Archive for the ‘Conejo Valley’ Category

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Sapwi Bike Park Updates

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

Building the pump track at Sawpi Trails in late February, 2018.

The Conejo Recreation and Park District is in the final stages of preparing the park for CORBA to build out the features within the park. The grading and clearing is completed. The staging for the amenities and fencing start in about 2-3 weeks.

The photo shows some activities from a workday this past weekend.

We’ve previously written about Sapwi Trails park progress. Here is our comprehensive October 2017 update, and information about IMBA’s fundraising drive to support the bike park.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Sapwi Trails | Comments Closed

Dig In for Sapwi Bike Park!

Wednesday, November 1st, 2017

IMBA’s Dig In campaign is live!  Our Sapwi Bike Park project is moving forward and you can help make it happen sooner. Sapwi Bike Park will be free to the public, featuring jumps, drops, pump tracks, flow lines, trails, and as much stoke factor as you can have on a bike!

We’ve received a generous grant from REI to get us going, but to make this a reality we need to raise much more.

Visit: https://win.imba.com/digin?chapter=223846 and make a donation towards building a new, free community bike park in Thousand Oaks. There are 68 projects to which you can donate, so be sure to choose CORBA’s Sapwi Bike Park.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your donation, every cent counts.

Posted in Bike Skills Park, Conejo Valley, Fundraising | Comments Closed

Building the first trail in the new Sapwi Trails Park on Oct 21.

Sunday, October 22nd, 2017

On Saturday during the Conejo Fall Trailwork Day, a group of 193 volunteers helped build the first trail in Sapwi Trails Park. We completed 0.67 miles, about half of the new trail. Some of it was along a very steep cross-slope so we had to move a lot of dirt to establish the tread.

Much of the rest of the trail was across a gentle cross-slope, so it can be traversed even if it hasn’t been finished.

You can see photos of some of the work that was done in our photo gallery, as well as pictures of the lunch and muk-a-muks who turned out to celebrate the occasion.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Trail Building and Restoration, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Sapwi Bike Park Update

Sunday, October 22nd, 2017

It was October 10, 2016, that the City of Thousand Oaks approved the Sapwi Trails Community Park master plan, including bike park amenities for which CORBA and the mountain biking community had so enthusiastically advocated.

Since that time the Conejo Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) have been moving the project forward. They received grant funding from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the City of Thousand Oaks and other sources for park facilities such as fencing, parking, playground, and other amenities. CRPD have awarded a construction contract, and work on the larger park facilities has begun.

Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, CORBAs Sapwi Comittee at the Groundbreaking Ceremony

A ceremonial groundbreaking took place on October 21, with Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Dignitaries from the Conejo Open Space Conservation Foundation, Conejo Rec and Parks District Board, and user groups including CORBA’s Sapwi trails committee.

Earlier this year CORBA formed the Sapwi Committee to oversee the project. The committee have been meeting monthly, discussing the park, refining our vision, and strategizing our best path forward.

CORBA President Steve Messer Receives REI Grant for Sapwi Bike Park

CORBA received a grant of $15,000 from our friends at REI to get the project underway. We’re putting that seed funding to good use, enlisting the services of professional bike park design firm FlowRide Concepts to do the design. They have designed some of the most fun bike parks in the country and around the world.

Discussing our vision with Shea from FlowRide Concepts

Dirt sculptor Shea from FlowRide met with committee members in October, and spent two days assessing the site. He also had extensive discussions with CRPD, to help optimize the site and layout of the bike park. The design process is now underway.

Sapwi Trails Community Park will also include up to five miles of multi-use singletrack trails that could host cross country running meets, training rides for high school mountain bikers and cross-country runners, or even cyclocross events. Work on the first section of those trails began on October 21.

These multi-use trails will also include a number of optional skill-building features for cyclists. These “bike skill stations” will be added over time, and may include rock gardens, jumps, log skinnies or other fun and skill-building features, and will be signed one-way and bike-only.

 

While many volunteers worked on the first new trail, about 35 volunteers began work on the first of those bike skill stations, an alternate line that will include tabletop jumps, berms and rollers. See the complete report here.

You can help make Sapwi Bike park happen. Donate to the cause at https://win.imba.com/digin?chapter=223846. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and watch for volunteer work days to be scheduled over the coming months.

