April 10, 2020 UPDATE:

In an effort to curb the risks of spreading the coronavirus and to avoid accidents that might require medical attention, the US Forest Service has implemented a temporary halt to volunteer work in our forests to protect as many people as possible. 

Effective immediately, all volunteer field work is suspended in the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest and the Crooked River Grasslands, all managed by the USFS. It’s our understanding this ‘stand down’ will be in effect through May 8th, at least.

To be clear, this means the forests are closed to volunteer trail/field work, whether in groups or individually.

Thanks for your understanding and patience. Stay safe and healthy. And hang in there - we're as anxious as you are to get back out there!

March 28, 2020
Effective March 27, 2020, coronavirus-related closures and restrictions for public lands managed by the USFS and BLM have been put in place. COTA will continue to update this article as changes occur.

​Central Oregon National Forests Temporarily Close All Developed Recreation Sites
USFS Central Ore. — March 27, 2020 — To align with Governor Brown’s executive order directing people to stay home to save lives, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland have temporarily closed all developed recreation sites, to include campgrounds, day-use sites, boat ramps, trailheads, Sno-Parks, fire lookouts, and OHV areas. 
 
These recreation closures are necessary to address social distancing guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control, align with Oregon State Governor Kate Brown’s Executive Order to avoid unnecessary travel, including travel for recreational purposes, and reduce pressure on emergency services in local communities. [press release attached below]

COTA has received clarification from the USFS/Bend office: 

- Trailheads are closed; do not drive to or park nearby.
- Forest Service roads and singletrack trails are still open at this time. 
- Ride from your back door only. Skip shuttling or carpools, or driving out to trails.

PLEASE follow these suggestions:

- Ride solo or with 1-2 others, maintain 6+ feet physical distance between you!
- Ideally, ride forest service roads INSTEAD of singletrack. Some trails are still experiencing freeze/thaw soggy conditions. Plus you simply CAN'T pass safely on singletrack without riding wide. Don't do it. Protect yourself, protect others, protect nature.
- Ride easy....the ER & Urgent Care Centers do NOT want more customers.
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You can find all kinds of gravel riding routes on Dirty Freehub's website here.

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BLM Prineville District temporarily closes some recreation facilities and areas  
Central Oregon – The health and safety of our visitors and staff remains the number one priority of the Bureau of Land Management. Consistent with the closures already put forward by our partners, as well as with the guidance provided by the CDC and Governor Brown’s Stay at Home Executive Order No. 20-12, the Prineville District is temporarily closing access and use of many of its developed recreation facilities to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

These closures include boating on the Lower Deschutes and John Day Wild and Scenic Rivers.  The river closures will also include bathrooms at developed recreation areas as well as boat launches.  Access to day-use sites, trails, and all roads remains open.

In addition, outside of the Lower Deschutes and John Day Rivers, restroom facilities at all developed recreation sites will be closed, and all developed campgrounds will be temporarily closed to overnight camping as of 12:01 AM on April 1, 2020. Trash pickup and sanitation services on most of these recreation facilities will also be temporarily suspended. Access to day-use sites including trailheads is still available. Visitors currently in campgrounds will have until 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2020 to leave. Sites remaining open for day-use (hiking, mountain biking, etc.) will be posted with measures for safe recreation.

Despite facility closures, millions of acres of BLM-managed public lands across Oregon remain open to enjoy. We encourage all visitors, particularly those who are elderly, have underlying health conditions, or are otherwise vulnerable, to make smart decisions and follow CDC guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Source: KTVZ Channel 21, Bend. 

Stay safe & healthy, everyone☘️

​March 28, 2020 Update: Please note that the March 31st, April 6th and April 20th trainings have been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. We will reschedule and post to Meetup when trainings resume. Thank you.
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Interested in becoming a COTA Trail Steward? It's a great way to get involved and give some love back to the trails you enjoy.

