Help Maintain the White Hills Trail Network!
Donation protected
The Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA) is asking for your assistance to help maintain the trails in the White Hills trail network, part of the Quidi Vidi Wilderness in St. John’s, NL.
The White Hills trail network has become known as an area of beauty that our community has embraced as a place to mountain bike, hike, dog walk, trail run, snowshoe, fat bike, and bird watch. The trail network is part of a green space ideally located within St. John’s, in the wilderness area surrounding the historic fishing village of Quidi Vidi.
The trails, which sit in an unprotected area consisting of public and private land, have been developed and maintained by the mountain bike community for approximately 20 years. While the network of trails is largely unsanctioned, it is regularly used by hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts on a year-round basis, including for organized events. For example:
- The St. John’s Enduro Series hosted two (2) races on the trails in 2019, with approximately 60 competitors per race;
- NL Trail Running hosts weekly group runs on the trail network, with approximately 15 participants per week;
- NL Trail Running hosted four (4) beginner trail runs on the network in 2019, with between 40 and 60 participants per event;
- The Salomon Women’s Group Hike series hosted four (4) group hike events in 2019 using the trail network, with up to 100 participants per hike.
Popularity and usage of the trail network has increased significantly over the past few years. As a result, the trails require increased maintenance to continue to permit sustainable usage and limit the impact on the surrounding ecosystem. We are requesting that you donate to facilitate this maintenance. All maintenance is performed by volunteers, using (mostly) volunteer supplied tools. Your funding will support the following supporting expenses / activities:
- Procurement of materials (wood, dirt fill, nails, more tools, tool operation and maintenance);
- Liability and Directors insurance for the Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA);
- Development of land use agreements to facilitate management of the trail network - this will allow the trails to be recognized formally and permit public promotion of the trail network, allow for the placement of signage, and lead to increased usage and enjoyment by members of the public;
- Preliminary signage to minimize user conflicts and lower risk for all user groups, progressing towards a formal signage plan and installation of full scale signage for the network.
As a community, we have enjoyed low-conflict shared usage of these trails for many years. Unlike many other trail communities across North America, we are fortunate to have had limited resistance and barriers to access. However, the absence of formal sanctioned trails has also resulted in a general lack of recognition and awareness of the potential that exists within this small parcel of land. Formalizing the trail network is the first step to unlocking this potential and supporting the future growth of our community.
Thank you in advance for your support. Together we can ensure that the trail network is maintained in a sustainable manner for all to enjoy.
The Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA) is a not-for-profit community organization engaged in promoting the sport of mountain biking on the North-East Avalon; primarily through the development, maintenance and preservation of shared-use trails.
The White Hills trail network has become known as an area of beauty that our community has embraced as a place to mountain bike, hike, dog walk, trail run, snowshoe, fat bike, and bird watch. The trail network is part of a green space ideally located within St. John’s, in the wilderness area surrounding the historic fishing village of Quidi Vidi.
The trails, which sit in an unprotected area consisting of public and private land, have been developed and maintained by the mountain bike community for approximately 20 years. While the network of trails is largely unsanctioned, it is regularly used by hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts on a year-round basis, including for organized events. For example:
- The St. John’s Enduro Series hosted two (2) races on the trails in 2019, with approximately 60 competitors per race;
- NL Trail Running hosts weekly group runs on the trail network, with approximately 15 participants per week;
- NL Trail Running hosted four (4) beginner trail runs on the network in 2019, with between 40 and 60 participants per event;
- The Salomon Women’s Group Hike series hosted four (4) group hike events in 2019 using the trail network, with up to 100 participants per hike.
Popularity and usage of the trail network has increased significantly over the past few years. As a result, the trails require increased maintenance to continue to permit sustainable usage and limit the impact on the surrounding ecosystem. We are requesting that you donate to facilitate this maintenance. All maintenance is performed by volunteers, using (mostly) volunteer supplied tools. Your funding will support the following supporting expenses / activities:
- Procurement of materials (wood, dirt fill, nails, more tools, tool operation and maintenance);
- Liability and Directors insurance for the Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA);
- Development of land use agreements to facilitate management of the trail network - this will allow the trails to be recognized formally and permit public promotion of the trail network, allow for the placement of signage, and lead to increased usage and enjoyment by members of the public;
- Preliminary signage to minimize user conflicts and lower risk for all user groups, progressing towards a formal signage plan and installation of full scale signage for the network.
As a community, we have enjoyed low-conflict shared usage of these trails for many years. Unlike many other trail communities across North America, we are fortunate to have had limited resistance and barriers to access. However, the absence of formal sanctioned trails has also resulted in a general lack of recognition and awareness of the potential that exists within this small parcel of land. Formalizing the trail network is the first step to unlocking this potential and supporting the future growth of our community.
Thank you in advance for your support. Together we can ensure that the trail network is maintained in a sustainable manner for all to enjoy.
The Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA) is a not-for-profit community organization engaged in promoting the sport of mountain biking on the North-East Avalon; primarily through the development, maintenance and preservation of shared-use trails.
Organizer
Lachlan Roe-Bose
Organizer
St. John's, NL
