News

VVCC Awards Trail Construction Contract

The VVCC has recently awarded a trail construction contract valued at $137,500.00 to the Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) to provide 6-person trail crews (“Crews” each crew consisting of 1 crew leader, 1 assistant crew leader, 4 members) for 22 weeks to expedite completion of Phase 2 of the Blowout Wash Community Trail System Project (Project) under Forest Service (FS) supervision. Two Crews will work simultaneously for 10 weeks each followed by one Crew for two weeks.

The Project is a community-driven trails initiative that was conceptualized in 2008 by the City of Cottonwood to provide recreation opportunities to the residents and visitors of Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Jerome. The Project will encourage positive stewardship of FS lands adjacent to these communities that have historically incurred unmanaged recreation, illegal off highway vehicle use, trash dumping and concentrated recreational shooting.

The Project is the first of several community trails envisioned as part of the Verde Trails and Access Plan (VTAP). The FS approved the VTAP environmental study in September 2018. The VTAP includes approximately 120 miles of non-motorized and 5 miles of motorized trails within the Verde Ranger District (VRD) of the Prescott National Forest (PNF).

The Project (~27 miles) is a stacked loop system to facilitate opportunities close in (easiest) and farther out (more challenging).  The Project does not stand alone as it will be connected to the larger Mingus Mountain Trail System and with the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail.  Additionally, the Project connects to the Yavapai College campus and several residential areas in Clarkdale and Cottonwood.

Two public trailheads, Blowout Wash and Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus, provide access to this system. The Yavapai College trailhead will include all weather paved parking, restrooms, signage and interpretive trail safety opportunities.

Phase 2 of the Project will construct ~9 miles of loop trails utilizing AZCC Crews, volunteers and FS personnel. Phase 2 construction activities are summarized as follows:

Trail                                          Length             Constructed by

Higher Learning                      ~3 miles          Hand by AZCC Crews

Blowout                                   3 miles            Mechanized by FS personnel & AZCC Crews

Blowout Butte                         ~1 mile                        Mechanized by FS personnel & AZCC Crews

Lower Trails                            ~2 miles          Hand/Mechanized by FS personnel & volunteers

Phase 2 also includes restoration actions by AZCC Crews to stabilize the ground surface by shortening slope lengths, reducing water flow velocities and trapping sediment through wattle and seeding.

The AZCC contract Project funding is made possible by generous grants to the VVCC from the City of Cottonwood, National Forest and Catena Foundations as well as hundreds of individual donations.

   Trail Work Volunteers Needed                                           

Trail Work within the Prescott National Forest starts  September 9, 2020. If you are already on the list you should have received an email highlighting the changes to the processes due to viral concerns. If you need more information or, if you would like to volunteer and have not in the past, please either email or call Michael Reveile, (michael.z.reveile@usda.gov or 928-777-2216).

Please check out the current USDA Travel Questionnaire if you plan on attending.

Nine years ago, Mike Raney and Jason First wanted to create a unique bike shop for Sedona. A bike shop that would not just offer the best in mountain bike rentals, sales, service and fun, but also one that would give back to the community. 

On September 1, 2020, Mike and Jason will be creating this experience as an independently owned and operated bike shop. Thunder Mountain Bikes Sedona is opening its doors at the same location - 1695 AZ-89A Sedona, AZ 86336 . Same great rentals, sales, service and fun as well as Mike and Jason will have more freedom to give back.

Stop by Thunder Mountain Bikes and experience the difference!

Mescal Trailhead Approved for Funding

Click here for the site plan.

According to the Design Narrative, the development and construction of a trailhead and day use site at the obsolete "burrow" pit off Dry Creek Road just to the south of Dry Creek includes:

• a parking lot for a minimum of 40 spaces, including 2 oversized vehicles, and 2 accessible spaces. No horse trailer parking will be provided as this is available at Fay Trailhead. Site parking will be allocated entirely to small and medium vehicles and transit, in order to maximize trail user capacity.
• a through route in the parking area to allow for visitors to circulate through the site to choose a parking space.
• a large turnout space with capacity to accommodate a trolley or small transit shuttle will be accommodated, for future alternative transit.
• toilet facilities with outdoor recreation accessible routes that connect to the parking lot. 
• a kiosk on site which provides interpretive information on wilderness, land ethics, and orientation. Orient this kiosk to avoid wear and tear from sun exposure.
• strategic fencing around the site to control people and vehicles from accessing undesignated areas. Using native materials, specifically the fencing design that incorporates split juniper and 4-strand smooth wire fencing.
• access to viewing locations as indicated on site plan.
• separate pedestrian and vehicular use with access routes designed for pedestrian use only.
• a closure gate to enable closure as necessary.
• connecting the trailhead parking to non-motorized trails.
• materials that maintain the natural character of the site, which are derived from native sources, are natural-appearing, and maintain the rustic natural character of the site.
• year-round use.
• picnic tables.
• all amenities required by Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act.

This site is not intended to have specific features for weddings or jeep tours.

Project NEPA was completed in 2015.

VVCC's Summer Highway 89A Cleanup

Saturday August 1^st. 2020 @ 7am – 10am

Meet at Spring Creek Ranch Rd and 89A.

Please Wear: sturdy shoes, gloves and clothes that can get dirty, and bring plenty of water and sunscreen. Unfortunately, due to the COVID19 outbreak, we will not be able to provide refreshments or food after.

Let’s Do Our Part to Keep Our Roads Free of Debris and Visual Pollution and Help Our Environment One Piece of Trash at a Time!

To volunteer for this event contact Shawn Hadley (970) 987-8877 or shawn@shentisport.com

More information at: https://www.vvcc.us/events

Your chance to become an Everyday Hero!

How would you like to help turn this?

Into This!

There's no place on campus for the after-school mountain bike clubs at Mountain View Preparatory (MVP) School in Cottonwood to ride, so the school buses coaches, students, bikes and gear to Dead Horse State Park and back, losing 25% of club time in transit.

The Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District has committed a large land parcel it owns at MVP to create a bike skills park on campus.

MVP students have a varied demographic with a wide range of socioeconomic levels along with a multicultural climate, large attendance boundary, and many students from single parent households or not residing with their biological parents.

Verde Valley Wheel Fun (FUN) has received a grant for preliminary design documents to create this bike skills park at MVP and now's your chance to become an EveryDay Hero and help FUN break ground later this year. This bike skills park will be built "by students for students" as students and equipment from the local vo-tech school, the Valley Academy for Career Technical Education, will be performing the build under supervision by a professional trail building association member firm.

And, until August 7th, your contributions will be matched $ for $ by FUN and set the stage to be doubled again through an Outride Fund Matching Grant!

To donate for this worthy project, click HERE.

For your generosity, you will receive:

• Arizona state income tax credit of up to $400 single/$800 married filing jointly. A tax credit reduces you state income taxes dollar-for-dollar so your contribution comes at no charge to you.
• For 2020 only, you can deduct up to $600 from your income for charitable deductions regardless if you itemize.
• If you itemize, the 60% charitable contribution cap has been waived for 2020, and
• Bike smalls from all 475 students enrolled at MVP!

Thank you!

Trailforks is excited to announce the launch of Trail Karma Month, a campaign to raise awareness and increase funding for trail associations and builders around the world. For the month of July, we’re giving trail users more reason to give back to the trails that we love and enjoy through Trail Karma Month with a chance to win prizes. More so than before, trail associations are spread thin as trail maintenance increases and access to resources decreases. Due to COVID-19, funding is being cut, while more and more people are outside using the trails. There is a large gap between current funding and what is required to build and maintain the trails that bring us so much joy. Which got us thinking... Trailforks provides the best tools to discover, plan, and track any trail adventure. It allows trail associations to manage and grow trail networks to give users the most accurate map information accessible through multiple devices, which is why Trailforks makes contributing to trail organizations quick, accessible, and easy with Trail Karma. To help encourage others to give back, we thought what better than to combine the two and launch Trail Karma Month.

