News

The Western Gateway is now complete!!!! 

Details of the Western Gateway:

• Originally conceived over two decades ago, this ~29 mile non-motorized trail project was approved on May 31, 2018.
  
• Construction occurred during two six month seasons.
• Ground broke on November 8, 2018 with the first of 19 volunteer trail work days over the first season construction season. Season one construction ran through April 2019. The SRRTF sponsored 12 of the 19 workdays through a generous grant from REI. Other volunteer trail workday sponsors included, the VVCC, Over the Edge Sports, Friends of the Forest, Wildlands Trekking, Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau and Keep Sedona Beautiful.
  
• Two four person youth crews from the American Conservation Experience in Flagstaff conducted 8 weeks of work beginning in January 2019. This crew began work during the Federal Government shutdown. 
• The second season began on October 26, 2019 with the first of 15 volunteer trail work days over the Season 2 construction period which ran through early April 2020. The SRRTF and VVCC sponsored 12 of the 15 workdays through generous REI and National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance grants. Other volunteer trail workday sponsors include: Friends of the Forrest, Over the Edge Sports and Enchantment Resort.
• Two eight person youth crews from the American Conservation Experience in Flagstaff conducted 8 weeks of work beginning in January 2020 (report below). Majority of these crews were female and both crews were headed by females. The FS gave this year's ACE effort glowing reports. ACE Report, RRRD 2020.pdf
• The project was 100% community funded.
• • The Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund supplied:
  • • $78,000 to the Forest Service for the project
    • ~$157,000 for the ACE crews during the project
    • ~$4,000 for apres work day refreshments
    • ~$1,500 for mapping
  • VVCC separately spent over $2,800 for signage and trail markers
  • Forest Service provided gatorade and water during season 2
  • Famous Pizza supplied pizza at half price throughout both project seasons on SRRTF and VVCC sponsored volunteer workdays
  • Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma, CA supplied the beer during season 1
  • Largest project contributors to the SRRTF:
  • • VVCC (~$77,000)
    • National Forest Foundation ($50,000 - two separate $25,000 matching award grants, one for each season)
    • Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau ($45,000)
    • Enchantment Resort ($25,000)
    • REI Flagstaff ($11,000)
    • Hundreds of individual contributors.

Nayadin Persaud, Principal of Oak Creek School put together a little video of the kiddos who picked up their new bikes to thank the coaches and the Wheels for Fun program for what we do. Naya also sent over a draft of her letter of support for a grant opportunity we're pursuing that if successful, will result in a small bike park at the school.

FinalBike Program Letter .pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtE1gzzjt6w&feature=share

Forest Service Order Number: 03-04-20-10

PROHIBITION:

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551, and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a) and (b), the following acts are prohibited in the areas, and on the roads, and trails described in this Order and depicted below, within the Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, in Coconino County and Yavapai County, Arizona.

1. Entering or using a developed recreation site or portion thereof. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(b)

2. Being on a trail. 36 C.F.R. § 261.55(a)

3. Being on the road. 36 C.F.R. § 261.54(e)

Due to the current need for social distancing and reduced group numbers the board has determined it is in the best interest and health of all VVCC members that the 2020 Spring Picnic should be canceled. Updates will follow as the year progresses. Be safe and stay healthy.

Great social ride today and our 1st all girl group. Missing Sandy, Kelli and Pam.

Sending Rebecca off  to be a grandmother!

                        Prickley Pear shorts today!

The Coconino National Red Rock Ranger District Trail Crew

First Row From Left: Maya Rugg, Kyle Robb, Forrest Saville, Adan Garcia

Second Row From Left: Matt Barnes, Leslie Geiss, James Godwin, Brett Newcomer, Nick Kowall, Jamie Nickel, Noall Hillyard, Kenny Quillan

A few quick words from the crew about WHY here and where to NEXT in their lives.

Nick Noall            WHY – For the killer views of the Red Rocks!  NEXT – Wildfire crew in California.

James Godwin            WHY – For all the amazing biking!  NEXT – Over the Edge for the summer.

Brett Newcomer        WHY – Building new trails!  NEXT – Trail crew leader in Durango.

Nick Kowall                  WHY – The views!  NEXT – Trail crew in Flagstaff.

Kenny Quillan              WHY – Winter Hiking and Seasonal employment!    NEXT – Trail crew in Oregon.

