GPNEMBA’s Big 2026 Start-of-Season Update

Yes! We want to rock (and ride)! As we ride out of this epic winter into the best season yet for Greater Portland mountain biking, it takes patience at this critical time of year when many of our trail systems are sensitive as they thaw out from winter. Some segments are bone dry, including many sections of your favorite trail network that GPNEMBA volunteers have fixed to improve drainage. And many are soaked to the bone, with clay soils that will turn to peanut butter in the afternoon until they dry out and harden completely.

Remember the golden rule of spring: if your tire is sinking more than in inch deep, it’s time to turn around. GPNEMBA organizes more than 2,000 hours of volunteer-led trailwork every single season. We’d rather be improving trails, and building new ones, than going back fixing the odd rutted section because our community was impatient.

As things dry out, there are some formal closures. Riverton Bike Park right now is closed off until things dry out, and Falmouth will soon enact their annual spring trail closure until things dry out. But this is really on you — steward your trails with your own riding decisions. Thank you!

In a clear sign that GPNEMBA is becoming a very serious, very adult organization, we’ve already mapped out our full group ride and event calendar before the season starts—huge thanks to our badass Chief of Staff, Liz Coffey. We’ve got spring and fall socials, weekly group rides, a GPNEMBA Day at Mt. Abram this fall, and plenty of other good times lined up. It’s going to be a hoot.

But we need your help to make it all happen. If you’ve ever thought about leading folks down some minty‑sweet trails, consider becoming a Group Ride Leader. Our Chief Ride Leader, Michael Greene, could use support covering different paces and continuing to grow our women’s and queer ride series in 2026.

Interested? Fill out the Group Ride Leader intake form and we’ll be in touch!

We do our big stuff in the winter, but we also had our best winter ever for fat biking in Greater Portland. After years of grooming at Bradbury State Park and around Gorham (even including a paid groomer we support in collaboration with the Town of Gorham), we expanded our grooming operations to cover a new 9-mile loop in East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve (in partnership with the Town of Windham and Presumpscot Regional Land Trust), and were about to start grooming a new loop in Falmouth (in partnership with the Town of Falmouth & Falmouth Land Trust) until we got whacked by the rain later in March. We were also able to purchase a new Rokon two-wheel ATV for winter trail grooming and summer trail maintenance with $4,000 from Evergreen Credit Union (thanks guys!!).

Also this winter, we hosted our first Partner Dinner with our friends at Portland Trails, Portland Parks & Rec, Portland Parks Conservancy the Town of Gorham, Gorham Conservation Commission, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Falmouth Land Trust, Cumberland & Chebeague Land Trust and the Town of Falmouth. We at GPNEMBA don’t own a single acre of land — every trail we’re able to build and maintain for mountain bikers is thanks to the good grace of our partners. So we mostly just wanted to say THANK YOU!! (yes, in all caps) but also get everyone on the same page about the history of our work, where we want to go (world class!!), and to gain insight into how we could become a better partner.

It stimulated a great conversation, and surprised even me to see the variety of partnerships we’ve been privileged to develop and the amazing things we’re able to bring the Greater Portland community as partners. We can’t say enough how lucky we are to work with the partners we have in 2026, and how excited we are to do big things together. Consider becoming a member of these critical orgs in addition to your GPNEMBA membership!

GPNEMBA is run entirely by volunteers. The strength of our ability to make Greater Portland a world-class mountain biking community is dependent entirely on riders just like you taking time before and after work and on weekends to organize volunteers, lead group rides build relationships with landowners, study properties for trail projects, fix eroded trails, set up meetings with potential donors, and dig, dig, dig. 

Karen Herrick has served as our Treasurer for the past two years at a time when our growing ambition for new trail projects required much more mature financial management. We want to thank Karen for all her work helping us raise the bar for our organization’s financial management, making sure that every dollar supporters like you send our way finds its way to the most impactful use in Greater Portland. Karen — thank you. We will miss you, and can’t way to ride with you in Carrabassett Valley soon! 

We are grateful Craig Frey, another local riders and professional CPA, is taking over as our new Treasurer. Thanks, Craig!