If you’ve ever piloted your mountain bike on the trails of Jackass Ridge (now called Donkey Town) and Yogi Bear, and finished with an ear to ear grin, you can thank the @truckeedirtunion . Formed in April of 2020, the TDU is the only trail organization in Truckee specifically focused on enhancing and expanding rad trail experiences for mountain bikers. In its short 3 years of existence, TDU has already amassed a volunteer trail force 550 people strong, supporting a crew of #corelord community builders who’ve been digging in the forest for 30 years, putting Truckee on the map as one of the best towns in the American west for mountain biking. In episode 22, we sit down with TDU founders Matt Chappell (@chappawitz), Skye Allsop (@tahoemtbiker) and Greg Forsythe (@cyclepathsmtb) and talk all about the past, present and future of mountain biking and trails in Truckee, where TDU fits into this quickly changing town and how you can help get involved with the #singletrackradness movement. Get on the dumb end of that shovel, kick some rocks and put some love, sweat and tears back into the trails you enjoy every day by joining TDU on their next volunteer trail day.

Show Notes:

2:30 – Introducing Matt Chappell, Skye Allsop and Greg Forsythe of Truckee Dirt Union.

7:00 – The history of Jackass Ridge and Hobo Hill.

13:20 – The history of hidden and illegal trails in Truckee and adopting formerly social trails.

16:50 – How has TDU grown from nothing to 550 supporters in only three years?

18:40 – Jackass Ridge and Donkey Town trail – a network that accommodates everyone from beginners and families to experts.

21:30 – Who are the main builders for Truckee Dirt Union?

22:30 – The history of mountain biking in Truckee.

25:00 – The history of JP Trail – the first mountain bike trail in Truckee.

28:20 – Why was TDU created?

33:30 – Taking community builders creating social trails and bringing them into the fold so they can get paid for their craft.

42:30 – What is TDU working on currently and into the future? Enhancing the Jackass trail network, creating more trails after logging operations are complete.

45:45 – What can Truckee learn from what’s going on trails-wise in Bellingham, Washington?

53:00 – The evolution of mountain biking and its impact on Truckee and Greg’s business, Cyclepaths.

55:55 – Parallels between the founding of TAMBA and the founding of TDU.

57:45 – What is going to happen with Martis Peak area trails?

1:03:40 – How can people step up, support TDU and support mountain biking in Truckee?

1:10:00 – Jonnie Benda – the shaper, the visionary for TDU trails.

1:19:00 – A couple more volunteer days before end of season on Jackass and JP Trail - @truckeedirtunion on Instagram and truckeedirtunion.org

1:20:25 – What does Singletrack Radness mean?

1:22:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?