MOUNTAIN BIKERS OF SANTA CRUZ LAUNCHES OUT OF THE ASHES, A 2-BIKE GIVEAWAY TO REBUILD SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS TRAILS

The trail stewardship’s latest campaign, which launched today, will raise funds for the rehabilitation of trails that have been impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex Fires and give away two bikes, courtesy of local companies Ibis Cycles and Specialized.

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SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. – Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC), a 501(c)(3) trail stewardship organization, today launched its new 5-week fundraising campaign, “Out of the Ashes”, to raise funds earmarked for rehabilitation of trail networks affected by the recent CZU Lightning Complex Fires and give away two bikes, courtesy of Ibis Cycles and Specialized, alongside gear from Giro and STIRKD. Ritchey and Patagonia will also contribute to 24-hour fundraisers throughout the campaign. Raffle entries are $5 each, and all funds generated go straight into trails projects throughout California State Parks, including the historic Big Basin State Park that weathered many weeks of heavy fire damage. MBOSC has set a goal of raising $170,000 through this campaign, including $70,000 of matching funds from generous donors. Out of the Ashes ends on Monday, November 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Two grand prize winners will be selected on Tuesday, November 17, and will be able to take their pick of their dream Ibis or Specialized bicycle up to $10,000 in value, the head-to-toe Giro kit of their choice, and a fully-customizable set of bike decals from STIKRD. Interested parties can contribute to Out of the Ashes and earn a chance to win their dream bike here.

The CZU Lightning Complex Fires, which lasted from August 16 to September 22, devastated Santa Cruz Mountains communities and vastly altered outdoor access for nature lovers in the region. The fire burned 86,509 acres of land throughout the region, destroying homes, businesses, and historic parks and trails that attract thousands of visits from both out-of-towners and locals each year. Parks affected include Big Basin, Butano, Año Nuevo, and Fall Creek State Parks. Big Basin and Butano State Parks are the location of MBOSC’s annual gravel race, the Old Growth Classic, and trails throughout these parks are sacred to gravel cyclists, hikers, and nature lovers alike.

While fire is a natural part of forest ecology, these ecosystems will take years, if not decades, to return back to their former glory. The local outdoor community depends on these natural areas for exercise, meditation, and healing, but right now, the access timeline for these areas is murky. Public agencies need every bit of support they can get in order to expedite the process of opening these beloved outdoor spaces back to the public.

“The damage to the road and trail system is extensive,” said Chris Pereira, Roads and Trails Manager at California State Parks. “Trees are down, bridges, retainer walls and culverts burned out, and dry landslides are starting to occur. As we approach winter, rain events could cause significant slope failures to this scorched landscape. To make these roads and trails safe, sustainable and accessible again, many will need to be cleared and structures rebuilt, and in some cases, slopes will need to be stabilized. It will take a significant amount of work and time to get these recreation systems back in shape.”

To catalyze the recovery of these areas, Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz is creating the CZU Lightning Fire Trail Recovery Fund, fueled by the Out of the Ashes campaign, to support land managers and do the work necessary to rehabilitate and reopen their parks. MBOSC has the planning skills and construction experience to successfully rebuild these outdoor areas, and the team is eager to get to work on trail restoration. This fund will cover the costs for MBOSC’s professional crew and volunteer coordination efforts to provide boots on the ground support where most needed. MBOSC will work alongside State Parks to support ongoing trail clearing, trail reconstruction, erosion control, restoration and the many other tasks needed to recover from fire damage. Funds may also be allocated for direct support of Land Manager material and staffing needs.

“The Santa Cruz Mountains are near and dear to the hearts of every MBOSC staff member,” said Matt De Young, executive director of MBOSC. “We couldn’t simply sit by and watch this destruction - we knew we had to jump into action and do our part to restore these areas to their former glory. Through this raffle, we’re proud to unite local outdoor brands as we prove that community is stronger than competition. We can’t wait to get shovels in the dirt and restore our home trails.”

For more information: https://mbosc.org/out-of-the-ashes/, or email Katy Poniatowski at [email protected]

Key Facts:

• MBOSC is launching a new campaign, Out of the Ashes, to raise funds for trails affected by the recent CZU Lightning Complex Fires. For every $5 contributed, supporters will earn one entry into the end-of-campaign drawing for their dream Ibis or Specialized bicycle up to $10,000 in value, the head-to-toe Giro kit of their choice, and a fully-customizable set of bike decals from STIKRD.
• The campaign is running from now through Monday, November 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT. A winner will be selected on Tuesday, November 17.