News

In 2024, VVCC continued our focus on membership growth and worked to prioritize our advocacy efforts. 

MEMBERSHIP & EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Added 55 members, bringing our total membership to 311
• Hosted and supported monthly (or more) events with the support of our Business Sponsors and membership with special call-outs to:
• • Amo & Evan from SMBA for the Amazing Adventure Challenge
  • Mike Raney for VVCC's expanded presence at the SMBF which raised close to $10k
  • Greg Miranda and all the volunteers that put on the local bike races (Verde Valley Rally, etc..)
  • And, thanks to Marcella, Kirstin, Tim Miller, Joanna, Phil, Thunder Mountain Bikes, Bike & Bean and Sedona Beer Co for hosting or leading one of our monthly events.
• Evan Puglia joined the VVCC Board

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Generated a $6K surplus, which was donated to Wheel Fun (WF), Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund (SRRTF) and Verde Trail Fund (VTF).
• Advocated for the Red Rock Ranger District (RRRD) Seasonal Trail Crew (RRTC), & thanks to WF & SRRTF, the RRTC is fully staffed.
• Supported trail workdays on both the RRRD and Prescott National Forest (PNF).
• Singletrack Bypass & Hardline are both close to completion on the RRRD.
• RRTAP (Red Rock Trails Access Plan) Phase II is very close to being signed, and Turkey Creek trail workdays are planned for March.
• Quail Springs is being built off of Copper Chief/Black Canyon in the PNF.
• The Road crew held 3 highway clean-up days, assisted BAC with a Bike Audit and pushed for Bike lane & safety improvements between Clarkdale and Cottonwood.

VVCC is sponsoring a VVCC XC MBAA 2025 team!

Join in on the FUN with fellow VVCC members!

Details:

1. VVCC Members only are eligible to be on the VVCC XC team.
2. The 2025 MBAA race schedule is here and below.
   • Here are the full XC Team Rules.
3. Doug Sullivan will be the VVCC XC team Captain. Feel free to reach out to Doug, if you have any questions.
4. If you are interested in joining the VVCC XC team, please reach out to Tracy Randall or Kevin Adams to validate your active VVCC membership, and we'll introduce you to Doug Sullivan.
5. VVCC will have a pop-up tent at the events for VVCC team members to hang out. TBD refreshments & TBD race food will also be at the pop-up for the team.
6. The team name for registration is VVCC.
7. You don't have to attend all the races to be on the VVCC team. We ask that you attend at least 1 event to race or volunteer at the event.
8. MBAA has provided over $20,000 to Verde Valley trails, and this is a great way to show your support!
9. For experienced racers, this provides you a VIP race experience.
10. For new riders & racers, this is a perfect, low-stress way to join a race with fellow VVCC members, have fun and have a new experience!
11. We're hoping for a sizeable VVCC team! 

VVCC has been lobbying Sedona City Council Members as well as City Staff to add a full-time position for a Sedona City Trails position for most of 2024. Here are the comments VVCC made at the Sedona City Council offsite meeting in April 2024.

While the City added a position, City Staff and Council Members have directed the position to focus the vast majority of their efforts on Parking with a small focus on ST&PS (Sedona Trails & Pathways System).

We have a potentially unique and timely opportunity to make our case again, as the part-time Bike Park maintenance position might become available, and we are recommending to Sedona City Council & Staff to make this a full-time position, which combines the Bike Park maintenance & ST&PS with the City Trails position recommended in April.

Please join us on December 10th @ 4:30pm @ Sedona City Council Chambers (102 Roadrunner Drive) to speak in support of this position during Open Public Comments or to just show up and show your support.

Here is the VVCC letter sent to the Sedona City Council members and City Staff on December 1st outlining the City Trails position.  

Here is the video of VVCC members and local trails users lobbying Sedona City Council and Staff to add a City Trails position. Click on 6. Public Forum - December 10th.

Here is the most recent letter sent to the City in relation to the Sedona Bike Park - December 5th.

Here is the letter sent to the City in relation to Western Gateway/Cultural Park planning - October 26th.

Here is the letter sent to the City in relation to Safe Place to Park - February 4th.

If you can not make the meeting, send your support for Sedona adding a City Trails position to the City Council Members, here.

In addition to these letters, here is some additional information to consider in regards to our Trail system.

• Maintenance of the Red Rock Trail system is nearing $1 million annually. Federal appropriations covers less than 8% of that. The Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund is covering the vast majority of these costs with support from their donors and local volunteer events.
• The Forest Service had a significant Budget shortfall this fiscal year. Without the support of Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund, Wheel Fun and the VVCC, the maintenance of our Trails would not be happening at its current pace.  We believe that this funding gap will be a challenge for the foreseeable future, so local solutions are needed to fund our Trails at a higher rate. Adequate federal funding and resources are not going to be there to give our Trails the maintenance and attention that is required.
• Sedona currently brings in roughly $50M in revenues each year, largely from tourists enjoying the Trail system, and the City invests less than .5% of that revenue back into directly maintaining, managing and enhancing these Trails. 
• • The City directly donates to Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund through the Trail Keepers program. 
  • The City assists in financially supporting the full-time Forest Service - Red Rock Ranger District Trails/Wilderness/OHV Coordinator.
  • Sedona invests in a part-time Bike Park maintenance position.
• There are mountains of evidence concerning the economic benefits of Trails.  While Sedona is reaping the financial benefit, the surrounding Forest Service trails and their connections to the City need to be an integral part of all City decisions and planning efforts to fully reap the benefits from these Trails.
• Parking and roads are the City's main focus to combat congestion. We do appreciate & commend the City's investment in the Shuttle System, and we believe that an equal focus and investment in our Trails, trail connections, pathways (ST&PS) and Trail usage would reap more benefits!