Multiple Trail Stewardship Level 1 trainings are on the schedule, with 3 trainings in Bend and 1 in Sunriver. Level 2 & Level 3 trainings coming up soon.

Level 1: Intro into Basic Trail Maintenance and PowerPoint Presentation*
This is a 2 hour in classroom presentation geared towards folks who have some interest in trail work. We will cover the big 3: Log out, Brush out, and Water Management. Goals are to introduce attendees on what we do, why we do it and how we do it, and how to do it safely. This is Part 1 of a 3 part series towards becoming a COTA Trail Steward, and for some that wish to become a Trail Crew Leader. We encourage as many as possible to come out and learn the basics.

Monday, March 9th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Tuesday, March 31st, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Monday, April 6th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Monday, April 20th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Sunriver Lodge in Sunriver Info/Signup Here

Level 2: Full day in the woods applying what we learned in the Level 1*
Dates TBD

Level 3: Advanced Trail Maintenance, Personal Protection and Crew Leader Training*
Dates TBD
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*Registration required; attendance is free. Trainings will be posted on Meetup in near future. Make sure you're a member of COTA's Meetup page here.

What's a Trail Steward? 
Stewards are trained volunteers whom sign up with COTA to perform basic trail maintenance needs for trails that COTA has a Volunteer Agreement with land managers (ex. USFS, BLM) to maintain. Trail maintenance needs include: logout (up to a log size that can be cut with hand saws (chainsaw use requires additional training and certification), brushing, water management needs (clean out current drains and creating new ones as needed), and basic trail tread maintenance.
- Prerequisites: 1+ year as a trail volunteer locally or other places
- Training Requirements: Minimum 4 hour training course for Level 1 Trail Steward and additional training requirements for Level 2-4. Trail work and experience from other locations will be considered for grandfathering in Trail Stewards after some brief training in COTA protocols.
- Expectations: Attend at least 2 work events, & log all volunteer hours; min 2 year commitment.

Level 1 - Learn how to look for trail issues, using the COTA App. Focuses on brush, treadwork, sight lines, safety, land management volunteer agreements.

Level 2 - At this intermediate level training, attendees will learn how to logout using folding saws; build/improve drains; build corners to withstand heavy use; and will also have a powerpoint component to delve into more detailed situational analysis of more advanced Trail Maintenance Techniques. This training is highly encouraged for anyone wishing to have a more complete skill set of trail maintenance techniques.

Level 3 - Group management, USFS Trail Design Parameters, land manager process/policies. Classroom setting. Levels 1 and 2 trainings are required for Level 3.

Are you interested in serving on the COTA Board? Join a fun group of people who work together well and make it happen! This is your chance to develop, protect and enhance mountain biking in Central Oregon. 

There are 3 Member at-large Board positions up for election this year, in addition to Redmond Chapter Representative and Sisters Chapter Representative (5 board positions possible). Chapter reps must reside in the community they wish to represent.

How it works: Complete the nomination form and submit by April 30th. You must be a current COTA member (renew/join here). In May we will assemble a Voter's Guide, so that the election process can begin with the official ballot sent by email to all members. 

The election process timeline:
Now through April 30th, 2020, end of day: Nomination submission period open. Nomination Form here.
May 1st-4th: Election ballot assembled.
May 5th: Ballots emailed to all current COTA members.
May 19th, end of day: Ballot submission period closes.
May 24th (or before): All candidates notified of election results.
June 16th: All new, incoming Board members introduced at the Annual Members Meeting, held on Tuesday evening, June 16, 2020 at Loge Camp in Bend. A short Board meeting will follow the Members meeting.

Board of Directors Job Description
COTA’s Board of Directors is a vibrant group of people committed to developing, protecting, and enhancing mountain biking in Central Oregon. COTA’s Board is responsible for organization-level direction setting and decision making. Board members do most of the managerial and administrative work required to advance COTA’s mission. 

