WELCOME TO OUR SITE
Thanks for visiting our website -- we hope you find some things of interest and learn more about what mountain biking in the Bow Valley in Rocky Mountains of Canada is all about. We want to provide you with sound information about the sport we love and area we love to ride in. It is a remarkable part of the Rocky Mountains and we hope you get the opportunity to ride here some day if you live far away and if you live nearby, well we know you love the riding here!
If you find things on the site that you think need updating or correcting we'd appreciate an e-mail from you. We want the site to be current and accurate. Any contributions you have that you think we may want to post on the site are welcome as well. Should we think your contribution has merit we will feature it on this site. Send it to us at info@bvmba.org.
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Prince Edward Comes to Banff
His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, was in Banff July 24th accompanying the Honorable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, at the Cascade Ponds announcing the opening of the Legacy Trail. The Prince was delighted to meet local Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance Directors Doug Topp and Eric Harvie. Unfortunately for all concerned the Prince did not have time to join Doug and Eric for a ride on some of our outstanding trails here in Banff National Park.
July 25, 2010
THE BVMBA IS CHANGING
The article below reflects partially a shift in focus for us but also a new reality for mountain biking in the Bow Valley and particularly in Banff National Park.
Many years of successful work by our volunteers combined with both the maturing of our sport, new land management policies and the "acceptance" of mountain biking in the recreation landscape of the Bow Valley have seen the BVMBA spend less time committed to lobbying for trail access, establishing our presence as a dedicated and responsible trail user group and seeing a need to work actively to protect the trails we presently have. Over the last few years we have slowly evolved into spending, and enjoying, more time on trail maintenance and stewardship, trail design and improvement and other issues related to bettering our inventory of trails. This is an exciting swing because we think it demonstrates that mountain biking has a better future here than we have perhaps ever seen. There will always be issues related to trail user conflicts and to wildlife concerns and the Alliance will be here to assure these concerns are dealt with and have our input into the solutions.
July 22, 2010
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Another FIRST for the Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance
We take particular pleasure and pride in bring you this announcement from our Banff representatives on the latest achievement we have in helping secure a positive and sustainable future for mountain biking near the townsite of Banff. In an email sent to members last evening , Eric Harvie gave us the following good news:
"I am pleased to advise that the Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance and Parks Canada have signed a 2 year Memorandum of Understanding whereby BVMBA takes stewardship of the Tunnel Mountain trail network. We installed the first sign last night and expect to be finished the initial phase of the sign project in a week or so. With the generous assistance of the Parks Canada, the Town of Banff, Banff Lake Louise Tourism Bureau and our financial sponsors, we have finalized the initial maps. Work on the Hoo/Doo & Coastline trails will continue steadily throughout the summer. Lots of other projects on the list."
There are many individuals, organizations and government bodies that made this possible and we thank them for their support, vision and belief in what we hope the achieve for the future of the trail system on Tunnel Mountain. And while this initiative is being led by a mountain biking organization, the trail network is open to all trail users and we welcome any participation other trail user groups would like to give to help us guide the successful development and future of these trails.
As a volunteer organization we are particularly thankful to our financial sponsors whose generous assistance allowed us to purchase the new signs we are installing on the trails. We would especially like to thank the administrators of the Mactaggart Third Fund for their kind donation and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation for their grant on behalf of our signage plan.
We believe this MOU between our Alliance and Parks Canada represents a "first" between mountain bikers and Parks Canada administrators in a national park in Canada. It is our strong hope that this will become a model for similar agreements both here in Banff National Park and indeed in other national parks throughout Canada.
We have always believed that the stewardship of our trails is well served by the people who respect them, use them and are concerned for their sustainable future. To this end we welcome the challenge of setting a model example here on Tunnel Mountain.
June 19, 2010
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Berry Season is Here
The buffalo berries and other berries like blackcurrants are now appearing on bushes in the valley, particularly at lower altitudes. These berries are a favoured and important food source for bears so be extra cautious when moving in areas with berries. Make a lot of fairly constant and loud noise as you travel and be prepared to turn around or take defensive steps if you see a bear. During berry season, which may last six weeks or so, there are restrictions or closures on some trails so be sure to check the Parks Canada website or the website of other land managers where you are riding -- or check with bike shops or information centres. Be aware and be safe. Ride with a friend and don't ride listening to tunes.
For more detailed information click on the tab called "Riding in the Bow Valley".
July 23, 2010
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THANK YOU TO OUR KEEN AND DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS
On June 22nd the BVMBA had a trail maintenance work evening on the Highline Trail in Lake Louise. We had a great turnout of some very hard workers with great ideas and enthusiasm. The team fixed a number of drainage and route definition issues that both ends of the trail have had for quite some time. A couple of us rode the trail the following day and tested the improved sections and they passed with flying colours. The Alliance thanks our volunteers for their efforts and Parks Canada for their supervision and collaboration on this project. In particular we thank Jeff Hearnden from Parks Canada's trail crew who came out to help us in the evening after he had put in a tough day clearing trails. Thanks Jeff!!
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A New Banff National Park Management Plan
Parks Canada has a revised guiding document for Banff National Park that has made its way through Parliament. This new Plan has a number of encouraging developments for cycling and the direction mountain biking may take in the immediate future. For more information click on the Park Management Plan tab on this page and see a quick overview of some of the good news there. We also give you a link to read the document in its entirety should you be interested -- and we hope you are! After all it is your park too and we think we should all care and be interested in its healthy and sustainable future.
June 21, 2010
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Canmore Nordic Centre Update
The folks at the Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC) recently released their master plan for developing their summer trail system. Those of us who have been riding in the Nordic Centre are really impressed with the trail improvements we have seen in the last year or so. This year the Centre has put in a lot of new signage that makes wayfinding, which was often a serious challenge there, much easier. Now the new plans for more and better trails, combined with options for downhill riders, are a huge leap forward for the mountain biking world here. We would like to congratulate the CNC on a great vision for the future and a well deserved "THANK YOU" from the mountain bikers of the Bow Valley and Calgary.
To have a look at the plan follow this link
http://tpr.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/pdfs/CNC_Summer_Trail_Master_Plan_Secured.pdf
June 21, 2010
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Parks Canada Website
Parks Canada has made their excellent brochure Mountain Biking and Cycling Guide for Banff National Park available on their Banff National Park website. There are also a number of messages about mountain biking in the park that are worth reading. Maps of the trails are also available from this site both for viewing and for printing.
Check it out at : Mountain Biking and Cycling Guide
May 2010
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Have a look around our site and enjoy your time riding our great trails here in Banff and Canmore -- some of the most beautiful country you will ever see!!
The BVMBA -- promoting sustainable socially and environmentally responsible mountain biking in the Bow Valley and Banff National Park since 1997.
