News

The Arizona Office of Tourism has put together recommendations regarding recreation around Arizona during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can read about it at:  https://tourism.az.gov/responsible-recreation-across-arizona/ and http://tourism.az.gov .

Conner Hunt was one of the original group of bike club students at Oak Creek Elementary. For those coaches who haven't had the opportunity to meet Conner (or his younger brother Nolan), Conner and Nolan really took to the program.  In May 2019, as a rising 7th grader, Conner earned a new bike and the only reason he didn't participate in bike club last fall was because he joined the NICA team and his mom was getting him to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Conner, Nolan and their older brother Wille have been building bike jumps in their yard.

Unfortunately, Conner's new bike got run over by a car and destroyed late last year. When Principal Nayadin told me about it, we conjured up a scheme where, by performing community service around the school, Conner could earn a replacement bike. The attached video shows his being surprised to receive it. If you listen closely, you can hear Conner say "I though I had to do more..." 

 Conners bike.mp4

So far, 46 new bikes, helmets and locks have been awarded to students in the Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary School District and 26 bikes/helmets/locks are on order for Beaver Creek and Camp Verde students who have earned them and will be delivered later this month. With a little luck, over 80 bikes will be awarded this year throughout the Verde Valley.

The Bike Park at Oak Creek Elementary (and Mountain View Academy in Cottonwood) moved another step closer to reality on Wednesday. The Catena Foundation, in conjunction with Progressive Trail Designs (PTD) out of Bentonville, AR, awarded a joint grant/in-kind donation for PTD to work with the schools and FUN on the concept design. We have a kickoff call on Monday. PTD did a site visit in early March and the grant deliverable will be a report on both schools’ proposed bike parks with maps, site plans, estimates, descriptions, etc. The budget estimate will be a rough order of magnitude and the designs will be conceptual. PTD will also provide a budget for more detailed plans and construction documents if necessary. Catena is funding up to $14,500 and Progressive Trail Design is donating up to $10,500 in services for this phase of the project.

Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary School Superintendent, Steve King, has agreed to provide the land necessary for these bike parks and has coordinated with Valley Academy for Career & Technology Education (VACTE) Superintendent Robert Wier to commit to having VACTE provide the student labor and heavy equipment for the project as part of VACTE's hands on vocational training offering. We just need to raise $$$ for material and a professional trail builder foreperson and we have been invited to submit a grant application by the Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned!

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)