Board members attend approximately one 2-hour Board meeting per month. In addition, Board members manage committees, plan events, represent COTA at community functions, participate in fundraising efforts, and do many other tasks. Board members should expect to spend a minimum of 15 hours per month on COTA business. Most Board members spend much more time than this due to their passion for our work. 

The Board is elected by COTA’s membership. Board members serve 3-year terms. Board members must be current dues-paying COTA members for the duration of their term and should reside in Central Oregon. Prior Board and trail work experience are helpful but not necessary to serve on the Board. Other skills that are useful but not required include: event management, finance, general administration, volunteer management, fundraising, information technology, and marketing.
 
COTA’s Board is currently comprised of 15 members. COTA’s three Officers—Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer—are elected from within the Board. Six members are chapter representatives: Bend, Crook County, Madras, Redmond, Sisters, and South Deschutes County. The remaining 6 members are at-large. At-large members are expected to manage at least one committee. COTA’s committees currently include Trails, Communications, Advocacy, Finance, Membership, Fundraising, Training, Strategic Planning, Events, and Elections. Board members or active volunteers also fill four Coordinator roles: Trails Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, and Sponsorship Coordinator. 

Questions? If you have questions and would like to speak with a current Board member to learn more, please email us here.

Here's the COTA Board Nomination Form once again.

COTA's South Deschutes County (SoDeCo) Chapter happily shares the good news of receiving a $10,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon in early December. The grant will help pay for costs associated with the construction of the new Sunriver Trails network, including informational kiosks and signage, machine rentals, and tree planting. 

The SoDeCo Chapter applied for the grant earlier this fall with the support of the Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce.  We also received letters of support from Sunriver Resort and Sunriver Brewing Company. 

This grant requires a 25% match, so Village Bike & Ski in Sunriver, owned by Kevin Slane, will be making a $2,500 donation to go along with the grant. Thank you Kevin!

And of course, our sincere thanks to Visit Central Oregon for their generous grant.

Congrats to the Winter Grooming Raffle Grand Prize Winners, Gretchen R. and Tim P.!

Gretchen, pictured with Fuzzy John of Fatback Bikes, & Tim (not in attendance) each won a set of Fatback's brand new BIG SU fat tire wheel sets with DT-Swiss Big Ride hubs. Super strong, lightweight & tubeless ready, these are totally awesome wheels, and a set of fattie tires from PB Sports!

THANK YOU RAFFLE TIX BUYERS for netting us nearly $2600 to help offset our grooming costs.

THANK YOU PRIZE DONATORS for quality goods & services:

Fatback Bikes - wheel sets + PB Sports fattie tires
Crow's Feet: A Mountain Collective - 2 sets of fattie tires
Hutch's Bicycles - Garmin 820 + Specialized helmet
Cog Wild Mountain Bike Tours & Shuttle - 2 unlimited shuttles season passes
Pine Mountain Sports - 5 fat tire rentals
Modus Sport Group - Lazer helmet, Shimano winter boots, and pedals
The Gear Fix 4 - $25 Gift certificates

...and great goodies from...

Sunnyside Sports
WebCyclery & WebSkis
The Hub Cyclery
BendTrails
Picky Bars
Zealious
SRAM
The Loam Wolf
Hydro Flask

Our thanks to WebCyclery for hosting the raffle event at your gorgeous store.

And a big thanks to COTA Winter Trail Steward, Gary Meyer, for your dedication in developing, grooming and fundraising for the winter trails so many get to enjoy.

Grooming winter fatbike trails is expensive, because it requires snowmobiles and unique grooming equipment, fuel and machine maintenance. It also means countless hours from volunteer trail groomers, in wintry conditions. Trail support really comes from you, the awesome fatbike trail user. Click HERE to enter.

This year we have two Grand Prizes, generously donated by Fatback Bikes. Fatback Bikes is an Alaskan fat bike brand that manufactures fat tire mountain bikes meant to be ridden in some of the harshest places in the world. 

