>>>
>>> SO,
>>> SO, MOUNTAIN BIKING IS APPARENTLY NOT AS INTENSE AND
SCARY AS IT SOUNDS.
I RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH
JENNIFER DIET OF THE NONPROFIT
FRIENDS OF CAPITAL FOREST TO
LEARN MORE.
LEARN MORE. >> FIRST OF ALL, LET'S TALK
ABOUT FRIENDS OF CAPITAL
FOREST.
FOREST.
FOREST. HOW TO GET STARTED?
>> WAS STARTED BY TWO AVID
MOUNTAIN BIKING WRITERS.
BACK THEN CAPITAL FORESTS WAS
JUST STARTING TO BUILD THE
TRAIL SYSTEM, AND FROM WHAT
THEY TELL ME THE FIRST FEW THEY
HAD, ALL THEY DID WAS PICK UP
TRASH.
TRASH.
TRASH. DNR ACTUALLY BROUGHT OUT A
DUMPSTER FOR THEM TO USE.
STARTED BY REALLY CLEANING UP
THE FOREST AND IN BUILDING
TRAILS FROM THERE.
>> SO, WHEN YOU SAY CAPITAL
TRAIL, WHAT IS THAT?
>> SO, CAPITAL STATE FOREST
HAS, I WANT TO SAY 800 ACRES OR
SO THERE IS A VERY MIXED USED
TRAIL SYSTEM THERE.
THERE ARE TRAILS FOR MOUNTAIN
BIKES, HIKERS, EQUESTRIANS,
MOTORCYCLES.
MOTORCYCLES. THE INTENTION OF FRIENDS OF
CAPITAL FOREST IS REALLY TO
CREATE A GROUP WHERE ALL GROUPS
ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE BUILDING, MAINTENANCE, AND
JUST THE ENJOYMENT OF THAT
TRAIL SYSTEM.
TRAIL SYSTEM. >> AMAZING.
>> AMAZING. THE REASON I ASKED YOU IS I
THINK IT'S UNIQUE THAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON
DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT IT.
I'M GLAD WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
CAPITAL, BECAUSE MOSTLY RIGHT
NOW IT IS REALLY, REALLY HARD
TO GET OUTDOORS.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED
MOUNTAIN BIKING AND OUTDOORS IN
GENERAL?
GENERAL?
GENERAL? >> IT HAS BEEN REALLY TOUGH
BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW WE ARE ALL
STUCK INSIDE OUR HOMES ALL DAY
EVERY DAY AND OUR INTERACTION
AND SOCIAL EVENTS HAVE BEEN
SEVERELY LIMITED.
SEVERELY LIMITED. PUBLIC LANDS WERE ACTUALLY
CLOSED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS,
WHICH WAS REALLY TOUGH ON US
THAT LIVE FOR THE OUTDOORS.
BUT NOW THAT THAT HAS OPENED UP
WITHIN REASONABLE SAFETY
GUIDELINES, WE ARE SEEING A
HUGE RESURGENCE AND INTEREST ON
THE TRAILS.
THE TRAILS. WHEN I'M OUT WORKING AND
WRITING, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE I
SEE NOW ARE FIRST TIME VISITORS
TO CAPITAL FOREST.
I THINK THAT IS EXCITING AND
PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE MENTAL
HEALTH BENEFITS AND THE
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF JUST BEING
OUT AND RECREATING.
>> YOU CLEANED THINGS UP, WE
ARE BACK OUT ON THE TRAILS, SO
WHAT IS THE GROUP WORKING ON
NOW?
NOW?
NOW? >>
NOW? >> RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST
STARTING A REALLY EXCITING
PROJECT.
PROJECT.
PROJECT. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
TO BUILD A NEW SHELTER DOWN AT
THE FALL CREEK TRAILHEAD.
AND THEY HAVE JUST BROKEN
GROUND ON THAT.
WE HAVE HAD THE PLANS IN THE
WORKS FOR THREE YEARS.
WE HAVE HAD WONDERFUL
VOLUNTEERS AND MATERIALS
DONATED.
DONATED.
DONATED. WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE THAT
SHELTER FINISHED BY THE END OF
THE YEAR.