WHAT IS TRAIL KARMA MONTH We believe in the principle of cause and effect; that by supporting trail builders and associations we invest in the future of maintaining and growing the trails. In 2019 alone, Trail Karma raised over US$80,000 for organizations around the world. It provides a direct way for users to put 100% of their donation into trail associations and builders developing trail systems, and Trail Karma Month is our month long celebration where users can give back. We've partnered with some great brands who share our initiative, and are offering up a chance to win some cool prizes along the way. WHEN - JULY 1-30. 2020 We are encouraging everyone around the world to support their favourite trails by donating via Trail Karma in July. Whether you mountain bike, hike, trail run, or even use something with a motor, users can donate to a trail association(s) of your choice between July 1st - 31st. 2020 for a chance to win. A minimum donation of $5 will be required. Trail Karma points will be awarded to a donor via Trailforks; each point will equal one entry. On August 1st. 2020, we will host a random draw for prizing. So imagine a world without trails. Go buy your trail builder a beer. Donate a dollar for every trail you use next week. Now's the time to support your trails. Interested in sharing the message? Check out social assets and imagery here. To learn more, go to our article, www.trailforks.com/karma/drive/ or contact Mark Holloway.

A big thank you to our partners:

Mountain Biking BC Kona Garmin Camelbak Shimano Sierra Nevada DT Swiss SRAM RockShox DMOS Collective Reserve Wheels Salomon Jenson USA

The Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest has implemented Stage 2 fire restrictions as of Wednesday (June 3) at 8 a.m. due to warmer weather conditions, fire danger, and for the purpose of public safety.

The rest of Coconino National Forest will continue to be under a modified version of Stage 1 restrictions, which restricts campfires and grills that burn combustible material such as wood and charcoal.

Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit the following, with some exceptions that can be found in the official Forest Order:

1.       Fires, campfires, charcoal, coal, and wood stoves.

2.       Smoking.

3.       Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame.

4.       Operating a chainsaw or any other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine from the hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

An explanation of the different stages of fire restrictions and what is typically prohibited during those stages can be found online at www.tinyurl.com/firestagesexplained. The public should be aware that fire restrictions often exist on non-federal land, such as city, county, and state.  For more information about fire restrictions across the entire state, please visit https://firerestrictions.us/az/.

Stage 2 fire restrictions will remain in place on the Red Rock Ranger District until Aug. 1, 2020 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. Violation of the restrictions on national forests is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment up to six months, or both.

The Catena Foundation today announced that the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition was awarded a grant in the amount of $102,000. $100,000 of the grant will be used to expedite completion of Phase 2 of the Blowout Wash Project by funding AZ Conservation Corps crews to work on the following project actions: 

• More remote hand-build sections that are not feasible for volunteers, and
• Restoration actions including ground surface stabilization of the hill climb south of the Yavapai College Campus by shortening slope lengths, reducing water flow and trapping sediment through wattle and seeding. 

Work is expected to begin on this project phase in Fall 2020. 

The Blowout Project is a community-driven trails initiative that was conceptualized in 2008 by the City of Cottonwood to provide recreation opportunities to the residents and visitors of Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Jerome in the Verde Ranger District of the Prescott National Forest. The Project will encourage positive stewardship of Forest Service (FS) lands adjacent to these communities that have historically incurred unmanaged recreation, illegal off highway vehicle use, trash dumping and concentrated recreational shooting. 

The Blowout Wash Project is the first of several community trails envisioned as part of the Verde Trails and Access Plan (VTAP). The FS approved the VTAP environmental study in September 2018. The VTAP includes approximately 120 miles of non-motorized and 5 miles of motorized trails within the Verde Ranger District (VRD) of the Prescott National Forest (PNF).

The Project (~27 miles) is a stacked loop system to facilitate opportunities close in (easiest) and farther out (more challenging). The Project does not stand alone as it will be connected to the larger Mingus Mountain Trail System and with the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. Additionally, the Project connects to the Yavapai College campus and several residential areas in Clarkdale and Cottonwood. 

Two public trailheads, Blowout Wash and Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus, provide access to this system. The Yavapai College trailhead, will include all weather paved parking, restrooms, signage and interpretive trail safety opportunities. 

$2,000 of this grant will be used for VVCC indirect costs associated with the project.

Many thanks to Kevin Adams for his diligent work in making this happen...

May 15 was the date for the reopening for some of the recreation sites, trailheads, and developed campgrounds within the Coconino National Forest. Current status for all sites is listed in alphabetical order on the Coconino Recreation web page, which will be updated whenever a recreation site opens or closes. Regardless of where you decide to recreate, you are responsible for your health and well-being. Do not overcrowd sites, and be sure to take your trash with you to keep the forest clean!