Creating Mountain Biking Trails

The Cyclists of the Gitchee Gummee Shores mission is to improve opportunities for people cycling in the Twin Ports. After approval from the city, they have a new project. The trails in Lester Park are in the process of becoming official city trails. "The trail as it is now was just kind of created by people trying to walk along the river kind of going from point A to point B. Or deer or other game," said Adam Sundberg, COGGS chair. "We're trying to reach the potential of the trail quality that you could have here in duluth," added Matt Evingson, the COGGS trail coordinator. "It's important for the average person who does enjoy these trails to realize they're not made by the city, they're made by volunteers and it helps you appreciate I think that trail riding even more."

When COGGS is done, there will be four miles of legitimate and environmentally sustainable trail for all members of the community. "You need to build it so you're not creating a harmful impact on the environment. Pin flags are used to create the layout of the new pieces of trail, and then the real work begins. "From there we take a brush saw and just kind of clear all the brush out and then we use hand tools. Just kind of getting down to the hard soil and leveling it so water will drain off of it properly," said Sundberg.

COGGS is literally making ground on their biggest goal, trails from one side of Duluth to the other. "This is going to be something that beginners can come out and have a good experience and then people that are advanced can have a lot of fun because it's still made for mountain bikes and they can just rip through it," said Sundberg.

COGGS hopes to have the rehab of the trail done by the end of the Fall, and in the Spring the Lester trails will be marked for the very first time. "This is a beautiful area and it's right in town. The terrain is nice, a little varied terrain and the incline decline I think for mountain biking is always fun," said Evingson.

If you would like to help with the trail building anyone and everyone is welcome. Visit www.coggs.com for more information.