State of the Dirt: Spring 2023
Thanks for your support of Falls Area SingleTrack!
We’re looking forward to continuing our mission to protect, create and enhance quality trail experiences for mountain bikers in cooperation with other trail users in the Sioux Falls area during the 2023 season!
Our goal for 2023 is to focus on community engagement, and trail-building education to foster the next generation of trail builders and to continue to develop new trails along the Sioux River Greenway. Be on the lookout on our social channels and website for trail building, maintenance, and education opportunities.
What have we accomplished since the last state of the dirt? A ton! Here are the key takeaways:
Current FAST board members include:
Ben Blomberg, President
RP Dezell, Vice-President
Thad Barnes, Treasurer
Brad Blomberg, Secretary
Jim Massa, City Liaison
Reva Graves, Marketing/Communications Director
Adam Weischedel, Board Member At-Large
The Trail Leaders Program (Formerly Trail Boss)
We have added 3 additional trail leaders to help us keep up with the ongoing maintenance of all of our locations. The following individuals will be our trail leaders for the 2023 summer season:
Andrew Hoy - Dunham & Legacy Parks
Andrew Moore - Tuthill Park
The Lechtenberg Family - Spencer & Pasley Parks
Clay Austin - Leaders Park
We are so grateful to these individuals for stepping up and helping us stay on top of all of the maintenance needs for the summer.
Trails Status
FAST continues to maintain trails at the following parks:
Leaders Park
Yankton Trail Park
Tuthill Park
Legacy Park
Spencer Park
Dunham Park
Pasley Park
Riverdale Park
The trails are looking good and riding great. We will address any needs to these trails as they arise and will continue to make small improvements to them this year.
Trail Updates
Tuthill Park
We have replaced the main drainage bridge and several others with an upgraded bridge design that will be studier and better suited to handle the water flow within the park.
Pasley Park
This trail was officially completed in the summer of 2022. We will continue to maintain and make adjustments to the trail as needed.
Dunham Park
This trail was officially completed in the summer of 2022 as well and we again will continue to maintain and make adjustments to the trail as needed. Already this year we have installed trailhead signs and a bench. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this new addition.
Great Bear
FAST applied for IMBA's Trail Accelerator Grant Program to help fund the planning and design for this project and was awarded $25,000 in match funding for a trail concept design. We are doing our preliminary walk-throughs with IMBA’s Trail Solutions at the beginning of June. Once a design plan is drafted we will be open to opportunities to coordinate with trail-building professionals and start fundraising for the project in the coming year. We are hoping to release the design plan to the public sometime this summer/fall.
Boulevard Park
FAST has plans to add trails along East River Boulevard in Cherry Rock Park. More details to come on this throughout the summer.
25 by 25
So with all these new trails, where does that leave us on our goal of 25 miles of trails by 2025? With all of the additions, we are at around the 16-mile mark.
RTP Grant
FAST has fulfilled its obligations and completed the projects associated with the Federal Recreational Trails Program Grant by updating the bridges at Tuthill Park.
Events
Follow our social media channels for updates on upcoming rides, volunteer sessions, and other events happening throughout 2023. Some may include:
Trail Maintenance
Take a Kid Mountain Biking
Fundraising Events
Membership
There is strength in numbers. FAST continues to be an independent 501c3 non-profit organization. We are a volunteer-driven, membership-based organization that relies on membership dollars to cover operating costs. All of our work is performed by dedicated volunteers, but the tools, materials, insurance, equipment rental, and a thousand other necessary items all cost money. Your support helps us make strategic investments that will ease the cost of maintenance and allow us to plan and develop new mountain bike trails in the Sioux Falls area.
Falls Area Singletrack is a chapter of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA). We have taken steps in aligning with IMBA and unifying a worldwide mountain biking movement. Organizations more closely connected to IMBA have an increased level of support for sustaining our local group's infrastructure including joint membership. A FAST membership is also automatically a membership with IMBA.
Membership processing through IMBA is now $39 for a membership fee per member per year or $50 per year for a family membership. There is also a monthly membership option for as low as $5 per month.