TWO GRAND PRIZES: Fatback BIG SU Fat Bike Wheelsets with your choice of DT Swiss 350 Big Ride Hubs or Fatback's Alaska Edition Hubs (for very cold conditions) - 2 complete sets will be raffled off so we'll have 2 Grand Prize Winners!

The BIG SU Wheelsets with the DT Swiss Hubs retail for $899. Detailed wheelset specs found here.

Other Top Prizes:
- Garmin 820 Cycling Computer, donated by Hutch’s
- Shimano Winter Boots & Pedals, donated by Modus Sports Group
- Fat Bike Rentals, donated by Pine Mountain Sports
- CogWild Bend Shuttle Season Passes, donated by Lev

Plus helmets, beanies, gift certificates, gloves and much more!
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Additional prizes donated by local companies: Hutch's Bicycles, Modus Sport Group, Webcyclery, Pine Mountain Sports, The Gear Fix, CogWild, Sunnyside Sports, The Hub Cyclery, Bendtrails.org, SRAM, Zealios, Picky Bar, Loam Wolf, HydroFlask.

$20 per ticket or 3 for $50. Only 400 tickets will be sold.

Your donation helps pay for the grooming of the fatbike trails. All proceeds go to COTA Wanoga Fatbike Trail Grooming. 

STEP RIGHT UP & ENTER HERE. 

Drawing at Web Cyclery: The winning ticket will be drawn on December 4th, 2019.  Fatbike wheel set winners do not need to be present to win, but for all other prizes you MUST be present to win. Doors open at 6:00pm, raffle drawing starts at 6:30pm. Web Cyclery is located in the Old Stone Church at 157 NW Franklin Ave in Bend.

​Thank you for your incredible support!

Check out this fantastic recap of a highly productive trail building day, created by Bindy Beck-Meyer.

In addition to frequent smaller work events, a few times a year we gather as a large group to work in the morning, then come back to enjoy lunch and a cold brew together. 

Our thanks to everyone who came out on October 26th to help us make serious progress on the black diamond, hand-built sections of COD and Lone Wolf trails. Volunteers make ALL the difference!

Join us for our final Bend Chapter Meeting of the year, on Tuesday, November 12th at 6:30pm.

Our special guest speaker will be Bronwen Mastro, the Landscape Architect at our Bend Park & Rec Dept. in charge of the Big Sky Bike Park project. Bronwen will give us an update and progress report on this highly anticipated and well supported addition to recreational biking options here in Bend. Bring your questions and comments.

We'll also talk about the Winter Fat Bike Trails Raffle, where yet again Fatback Bikes has graciously donated our TWO grand prize giveaways of two Fatback Big SU wheelsets with DT Swiss hubs, valued at $899 per wheelsext!

Everyone welcome to attend, meet fellow bike and outdoor enthusiasts, and get updates on trails. Hot pizza and cold drinks provided.

Hutch's Rack N Roll is hosting us again this meeting. Thank you! 

Please RSVP on Meetup here so we bring enough eats. Hope to see you there.

​Come dig with us! We need your help at our Trail Love Fall Edition work party on Saturday, October 26th.

While we have many work events throughout the year, we like to gather a big crowd a couple times to get a bunch of important work done and meet some of our fellow riders while doing it.

When/Where:
We'll meet at Loge Camp's grassy area on Saturday, Oct. 26th at 9am for coffee, light snacks and get the pregame notes, then break out into work teams and head out for a few hours of trail work. Everyone meets back at Loge for lunch & brews on us. 

Projects:
​We’ll be building out more of the COD Black Diamond section (all hand built - we're looking at you rock-smiths), and doing some much needed trail maintenance after the rigors of summer usage. Maintenance includes clearing run-off drains, pruning sight lines, raking & repairing tread, etc.

No experience needed, just a desire to give back to the trails you love.

Info/RSVP on Meetup here.