Week 3, September 23th - Fall Trail Kids 2024
The leaves are changing, the trails are dusty, and there’s a slight chill in the air as the sun sets—fall has officially come to Northwest Arkansas. The Trail Kids seem to be loving the seasonal shift, bringing more energy and enthusiasm than ever!
This week, the groups worked on a variety of skills. Coach Donna and her crew focused on body positioning during descents and climbs, while also stretching their legs with an adventure north along the river through Slaughter Pen. Meanwhile, Coach Joel and Jeremy's group teamed up with Coach Evan and Chaleem to pedal south, refining their turning techniques on the beautiful berms of Choo Choo and Heading Home.
With riders spread out across different trails, it was a challenge to keep up! But the cheers of excitement from all of the groups crossing paths made it easy to track them down for some great photo opportunities. It was clear the Trail Kids were getting more comfortable with both their groups and the trails, as they worked together to practice their skills of the day.
Of course, with the usual buzz around catching air, it wasn’t long before the groups converged at the Slaughter Pen skills area and the classic Stone Man jumps on the way back to the trailer.
Wednesday brought a completely different, but equally important, lesson for the Trail Kids—trail maintenance. Thanks to the Trailblazers Trail Adoption Program, BSB has taken on the care of Armadillo’s Last Stand and Tatamagouche. Led by coaches Steve, Kevin, Donna, and Troy, the groups headed over to those trails, spending time raking and clearing our adopted paths.
While working, the coaches shared the importance of respecting the trails we’re lucky to ride on and introduced the kids to some basic trail-building and drainage concepts as they shaped the paths with their rakes.
After wrapping up the trail maintenance, the groups dispersed once more, and I followed some of them to the skills park. There, the coaches guided the Trail Kids through the art of riding drops, pumping rollers, and hitting jumps!
Feeling accomplished (and definitely tired), everyone made their way back to the trailer as the sun set and the cool evening air settled in. With Fall Trail Kids now halfway through, the excitement is high as everyone’s progress continues to shine. We’re all looking forward to the adventures ahead!
Happy Trails,
Sebastian Wallach
BSB Media
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