Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition

WMBC MISSION: TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE NON-MOTORIZED TRAIL ACCESS IN WHATCOM COUNTY THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY.

TRAIL STEWARDSHIP/ADVOCACY:AFTER FOUR YEARS OF FUNDRAISING, WE HIT OUR FUNDING GOAL FOR THE GALBRAITH MOUNTAIN AND LAKE PADDEN PARKING LOT. CONSTRUCTION FOR THE PROJECT HAS BEGUN AND IT WILL PROVIDE 142+ PARKING STALLS THAT WILL BE A MUCH SAFER AREA TO PARK FOR TRAIL USERS OF BOTH TRAIL NETWORKS. THE LACK OF PARKING FOR GALBRAITH HAS ESPECIALLY BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN FOR OUR VARIOUS BIKE PROGRAMS INCLUDING OUR 22 AFTER SCHOOL BIKE CLUBS.WE DESIGNED AND BUILT NEW DIRT JUMPS AND A WOODEN SKILLS AREA AT THE WATERFRONT BIKE PARK. THE DIRT JUMPS PROVIDE A BEGINNER; INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LINE AND THE WOODEN LADDERS TEACH RIDERS BALANCE SKILLS ON THEIR BIKE. THE CIVIC DIRT JUMPS HAD SEVERAL MAINTENANCE DAYS TO CLEAR BRUSH, REBUILD JUMPS AND BERMS. ON GALBRAITH, WE REOPENED 10 TRAILS AFTER THINNING OPERATIONS BY JANICKI LOGGING AND A SMALL CLEAR-CUT BY THE DNR. ADDITIONAL WORK INCLUDED TRAIL WORK ON STEWART MOUNTAIN ON BROWN POW TRAIL.

EVENTS: WE HOSTED AN 11 RACE SERIES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS CALLED THE WHATCOM WORLD CUPS THAT HELPED SHOWCASE OUR TRAILS ON GALBRAITH MOUNTAIN. THE RACE SERIES HAD AN AVERAGE OF 158 RACERS INCLUDING MANY YOUTH RACERS (AS YOUNG AS 7 YEARS OLD) AND MANY FIRST-TIME RACERS. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAD A GRAND OPENING PARTY IN JULY FOR THE NEW DIRT JUMPS AND SKILLS ZONE AT THE WATERFRONT WITH TRANSITION BIKES AND KULSHAN BREWING. OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER, SHOOT THE TRAILS, WAS HELD IN PERSON AT KULSHAN TRACKSIDE WITH 1,174 TICKETS SOLD FOR THE EVENT AND, DESPITE A RAINY EVENING, WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

EDUCATION: WMBC AFTER SCHOOL RIDE CLUBS: 10+ BELLINGHAM ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CLUBS INCLUDING FLYING SQUIRRELS GIRLS RIDING GROUP. ASBCS GROUPS RIDE SPRING AND FALL ON WEEKLY RIDES. THIS PROGRAM REACHED OVER 300+ KIDS THIS YEAR. YOUTH TRAIL CORPS YTC: A CORNERSTONE OF OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS GIVES ANY INTERESTED MIDDLE SCHOOLER/TEEN YOUTH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE HOW TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN TRAILS. WE ARE GOING INTO OUR 6TH YEAR WITH THIS PRETEEN/TEEN PROGRAM. THEY WORKED HARD ALL YEAR ON GALBRAITH MOUNTAIN FOCUSING ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES, STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS TO HELP OUR TRAILS RUN EVEN BETTER. WE SERVED 100 TEENS IN 2021 AND OFFERED 15 YOUTH TRAIL CORPS DAYS. WMBC/VAMOS OUTDOOR IS RUNNING AN ONGOING PROGRAM FOR MULTIPLE GROUPS OF ELL (ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS) YOUTH RANGING FROM GRADES K-12. WE ARE ENGAGING YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT NORMALLY DONT ACCESS TRAILS AND THE OUTDOORS. MOUNTAIN BIKING PROVIDES YOUTH WITH APPRECIATION OF OUTDOORS, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGES AND EXCITING ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. 2021 SERVED APPROX. 166 LATINX YOUTH FOR WEEKLY PROGRAMMING AND ONE-DAY COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THROUGH GRANTS, WE HAVE OBTAINED A FLEET OF OVER 40 BIKES TO RIDE FROM SPRING THROUGH FALL FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH TO RIDE AND RIDE ON MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS AS WELL AS AT THE WATERFRONT PUMP TRACK LOCATED DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM.