Perry Hill Trails to receive nearly $50,000 investment for 2019

$40,000 of investments from Waterbury Area Trails Alliance, $8,000 investment from the State of Vermont

WATERBURY, VT - Waterbury Area Trails Alliance is excited to announce a significant investment in the Perry Hill Trail network for the 2019 season. “2019 is looking to be an exciting season at Perry Hill with some significant investment, that will improve the overall rider experience as well as help our iconic trails better handle the over 20,000 user visits per year,” said Dana Allen, President of WATA. “This level of investment would not be possible without the immense amount of support we receive both from riders and broader Waterbury community as a whole.” Disneyland update

The marquis project includes a $17,000 project with Rochester, VT-based trail builder Tom Lepesqueur to reinvigorate one of Perry Hill’s lesser utilized trails, Disneyland. The project will include significant reroutes that will better utilize the elevation change, increase the overall rider experience, and increase the long term sustainability of the trail.

The finished product will tie together the trail’s iconic natural features, linking them with light touch machine built trail, creating a mix of the technical single track and flow aimed at advanced riders. “Our vision is to maintain the original soul of the trail by keeping existing rock features while creating a more consistent, sustainable and enjoyable trail in between those sections. The end product will be a hybrid of natural and machine built terrain including new berms, jumps and better overall flow,” said Tom Lepesqueur of Lepesqueur & Daughters Trailworks. “From Highland Bike Park to the iconic Red Bull Rampage, Tom has worked on some of the most well-known trail projects in the country. We are thrilled that he brought his talents to Vermont and Perry Hill,” said WATA President, Dana Allen

Rastaman Exit Reroute, S’mores Refresh and VMBA Trail Clinic While on site, Tom Lepesqueur will be constructing a 1000 foot reroute for the Rastaman exit replacing and sustainably closing out 500 feet of the steep and eroding logging road, and will be touching up the beginner-friendly flow trail, S’mores. The S’mores maintenance will cost roughly $3,000 and work will be completed late May. In addition, Lepesqueur will be leading the Vermont Mountain Bike Association trail clinic the first weekend in June. The trail clinic provides the opportunity for representatives from each VMBA chapter to come to Perry Hill and learn trail building best practices from a professional builder. “It's humbling to be working on a trail system as renowned as Perry Hill and with people so passionate about our sport,” said Lepesqueur. Rehab of Permission and Burning Spear In addition, WATA is investing roughly $10,000 in professional maintenance and rehab work by the Northeast Kingdom-based builders, Ide Ride Builders, on Permission and Burning Spear. This work is ongoing now and slated to be completed in late May. “These trails are a staple of Vermont Mountain biking and we consider this a “historic preservation” project. We strive to restore the flow of the trail as the original builders intended,” said Knight Ide of IdeRide Builders. “Knight and his crew are truly world-class builders that we have been excited to work with on past projects at Little River State park. Knight’s background as a mason and his experience building raw natural trail makes his team the perfect crew for restoring these iconic trails to their original feel” said Allen.

Highlights to look for include armored climbing turns on Permission, and restoration to carry speed through critical sections and new features using skillfully placed rocks on Burning Spear. Main Climb Re-Route Another significant project for this season is a reroute of the main climb off of the often wet and eroding double track to a new hand built single-track reroute. The work will be done by a mix of volunteer and contractor work. All told the total value of the work to build the reroute rings in at around $12,000. “The Main Climb is the backbone of our network, and this represents a significant improvement for the user experience accessing our legendary upper trails,” said Allen.

The new climb will be suitable for intermediate to advanced riders and other trail users, in keeping with the character of the upper trail network.

Improving Drainage The state trail crew will be lining 250 feet of ditching with 4" crush stone to reduce environmental and trail impacts caused by erosion. Also, the state crew will be rehabilitating 2,160 feet of closed trail corridor associated with the main climb reroute. The state received a federally funded Recreation Trails Program grant to cover the estimated $8,760 cost of the work. This work will be accomplished using states Better Roads standards, which help to reduce erosion and improve water quality.

“The foundation of a quality network is how well it manages water. We thank the state for their partnership and taking on this important project to keep our trails in top shape,” said Allen. Largest Gravel Grinder in the 12-year history These improvements are on the heels of WATA’s largest Gravel Grinder yet. The May 4th event brought over 400 cyclists to Waterbury and raised over $25,000 dollars to support these projects. About Waterbury Area Trail Alliance Founded in 2015, Waterbury Area Trails Alliance (WATA) has grown to be the third largest VMBA chapter with over 700 members. WATA is a 100% volunteer-run organization that builds and maintains trails for a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable future. The group was founded by a dedicated, skilled, and diverse group of local leaders in 2015. WATA represents a growing segment of trail users and businesses that are committed to enhancing and maintaining our Waterbury area trails for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.