With your help, we hope to be riding Sapwi Bike Park’s first phase next summer.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Bike Skills Park, Conejo Valley | Comments Closed

Help build another new trail during the COSCA Annual Trailwork Day, October 21

Tuesday, August 29th, 2017

Join CORBA, SMMTC, COSCA and other volunteer groups to work on the Conejo Open Space trails in Thousand Oaks.

This year we’ll be working in the new Sapwi Trails area, near Westlake Blvd and Avenida De Arboles. This new area will include a bike park as well as trails and other recreational activities. The plans have recently been approved and funding secured.

There will be a thank you lunch and prize drawings at noon after the work. This is a great event with lots of like-minded folks to help out. If you use the trails in Thousand Oaks, come out and help build and maintain them! No prior experience is necessary and all volunteers work at their own pace, taking plenty of time to rest and chat with other trail enthusiasts!

This annual Conejo Valley event always helps to put some very sweet trails into good shape. Be sure to stay afterwards for the free lunch and raffle.

Details are available on our 2017 COSCA Annual Trailwork Day event on Meetup.com. While there, register online to show your support!

Things to bring:

• work gloves
• long pants and long sleeved shirt
• water, snack
• sunglasses and sunblock

Tools and instructions on how to use them safely will be provided. There will be a free thank-you lunch and prize give-away afterwards from noon until 2:00 pm.

Posted in Bike Skills Park, Conejo Valley, Trail Access, Trail Building and Restoration, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

Sapwi Trails Bike Park Moves Forward

Wednesday, June 28th, 2017

CRPD listened to the public’s desires for non-mainstream recreational facilities, including the Bike Park, Frisbee Golf, Model Aircraft Launch, and hiking and biking trails. This is also balanced by habitat preservation and restoration, with only about 18 acres of the 145 acre park being developed. Things are moving forward with the park’s master design almost ready to be put out to bid.

CORBA and the Conejo Rec and Parks District (CRPD) have entered into an agreement to help bring a bike skills park to Sapwi Trails Community Park in Thousand Oaks. The agreement allows us to raise funds, hire design and construction contractors, put volunteers to work, and work side-by-side with the CRPD to make this happen.

 

 

 

To help fulfill our responsibilities under the agreement CORBA has formed the Sapwi Trails Committee, chaired by board member Peter Sullivan, with local cyclists, coaches, industry and a high school student-athlete who has already earned his Teen Trail Corps “Speak” badge for his efforts. The Committee consists of fifteen members, all local to, and with a direct interest in the park.

The committee is now soliciting input from the public on what types of amenities people would like to see at Sapwi Trails Bike Park. The online survey is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2V7ZKFP. Let us know what you’d like to see at the Conejo Valley’s first mountain bike park.

CRPD has recieved funding from a variety of sources. At the June meeting of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, CRPD was awarded a grant of $1.7m. Funding is now in place for the park’s infrastructure (bathrooms, parking, fencing, playgrounds, etc), with the final touches being put on the plans before going out to bid.

CORBA will be raising funds for the park, so watch out for fundraiser announcements. Follow the Sapwi Bike Park on Facebook or Instagram.

Posted in Advocacy, Bike Skills Park, Conejo Valley | 1 Comment »

COSCA Seeks Volunteers for Trailhead Outreach

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

March 2, 2009

The Conejo Open Space Trails Advisory Committee (COSTAC) of the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) needs two volunteers for any of the Trails Outreach events. These events are scheduled for Saturday or Sundays from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. at various COSCA trailheads (see below). The volunteers will provide information to hikers, mountain bikers and runners about the Conejo Open Space, such as

  • trail maps
  • hike and event schedules
  • environmental education
  • COSCA volunteer opportunities

Training is provided on site on the day of the event.

Please email Steve Forman (Outreach Coordinator) if you would like to help out on any of these dates forman3d@hotmail.com

March 7th: Los Robles (south end of Moorpark Rd.)
May 16; Lang Ranch
June 27: Los Robles
October 3rd: Wildwood

Posted in Conejo Valley, Etiquette | Comments Closed

Mustard Growth on the New Millennium Trails in Calabasas

Friday, May 9th, 2008

May 9, 2008

Spring has sprung and so did the Mustard plants! The New Millennium Trail has become so overgrown with this plant the trail is unusable at this time! The CORBA Trail Crew was out on 4/15 and 4/17 working on the trail. It was a slow process but we managed to clear .7 of a mile from the intersection of the Bark Park Trail heading south.  There is still much work to be done!

