Central Chapter Newsletter - June 2024

Tony 
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Tony Feeney
Central Chapter President

New Trail Alert: My Name is Inigo Montoya

The second in the trilogy of trails, My Name is Inigo Montoya, has officially opened at Number Two Canyon. The biggest jump line in the Wenatchee Valley, which boasts large gaps, tabletops and monstrous berms was partially completed in June of 2023 and it wasn’t until this year that the lower half was completely finished.

Designed and built by Tom Ford along with Jesse Livingston of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance's Central Chapter, this trail is described as an advanced adventure jump/flow trail that also offers riders a few surprise sections. This is the neighboring trail to Prepare to Die and will soon be joined by You Killed My Father which will give Princess Bride fans more to celebrate.

New Parking Lot Opens in Number Two Canyon

After many years of planning and coordination with the forest service, the new parking lot at Number Two Canyon officially opened this spring. If you’ve ever ridden at Number Two Canyon outside of Wenatchee you know the county road was often littered with vehicles on both sides, creating challenges for emergency vehicles and offering a subpar experience for trail users. All that is a distant memory now that the new lot is open. It boasts close to 40 curbed spots, two toilets, four picnic tables and a kiosk and is located at the nexus of some of the area's most popular trails.

In order to complete the forest service’s checklist to get the lot open, volunteers from the Central chapter and local riding community came out in force to clear the road of brush, fell some trees in the picnic area, and install needed signage (thank you, volunteers!). They were treated with a bbq and beverages along with the satisfaction of completing a long awaited piece of the larger puzzle at Number Two Canyon. An additional parking lot is also planned farther up the road at the junction of The Still and the new trail Inconceivable and is part of Phase Four of the Number Two Canyon Project. 

One of the hallmarks of the Central Chapter is the community’s willingness to volunteer to keep our trails in great shape. The most recent Wednesday night trail parties included the cleaning and brushing of Easy Monday and Bootleg along with some much needed attention given to the classic Road Rage, an old school, black diamond trail that tours an often overlooked section of Twin Peaks.

Road Rage offers sweeping views of the Wenatchee Valley, technical intermediate riding and some tight switchbacks through the trees that will challenge newer bikes with wider bars. To truly experience Road Rage as it was back in the day, we suggest 26” tires, rim brakes, bar ends, and an elastomer fork.

An annual tradition in the Wenatchee Valley is the TekniPlex Apple Blossom Youth Parade and this year Central’s entry was led by freshly minted board member Nick Fugazzi.

The Central chapter participates in various events throughout the year to raise awareness of the amazing work being done in the region and solidify our role as a community partner helping bring outdoor recreational opportunities for mountain bikers. Nine riders joined Nick for the event and represented the chapter well.

Owner of Bollinger Construction and trail advocate Ace Bollinger joined forces with Arlberg Sports to donate an ebike which was raffled off on May 4th in downtown Wenatchee during the Tour de Bloom criterium. The Pivot Cycles Shuttle ebike, with the Ride SLX/XT build kit, had an estimated worth of $9,000 and was won by Craig Stringham. The raffle netted $22,000 for the Central chapter that will go directly to building and maintaining local trails. Special thanks to trail advocates TREAD for hosting the raffle.

Finally, the Central chapter would like to welcome our newest board member, Nick Fugazzi. Nick moved to the Wenatchee Valley in 2017 from Southern California. It was supposed to be a temporary move but he loved it so much he has no intention of returning.

He has jumped head first into trail maintenance and local events and is heading up the trails committee. On Thursday nights you can find him leading the Thirsty Thursday group which invites riders of all abilities to explore local trails in a social setting. He likes to ride XC and his favorite local trail is Bent Femur at Squilchuck State Park. Look for Nick speeding by you with a smile on his face, a friendly wave, and his two boys and lab/shepherd mix, Annie, leading the way.