The late snowstorm of May has come and gone. As the weather heats up, everyone is swapping their skis and boards for tires and trails. One organization that has worked diligently to make improvements to local trails like Jackass Ridge and the Donkey Town Trail network is the Truckee Dirt Union (TDU).
The Truckee Dirt Union is a volunteer-based organization that partners with agencies such as the Forest Service and the Truckee Trails Foundation to maintain local mountain biking trails. They also work to make mountain biking more accessible through grant proposals and advocacy for new trails.
TDU was founded by Matt Chappell during the pandemic, and its members are passionate riders, trail builders, and outdoor enthusiasts. They are dedicated to “creating positive outcomes for mountain biking through collaboration and good times.”
Matt saw an opportunity to aid the Forest Service and also found a way to create the opportunity to enjoy more time outdoors and less time at an indoor desk. His background in marketing and communications, combined with being a competitive racer originally led him to join the board of the Truckee Trails Foundation.
He always had a dream of creating something like TDU and now it is a reality. He coordinates trail stewardship days, working jointly with the Forest Service and California State Parks. By inviting the community to join in working on the trails, mountain biking in Truckee is ascending to a new level.
To learn more about the status of single-track trails in the Tahoe/Truckee basin, you can listen to their many radio shows here.
TDU is proactively seeking collaborations on projects and collabs that embrace TDU’s mission of “creating positive outcomes for mountain biking” in and around Truckee, CA. They aim to establish common ground on projects that permit mountain bike specific use and multi-use trail builds that foster human connection, provide flow state stoke, and cultivate a healthy and grounded community.
Want to collaborate with TDU? Share your ideas: info@truckeedirtunion.org
I am lucky to live in an area with so many people dedicated to protecting the environment. The Truckee community comes together in many ways, but the trail stewarship program is a great example of local, state and government programs working together at their best.
Contact me today for information about living in the Tahoe Truckee basin.
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