CORBA has been communicating with the Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) to come up with a solution to get this great trail passable once again! The MRT has mobilized their Crew to work on brush removal on the trail. The CORBA Trail Crew returned to the trail on 5/9 and worked on some slides and erosion problems on the South side of the trail near Normans Way.

The MRT Crew has cleared the brush from Parkway Calabasas past Normans Way/Stokes Canyon to the switchbacks and Parkway Calabasas towards Calabasas Road/Gun Club Road past the water tank on the ridge above the other set of switchbacks.

We hope to be able to report very soon that the entire trail is once again usable!

Web pages to check out:

December 7, 2008 Update: The trails are completely clear of mustard and other weeds.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Access, Trail Building and Restoration, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

We fixed a lot of ruts during the Conejo Spring Trailwork Day on March 18th!

Saturday, March 18th, 2017

We weren’t able to fix this huge rut because we didn’t have enough volunteers. The COSCA rangers will figure out how to fix it when they have some time.

From the beginning, the plan had been to build a reroute of the ridgeline Peninsula Trail in the Western Plateau. The new route would have a better view, be more rolling, and be easier to maintain. However, the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) rangers changed that plan a couple of weeks ago because many of the trails had developed severe ruts from all the rain we’ve had. And did we fill in a lot of ruts! Also we built some new drains to help prevent future ruts from forming.

Sixty-Five volunteers signed in on Saturday morning to help, almost half of them from various Meetup groups, including CORBA’s. We had planned to split into 5 crews, each of which was to tackle a different section of the trail, mostly on the Hawk Canyon Trail. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough volunteers so we only had four crews, and one severly rutted area when unrepaired.

Crew 5 widens the trail on the Baxter Singletrack.

My crew tackled the new Baxter Singletrack Trail that was built last October during the Conejo Annual Trailwork Day. We filled in lots of ruts, built at least four new drains and cleaned out a couple of old ones. Despite all the drenching we’ve had, overgrown brush wasn’t a significant problem.

You can see the gallery from today’s work at this thumbnail gallery.

We headed back up the trail to get back to the registration area by noon to take part in the thank-you barbecue. The COSCA ranger always cook up the best post-trailwork grub!

Thanks to all the CORBA volunteers and other who came out to help! Everyone did a great job and as a result the trails are in much better shape.

Posted in Conejo Valley, Trail Building and Restoration, Trail Crew | Comments Closed

CORBA welcomes Peter Sullivan to the Board of Directors

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

At our February 2017 board meeting, we were excited to have a new nominee for our Board of Directors. His approval was unanimous. We welcome Peter Sullivan to CORBA’s Board.

Peter has been active in cycling since his Schwinn Stingray days in the 1970s. He’s been riding and racing since the earliest days of mountain biking, and still competes.  He also enjoys getting out and exploring on his gravel grinder. Most recently, he’s been tightly involved in the SoCal High School Cycling League as a coach for the Newbury Park High School Mountain Bike Team. Newbury Park took third place in the high school State Championships last year, a reflection of Peter and his fellow coaches’ dedication and effectiveness.As a high school coach, he’s already given back so much to the sport, and especially to the student-athletes he has trained. Mentoring student-athletes, and helping them build confidence, fitness and bike handling skills are just a part of it. Sharing his love of the sport completes the package.

He’s seen the sport grow from its roots in the 70s, though its infancy in the early 80s, to an Olympic, College, and High School sport today.  He’s seen mountain biking become more and more popular and understands all too well the importance of actively working to keep access to our existing trails and to seek out and open up new opportunities.  As mountain biking grows, so must our access to quality trails and places to ride.

“Mountain biking and cycling have given so much to me over the years that I thought it was time I give back,” said Sullivan.  “I’m excited about having a bike park project in my neighborhood too,” he added.

One of the newest opportunities we have is the Sapwi Trails Bike Park in Thousand Oaks. Peter has been an advocate for this project since its inception. He’ll be serving on a new committee to oversee development of the bike park, and is excited to work on this project. We’ll be holding a meeting about it in a few weeks, so stay tuned.

CORBA is fortunate and excited to have Peter’s local knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication working with us to support all mountain bikers in SoCal.

Again, welcome and thank you Peter.

Posted in Bike Skills Park, Board of Directors, Conejo Valley, CORBA News, High School League | Comments Closed

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