News

MORCA mid year trail crew update!

We’re half way through the year and the MORCA trail crew has completed 485 hours of trail work. We’ve had 45 people volunteer and do trail work on 15 different days and worked on 15 diffrerent trails and we’re on track to break 1000 hours again this year. Our next trail day, in conjunction wtih Latino Conservation Week (http://latinoconservationweek.com/) will be our last “third” Saturday trail work day and we’ll start working on the Creekside Terrace side of the Fort Ord National Monument.

Brushing the trails!!!

Next month (August) we start meeting on the 2nd Saturday for work on the Fort Ord National Monument and will introduce a monthly trail work day at Toro Park on the fourth Saturday of each month. In addition we’re doing some weekday after work trail work on an ad hoc basis. If you want to give back to the trails we love to ride come on out and join us (https://morcamtb.org/local-trails/trail-work/).

Volunteer with MORCA at the Sea Otter Classic

The 2019 Sea Otter Classic is April 11-14, 2019!

MORCA will once again be providing volunteers to support the Sea Otter Classic. As well as participating in the kick off cycling event of the year, volunteering for this event helps raise funds for MORCA, drives membership for IMBA and MORCA and helps MORCA gain name recognition in the local community.

We need volunteers to help MORCA marshal the Dual Slalom and staff the MORCA booth. Volunteers will get free entry to the Sea Otter Festival a great experience and maybe more.

Sign up to volunteer at: https://www.morcamtb.org/calendar/sea-otter/

New Look, Same Great Group

MORCA Gets a New Logo

What’s that mean?

While the club is keeping it’s same mission, we felt we needed a logo that represented more of our advocacy work.

Brown Mountain

The trail running through our mountains represents MORCAs trail advocacy and the work we put into trail access in our area. Many meetings have been attended with Monterey County along with city parks and recreation departments. MORCA follows all these recreation groups to ensure mountain bikers are not forgotten when planning local parks and trails. Keep your eyes open. Rumors are flowing about a pump track some time in 2019.

Green Gear

Represents MORCAs work at being a voice for responsible mountain biking in Monterey County. You can see many members out on the trails riding and sharing good will towards other trail users.

Brown Shovels

MORCA has put in thousands of hours of the past years maintaining area trails. Working closely with the Bureau of Land Management, Fort Ord National Monument continues to see trail improvement, as well as reroutes to create more sustainable trails. These trail are for all users. MORCA is also working with Monterey County Parks to assist with trail planning at Toro Park. We’d like to see trails for all types of mountain bikers.

So look around and see our new logo. You can like our Facebook Page here and keep up with our current events.

Trail Grant Opportunity for Local Trails

Working With Local Clubs, The ExtremeTerrain Clean Trail Program is Helping To Protect Our Favorite Trails

ExtremeTerrain’s Clean Trail Initiative Program is looking to improve trails near you. The Clean Trail Program was founded by ExtremeTerrain in 2015 and set up to fund trail improvement projects. These projects can include anything from trail clean-up, trail restoration, trail expansion, and more. They have funded just under $10,000 in trail projects to date.

ExtremeTerrain has worked with numerous clubs and groups. They have worked on many privately and publicly owned off-road trails to enact changes for the betterment of trail conditions for the communities being served. They assisted in Truckee and we all love spending a weekend Mountain Biking up there.

ExtremeTerrain has granted over 22 grants for trail improvement projects, funding just under $10,000 in trail improvement projects all around the country. In just the past few months, ExtremeTerrain has approved an additional 10 grants and is shooting for more. MORCA is making a request for assistance for our local trails at Fort Ord National Monument. Things are looking good.

Applying for a Clean Trail Grant is easy; head to here and click to apply for a grant, filling out a short questionnaire. With a grant from ExtremeTerrain, you can get the tools you need to clean, restore, or expand your own local trails, helping to maintain the trail system and improve it for future off-roaders.

Election for 2019 Board

Hi MORCA members. It’s that time of year again. We need to elect our board for 2019. If you are a current IMBA member with MORCA chosen as your primary chapter then please complete the ballot at this link: MORCA_Election_2018 and email it, snail mail it or bring it to the general member meeting on November 5th 2018 at English Ales in Marina. Instructions are on the ballot. Note: We plan to increase the number of board members to 7 as the first order of business at the November meeting.

Nominations open for the MORCA board!!!

MORCA Board nominations are now open to the membership. Please nominate a member in good standing that you feel will help with the growth of our club and mission…OR volunteer yourself. Please remit nominations to secretary@morcamtb.org by October 1, 2018. Please be sure to check with the person you nominated – that they are willing to sit on the board. The term is for one calendar year with the expectation of continuing for the second year. Questions? Contact morca@morcamtb.org

State of Mountain Biking Survey

Please take a moment to take this survey. It will assist IMBA and other mountain-bike advocacy groups and communities to better understand the current state of Mountain Biking.

Understanding the current state of Mountain Biking!!!

Monthly MORCA trail work this Saturday August 18th!!!

MORCA Trail crew leaders will be leading trail work this Saturday August 18th to trim trails 24 and 63 on the bluff east of the Bunkers. We’ll be re-establishing the trail corridor (trimming brush).

We will meet at 8th Avenue and Gigling Road and plan to car pool from there leaving at 9 AM and returning by 1 PM. Arrive early to get signed in.

For more information and to sign up go to: https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

Monthly MORCA trail work this Saturday June 16th

MORCA Trail crew leaders will be leading trail work this Saturday June 16th to trim trails 17 and 23 west of Addington Rd. Depending on crew size, we may run the DR mower on trails 20 & 51.

We will meet at 8th Avenue and Gigling Road and plan to car pool from there leaving at 9 AM and returning by 1 PM. Arrive early to get signed in.

For more information and to sign up go to: https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

MORCA Helps Monterey County Parks Sign Trails

MORCA uses $17,900 funds gained via a grant from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation to assist Monterey County Parks with over 24 miles of Trail Signage.

Twenty-three volunteers from MORCA and County Parks Staff worked together, May 6th and 7th, and completed Phase I of a much needed trail signing project in what is known to locals as the “Happy Trails” area located between Seaside and the East Garrison Development.

The project was to install a number of instructional “stay on trail” and directional “way-finding” sings on the existing trails. Phase I was the installation of 170 signs on ten miles of these trails.

The trails are used by hundreds of hikers, bikers, and horse riders each week. Having these signs with specific trail designations will be valuable, not just in helping users have a better idea of their location, but also in helping local fire and emergency staff understand where an incident is when they get a call.

District Supervisor Jane Parker attended at lunch on Saturday to thank the groups for their efforts and mentioned the positive impact this will have on the general public’s safety and enjoyment of the country trails.

“I want to thank the Monterey Peninsula Foundation for awarding MORCA the grant to make improvements to recreational open space, Monterey County Resource Management Agency in getting approval for the work and Monterey County Parks staff and the MORCA volunteers for taking the time out of their busy schedules to hit the trails and make the sign project a reality.” Nick Madronio

While it was expected to take more than one weekend to complete phase I of the project, there were enough volunteers to complete the project in one weekend.

Pay it Forward Day

It’s Pay it Forward Day and MORCA is prepping to head out for some trail work. Working the trails is something they do every month, but how cool is it that their trail work day landed during such a great initiative?

After a little caffeine boost to get the blood flowing, the crew heads out to work.

The view out to the trails is phenomenal as always, and Mud Hen Lake is shimmering with the morning sunrise.

The tools are disseminated and the crews get ready to head up the hill.

The first crew is assigned damage control. It appears this turn is a little off and riders are missing the turn and going off trail towards the trees. A little adjustment is in order to make it a wee bit safer.

Benching the hill allows bikers to ride a line closer to the hill – making them less likely to ride off into the grass.

Meanwhile, the Poison Oak Bandit clears vines near the trail to help alleviate overgrowth – which seems to really happen in the Spring.

Team 2 works another corner by smoothing out brake bumps and refining the turn for a smoother ride.

A member of Team 3 cleans excess grass from the trail to help keep it clear.

With a little help of a McLeod, the trail thistles are brought back under control.

After the work is done, the crew finds some great food waiting for them. Burritos for all!!!

These guys and gals do this every month. To join the fun, go here: Trail Work.