Feel free to reach out with any questions or if you plan to speak and would like the 3-minute version VVCC plans to utilize at the meeting.

A working group of the VVCC Board compiled a list of Advocacy Priorities into three buckets:

1. Potential and in-progress new trails, pathways & trail connections
2. Biking-related access issues, concerns & ideas
3. Trail maintenance needs

These lists were compiled based on feedback from various VVCC members as well as personal knowledge & ideas of the working group, then reviewed, discussed and adjusted with the VVCC Board's feedback.

The priorities outlined below do not include trail maintenance, as maintenance suggestions/requests are being done through Caltopo with the MTB Advocacy Committee. The MTB Advocacy Committee will also be weighing in on the New Trails and Trail Connections outlined below at upcoming meetings. We'll continue to share updates, as we receive more feedback.

New Trails, Pathways and Trail Connections:

1.  Red Rock Trails Access Plan: Turkey Creek
2.  Verde Valley Circle Trail
3.  Devil's Bridge / Chuckwagon reroute
4.  Cultural Park City Planning / Girdner TH
5.  Mingus 106 / Higher Learning Connection
6.  Lynx connection
7.  Tomahawk 2.0
8.  Little Horse / Deep Sea Chicken
9.  Mystic connection
10.  Chimney Rock and/or Lizard Head connection

BAC focus

• Ogden Ranch Road connector

Advocacy Efforts:

1. Sedona Go! Plan Updated 
2. BAC (Bicycle Advisory Committee) Participation
3. Camp Verde & Rim Rock: Points of Contact established
4. Sedona/VOC Trails Vision Document
5. 2025 - 2026 RRRD Seasonal Trail Crew/Maintenance solutions  
6. Sedona City Trails position (@ Bike Park)
7. Chavez and/or Red Rock Crossing footbridge
8. Boynton/Dry Creek pathways & roadside parking concerns

BAC focus

• May Bicycle Month

If you have an interest in getting more information or more involved in these Advocacy efforts, please reach out to board@vvcc.us.

Western Gateway Master Planning - 102624.pdf

Most recent VVCC Letter:

VVCC Letter to Forest Service - Red Rock Trails Access Plan - Phase 2 - 103124.pdf

VVCC Letter sent after 1st Public scooping:

RRTAP_December2023-VVCC-signed.pdf

Back by popular demand, the VVCC will be hosting a silent art auction at our December 20th Holiday Party in Cottonwood. We are putting a call out to our member artists who would like to participate. Depending on the response and size of pieces, we will try to accommodate as many pieces as possible. Artists may submit multiple pieces for consideration.

The details:

Who: This invitation to participate is open to all active members of the VVCC (if you have a family membership this includes all family members).

What: A Silent auction where art pieces will be sold. Artists will garner a percentage of sales, (artists opt to donate either 30% or 100% of sales to support the mission of the VVCC). Paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculpture, photography, fiber art, jewelry, and mixed media-submissions all are welcome.

We are unable to hang paintings on the wall so, if you are bringing a painting, you must supply an easel for display. If you cannot secure an easel, contact Mike Coyne.

When: The Holiday Party Friday 12/20 at the Cottonwood Community Clubhouse. Art should be delivered to the Clubhouse between 10 am and 11 am Friday 12/20 (the morning of the event). If an artist cannot deliver a piece at that time, contact Mike Coyne to see if alternative arrangements are possible. Unsold pieces must be taken home following the auction that evening. (We are unable to store pieces for a pick up later).

Where: Cottonwood Community Clubhouse 805 N Main St., Cottonwood

How: We hope to exhibit as many pieces as possible but space constraints and response may limit the number of pieces accepted. There is no fee to enter. For each submission, participants must provide:

1- Photo of the piece with rough dimensions

2- Name of artist, title of piece, medium and desired starting bid. Artists must also supply a mailing address (for payments).

You may have a starting bid as low as $25 or, as high as you would like.(Artists must be prepared for a piece to sell for as low as their chosen starting bid). Bidding increments during the auction will be by either $5, $10 or $20 depending on the item. (Last year we noticed that items with a high starting bid were less apt to sell).

3- The money will come to VVCC and VVCC will reimburse artists via check after the event.

4- Submissions may be made from now until December 14th-and, should be sent to:

Michael Coyne via email at mtnbikehike@gmail.com

Additionally, Mike Coyne will field any questions- feel free to contact him.

All notification of acceptances will be made by 12/15