NEWSLETTERS
The World According To GORC
(At least the world of St. Charles County)
You can thank your friendly trail builders, locally known as GORC (Gateway Off Road Cyclists), if you enjoy hiking and biking on the area's more than 50 miles of singletrack trails. However, there is no free lunch, because the trail system needs your help.
It wasn't but a short ten years ago when the founder of GORC, the then-new St. Charles County resident John Donjoian, observed the lack of quality mountain biking trails. Being the sharp Eastern Missouri IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) veteran that he is, John identified the Weldon Springs area for quality mountain biking. Fast forward to today and in that time we have gone from zero miles of singletrack in one mountain biking park to at least 7 parks with well over 75 miles of trail. These new St. Charles County Parks include Broemmelseick, Lost Valley (Mo. Dept. of Conservation), Matson Hill, Klondike, Indian Camp Creek, Quail Ridge, and Bangert Island.
Despite their previous accomplishments, the future looks a bit more challenging. Previously, acquiring the land was the hard part; now, they find themselves in the unusual situation of having more land than they can work. They need more crews and therein lays the rub. John says that like all volunteer organizations, they are in desperate need of more volunteers, since one mile of singletrack requires between 500 and 1,000 man hours. Plans are in the works to increase Matson Hill from 3 to 12 miles of singletrack. Without the funding to buy heavy trail machinery, GORC will be relying on the sweat, passion, and determination of their membership base to complete the job in four years. The maintenance of the existing trails is on-going, plus both Indian Camp Creek and Broemmelseick Parks need to be finished.
GORC has become so successful so quickly in just a few years that cities like Wentzville consult with GORC before making land acquisitions. IMBA has called GORC "the most successful organization balancing work and fun." IMBA often uses the GORC model as an example for other clubs. GORC has developed strong ties with St. Louis and St. Charles County Parks, Missouri Dept. of Conservation and Dept. of Natural Resources where there were either strained relationships or none before.
The next step for GORC and the future of mountain biking in Eastern Missouri relies on GORC hiring an "Executive Director." This will be their first paid position if they achieve the necessary level of funding. The Executive Director will seek funding from government grants, and he or she will need to do it with our collective efforts.
That's why Momentum Cycles is donating $10 to GORC for every full suspension bike and 29er (bike with 29" wheels) sold each month, but GORC needs more than just our money. They need our sweat. Please be sure to become a member and attend a Saturday morning workday. Come and enjoy the camaraderie, mayhem, and best of the post-work ride. If that doesn't do it, then maybe the free lunch will.