THE YEAR.
THE YEAR. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THE
CITY OF OLYMPIA TO DEVELOP BIKE
SKILLS PARK AND JUST A VERY
LARGE PARK IN THE KAISER WOODS
AREA, AND WE ARE DEVELOPING A
DOWN HILL TRAIL SYSTEM ON THE
NORTH SIDE OF THE FOREST.
LOTS OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS FOR
MANY DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND
SKILL LEVELS.
SKILL LEVELS. >> SPEAKING OF THAT, I HAVE A
QUESTION MY DAUGHTER, SHE IS A
SKATEBOARDER, LIKE, SHE REALLY
SHREDS.
SHREDS.
SHREDS. MY SON LITERALLY JUST LEARNED
TO RIDE A BIKE.
HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG FOR
MOUNTAIN BIKING?
MOUNTAIN BIKING? >> OH, GOSH, YOU CAN BE REALLY,
REALLY YOUNG?
REALLY YOUNG? EVEN HAVE SEEN PEOPLE OUT THERE
KIND OF COMPANION SEATS WHERE
THE PARENT IS ON THE BIKE AND
THERE'S ANOTHER SEAT ON THE
FRAME OF THE BIKE, SO THE
TODDLER IS BEHIND THE
HANDLEBARS AND GETS TO ENJOY
THE EXPERIENCE OF MOUNTAIN
BIKING, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THEY
ARE WALKING.
ARE WALKING. THAT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE AS A
PARENT IF YOU WANT TO SHRED
DOWN THE TRAILS WITH YOUR KID,
BUT WE SEE A LOT OF IT.
WE SEE LITTLE KIDS ON TRIKES
ALL THE WAY UP TO SENIORS THAT
ARE OUT TRYING TO GET SOME
LOWER IMPACT EXERCISE.
THE TRAILS IN CAPITAL FOREST
FOR REALLY DESIGNED FOR ALL
SKILL LEVELS.
SKILL LEVELS. YOU DO HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK
A LITTLE BIT, AND OUR WEBSITE
IS A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT.
TO LET YOU KNOW THE TERRAIN, IS
A SINGLE TRACK, OR MOTOR
VEHICLES ALLOWED?
VEHICLES ALLOWED? YOU WANT TO PICK CAREFULLY.
>> ON THAT VEIN, DO YOU HAVE
ANY ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS?
NOT JUST KIDS, BUT ADULTS, TOO?
>> I DID NOT START MOUNTAIN
BIKING UNTIL I WAS 52, SO IT IS
NEVER TOO LATE TO START.
I HAD NOT RIDDEN A BIKE SINCE I
WAS IN COLLEGE, SO IT WAS A
BRAND-NEW WORLD FOR ME.
BUT IT IS A WAY TO HAVE A LOWER
IMPACT EXPERIENCE, WORK YOUR
CARDIO, DEVELOP YOUR STRENGTH,
AND GET TO BE OUTSIDE.
DEFINITELY INVEST IN SOME
LESSONS IF YOU ARE A LITTLE
HESITANT.
HESITANT.
HESITANT. FIND A FUN GROUP TO WRITE WITH
SO YOU ARE NOT ALL BY YOURSELF,
AND KNOW THE TRAILS WELL AND BE
PREPARED.
PREPARED.
PREPARED. THERE ARE MANY GREAT INTRO
CLASSES THROUGH SOME OF THE
LOCAL BIKE SHOPS.
I JUST ACTUALLY TOOK MY FIRST
ADULT BASIC SKILLS CLASSED LAST
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. WHEN YOU ARE LEARNING YOU SPEND
MOST OF YOUR TIME AVOIDING THE
ROCKS AND ROOTS AND THE TREES.
AS YOU GET MORE ADVANCED THOSE
ARE THE THINGS THAT BECOME
REALLY FUN AND YOU SEEK THEM
OUT AND YOU TRY TO JUMP OFF OF
HIM IT REQUIRES AN INCREDIBLE
AMOUNT OF BALANCE AND
COORDINATION, BUT THAT IS WHAT
MAKES THE SPORT FUN, BECAUSE
YOU ARE ALWAYS EVOLVING, AND
IT'S A CHALLENGE