From the Booth at Sea Otter Classic

Booth 243! That’s where you could find MORCA at the 2018 Sea Otter Classic. Members rotated in and out and it’s where we found results of our racers! Notably, Henrietta, who took 5^thin her category for the Enduro. Ladies Dawn, Jodie, and Lisa were in on the SRAM ladies ride, while Nicki ripped it up at the Grand Fondo. Not to be outdone by the ladies, our very own Lee Jetton threw down all he had on the cross country CAT1 course and dropped nine minutes from his previous years’ time. While all that was happening, MORCA was running a Raffle to benefit our annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day– Remember to SAVE THE DATE: 6 OCT 2018

What about that Raffle?

The raffle results are in! Shout out to 1UP donated a bike rack and an awesome cooler!!! Fox also chimed in with a fork. Thank you to both our sponsors and all those that donated to our raffle. 100% proceeds go to our Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day event so the kids can attend for FREE!

WINNERS:
1UP Bike Rack – Eric Morgan of Monterey, CA
Fox Fork – Bruce Dorman of Felton, CA
1UP Cooler – Phil Craig of Salinas, CA

Mountain bikers support Toro Park trail system

The Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA) is the non-profit organization that serves as the voice of responsible mountain bicyclists in Monterey County. We support the County RMA staff’s recommendation to have a multi-user trail system at Toro Park similar to the Fort Ord National Monument, which has a culture of proper trail etiquette and friendly, mutual courtesy among trail users (hiker/runner, bicycles and equestrians).

Fort Ord and many other locations throughout California and the West have successful multi-user trail systems. The mountain bike community is also renowned for “giving back” in the form of thousands of volunteer hours of trail maintenance, poison oak removal, and other activities which benefit all trail users. Due to age or injury, not everyone can hike or afford a horse, and a bicycle is a healthy way for young and old to enjoy our local trails. As residents and taxpayers, mountain bikers deserve to enjoy quality trail systems on public lands.

— Gary Courtright, Carmel

PG&E Vegetation Work

Starting Thursday November 9^th and continuing as late as November 17^th, PG&E will be performing vegetation clearing around select transmission towers for tower maintenance (see the map below).

Adjacent trails will still be open but signage along the trails will alert users of these activities.

For additional information please contact:

Evan Mulch
PG&E Natural Resource Management
(831) 744-5013

MORCA Night Ride Season Start

Hey folks. Night ride season is upon us and starting tomorrow (Wednesday October 25th, 2017 we will be operating under our Night Ride permit with BLM.

Please RSVP at the following link and pay the permit fee via the paypal link on the web page. This week we ride at 8th and G. As in the past we’ll alternate between 8th and G and Creekside.

Night Ride Signup

MORCA Board Nominations Open!!!

MORCANs!! Do you want to take more of a leadership role in the club? Nominations are open for directors for year 2018. Five of the six current directors have committed for another year if you feel they are doing a good job. One director is stepping down which means a seat on the board is open and awaiting your participation. For reference, six directors are elected and they determine who will be the officers for the following year.

Are you ready to help guide MORCA in a variety of policy and business decisions? You must be a member in good standing and we request a two-year commitment. You need to attend one board meeting per month (typically the first Monday) and be active in the club– i.e., attend outside meetings, volunteer at MORCA events, advocate, etc. You are not paid, but it is fun and rewarding work.

You are welcome to nominate yourself or a fellow MORCA member — just be sure to check with them first to ensure they are willing and able to serve. To submit a nomination or if you have questions, please contact morca@morcamtb.org before the November 6, 2017 board meeting. Balloting will occur through December 4, and the directors’ term starts on January 1, 2018.

MORCA Trail Work in conjunction with National Public Lands Day.

This month the MORCA trail work day will be in conjunction with National Public Lands.

MORCA will lead a “Ride and Trim” from the Public Lands day site on the Fort Ord National Monument starting at 9 AM on Saturday October 28th. Bring your bike and some trimming tools you can carry safely. Please sign up at https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

For more information and direction take a look at the flyer at the following link: 2017 NPLW Flyer

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities!!!

We need volunteers!!!. This weekend we’ll be continuing our trail work efforts in the vicinity of Trails 19 and 23 to cut re-establish the trail corridor and beat back the brush and improve sight lines. Sign up at https://morcamtb.org/trails/trail-work/

Also, and more importantly we need volunteers to sign up to help with Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day (Saturday October 7th). Opportunities include set up, tear down and helping at the event. To sign up go to https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1965293/false#/invitation

If you have any questions about these events or MORCA volunteer opportunities in general please email the board at morca@morcamtb.org.