Matt Barnes                 WHY – The Red Rock are everything!   NEXT – Wilderness Ranger in Oregon

Maya Rugg                    WHY – The beautiful mossy rocks!    NEXT – TBD.

Jamie Nickel                 WHY – This is the best life ever!   NEXT – River Ranger in Glacier NP.

Leslie Geiss                   WHY – Year round trail work!   NEXT – Trail crew in Glacier NP.

Adan Garcia                   WHY – Being from N. Arizona, I love this job because it helps be discover my backyard!   NEXT – Roosevelt Hotshots.

Verde Valley Rally Inaugural MTN Bike Challenge

April 4, 2020

Please join us as a participant or a volunteer for this special event. All net proceeds benefit Bikes for Kids as well as building and maintaining sustainable local trails! This is a family event, so bring them all!

The event begins and ends at Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, with three courses running through Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Coconino National Forest and Tuzigoot National Monument.

Event Website: https://www.verdevalleyrally.com/

The volunteer and participation signups are up and running so if you are interested in volunteering or participating, please sign up.

...to help staff the VVCC Booth and Beer Token Sales Tent and the Sedona MTB Festival March 5th thru 8th

Hurry as Limited Opportunities are Available

All volunteers receive one entry for $16,000 in prizes

Volunteers staff the VVCC Booth - located right next to the Beer Token Sales Booth.  This year, VVCC Booth volunteers will be selling raffle tickets to raise $s for Sedona's non-motorized trail system.

Pick the Volunteer Shift that Best Meets Your Schedule from the Below List

Please Note: volunteers are signing up faster than we can maintain this blog post. If your desired volunteer shift is filled when you go to sign up, please sign up for a different shift .

But Hurry! Volunteer opportunities are space limited and we'd hate for you to miss out on all the fun!

Thank you for volunteering. We couldn't do it without you!

Thursday March 5th

Tent/Booth Set Up

4 PM - 5:30 PM

Friday March 6th

Beer Token Tent

Three Volunteers Needed/Shift

Noon - 4PM (3 slots left)

3PM - 7PM (3 slots left)

VVCC Booth

Three Volunteers Needed/Shift

Noon - 4 PM (1 slot left)

3 PM - 7 PM (2 slots left) 

Mike Raney owner of Over the Edge Sports bike shop received the Excellence for Community Service Award from Keep Sedona Beautiful which is a non profit organization committed to protecting and sustaining the scenic beauty and natural environment of greater Sedona.

Mike and his wife Lauren moved here 9 years ago from Santa Fe, New Mexico for mountain biking and hiking. Mike has been working hard contributing to the trail fund, city council, affordable housing, his bike shop, the MTB festival which he started in 2015 and placing bike fix stands at trail heads. 

But none of this could happen without  maintenance, hard work and all the community support.

Mike is a founding member and serves on the board of director for the Red Rock Trail Fund which raises money for trail maintenance and creating new trails to make Sedona a world class trail network. If not for all our donations  this would not be possible.

Sedona MTB festival raised $25,000 dollars last year for the trail fund and is decreasing its footprint by reducing waste, recycling and encouraging people to ride not drive. 

Knowing all this will help the VVCC volunteer members at the bike festival this March sell more raffle tickets to all the visitor and guests who use the trails and will come back again.

We are so lucky to know Mike is building a better community for all of us here in Sedona.

We recently ran into Trail Crew Supervisor Kyle Robb at a volunteer trail work day.

Kyle - can you please tell our two loyal readers a little about yourself?

I have worked with the FS since 2010...wow how a decade has flown by. I worked in California, Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and here.

What do you see as the biggest differences between the Allegheny and Coconino National Forests?

The biggest differences from the ANF and CNF is really tourism. The landscaped is a given difference but the amount of use the Coconino (really Sedona) gets is soooo much larger to the ANF. To add to that, the ANF has a large reservoir and brings in a lot of boaters, different types of user groups. Lots of hunting and foraging as well. Here on the Sedona side of the Coconino is really land use. Very diverse but tons of tourism.

What are their similarities?

The similarities of the forests is that each forst has use for the whole family. ANF has boating and hunting with the DNF has hiking and biking. There is more to do than just those but both places are family oriented.

If you could be the Forest Service Chief for a day, what would you do - and you can't answer, "take the day off"?

If I was chief for the day, I would go out and work with the trail crew. Being in the office sucks.