Chickasaw National Recreation Area is hosting the International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew on Saturday, March 6, 2010 to talk trails, teach people proper trail-building techniques, and spend quality time digging in the dirt. The event will begin at 9:00 A.M. at the park’s Travertine Nature Center and in the afternoon travel to the park’s Rock Creek Multi-Use Trail corridor for some hands-on practice. Everyone is invited to attend this trail-building event. For more information on this event, contact Randy Scoggins at 580 622-7245. Registration for the IMBA Trail-building School will be available through IMBA’s website at: https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=5
The award-winning Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program includes two full-time, professional teams of trail experts who travel North America year-round, leading IMBA Trail-building Schools, meeting with government officials and land managers, and working with IMBA-affiliated groups to improve mountain biking opportunities. IMBA's crews have led more than 1,000 trail projects since the program debuted in 1997.
The crews teach "sustainable" trail-building, which means building trails that last a long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment, and enhances visitor enjoyment. The crew coming to Chickasaw is led by Chris and Leslie Kehmeier.
Now in its eighth year, the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program is more popular than ever. The Crews travel in 2010 Subaru Outbacks provided by Subaru of America - the company that has been IMBA's leading sponsor since 1997. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program has inspired great volunteer trail work across the U.S. and abroad - a big help to government agencies and land managers who have limited funding for trail construction and upkeep.
As Oklahoma's oldest national park area, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area has been a refuge for outdoor traditions for over a century. The park had its beginnings in 1902 when the government purchased 640 acres from the Chickasaw Nation to protect the mineral and freshwater springs. Additional acreage was added by 1906 and the park was renamed Platt National Park. In 1976, Platt National Park and Arbuckle Recreation Area (which included the 2,350-acre Lake of the Arbuckles) joined to form the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The park’s Rock Creek Multi-Use Trail is a network of over eight miles of trail which connects the Platt Historic District to the Lake of the Arbuckles. It is along this trail that hiking, biking, and horse riding users will pass through two diverse ecosystems where the eastern deciduous forests meet the western mixed-grass prairies.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes all-wheel drive Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States.
The International Mountain Bicycling Association creates, enhances and preserves trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trail-work participation, cooperation among different trail user groups, and innovative trail management solutions. IMBA's worldwide network includes 32,000 individual members, more than 500 bicycle clubs, and 400 corporate partners and dealer members. For more information visit www.imba.com.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
