongoing academies and biannual inductions.
