The days are getting shorter, the air crisper, and yes — the trails continue to get better. This Sunday is our first-ever GPNEMBA Day at Mt. Abram, with discounted tickets for members (must be pre-purchased!), which I hope you can join. We’ve also got local group rides happening left, right and center at home this month, and still some key trail projects still to come before the season is done. It’s world class all the way, all the time, ’til we need the portable flood lights to keep digging.
Ryan Dunfee
Volunteer President
Greater Portland NEMBA
GPNEMBA Day @ Mt. Abram Bike Park is THIS SUNDAY, September 20th
Our first-ever GPNEMBA Day at Mt. Abram Bike Park is this Sunday, September 20th! $30 discounted lift tickets are available for GPNEMBA members. GPNEMBA members will be coming out to rip a host of downhill trails with all levels, including a big party laps and some guided rides.
10:30 AM: Meet at GPNEMBA tent at West Side lift to pal up for laps
12:00 PM: Load West Side lift for GPNEMBA Party Lap down Grease Slapper or Whiplash
1:00 PM: Load Main Side lift for Upper Mountain steeps tour (advanced riders only)
GPNEMBA has partnered with Falmouth Land Trust and the Town of Falmouth on our first professional trail planning project to guide reinvestment in Blackstrap & North Falmouth Community Forest. This fall, we will be working with the team at Outdoor Sport Institute to evaluate every mile of trail at both properties and develop a trail master plan that will solve for long-term sustainability, reduce user conflicts, and provide the world-class experiences for all users we’ve long believed these properties could host.
Last night we restarted construction on Barred Behavior, the hand-built XC trail we’ve planned out on the other side of Fore River Sanctuary from Riptide. This is designed to be narrower and more technical while still providing good “lower-case flow” to make the most of fun downhill sections connected by short out-of-the-saddle sprints. We’ll be out digging most Mondays after work — if you’d like to join us, sign up for our Portland Trail Crew.
We just finished a re-route of the return climbing trail from the base of Lower Riptide we’re calling Uptidethat will provide a more accessible climb out from the end of Riptide. We also reconfigured the Fore River Sanctuary trail names on Trailforks to reflect the actual names from Portland Trails’ trailmap to reduce confusion.
Work is underway to complete and enhance the jump lines at Lavoie Bike Park with the help of Max Southam and the Mt. Abram Trail Crew. Max will be helping us bring the biggest dirt jump line to life while refining some of the other lines to ride better. Major thanks to the Town of Gorham and GPNEMBA members for your support!
