 DEAR FRIEND, We can call you that, right? If you’re receiving this email, we must at the very least be a friend of a friend. We’re in your inbox, after all. Thank you for being here - for reading our occasionally long-winded, but heartfelt newsletters. Sure, trail work is hard, but if we're being honest sometimes words are harder. Yet here you are at the end of the first paragraph. See? We’re definitely friends. To the not-yet members receiving our love notes, consider this your formal invitation to join something special. We’re not all skis and pedals over here. Well, we are - but we're so much more. We are riders, runners, builders, advocates, skiers, parents, stewards, friends. We wear skinny skis, powder skis, snowshoes and hiking boots. We wholeheartedly believe all bikes (old, blue, squeaky & new) are good bikes and that the trails are for everyone. At our core, BETA is a member-supported, volunteer-driven, human-powered trail building and stewardship organization. To put it bluntly, we couldn’t do what we do without our members. Join us? Dues are $35 for individuals and $50 for families (households of 2 or more people). Membership is good for one year starting on the date that we receive your donation. Every member is an important part of our community. And every dollar counts. We mean it. Your donation will:
To our current members, we appreciate you. You are our backbone. Thank you for believing in BETA and investing in us as an integral community asset. As we squeeze a bit more daylight out of the coming weeks and our Adirondack landscape shifts from the muddy in-between to deep green, we can’t help but dream of getting out with shovels and on wheels. We have an ambitious trail season ahead of us and we're so grateful to have you along for the ride. Not sure about your membership status? Reply to this email and we'll check on that for you. GROUNDSWELL: Local Youth INitiativesLocal youth initiatives are gaining momentum in communities all over the High Peaks Region. Need a pick me up? Read on and bask in the awesomeness of stories of Adirondack kids in the outdoors.  Saranac Lake Innovative cycling kidsSaranac Lake Innovative Cycling Kids (SLICK) was born from a crew of one-more-lap mountain bike loving kids in Saranac Lake. Their mission is to enhance and celebrate biking in their hometown and they’re actively working to fund a new pump track for their community. It will be approximately 5,400 square feet and will include an entrance trail off of the rail trail, as well as an exit trail with skills features that leads to John Munn Road. They’re hosting the second annual Pisgah Pedalfest on July 9th to fundraise. Head to their website for updates. Don't have a bike? If you're a SLCSD student, join the newly established middle or high school mountain bike club and use a school provided bike. Lake placid outing clubLPOC is an outdoor organization providing a safe, positive, lifelong learning experience through wilderness activities. LPOC builds self-esteem through the satisfaction of achievement while having fun in the mountains. All Club activities foster teamwork, caring for others, and stewardship of the environment. The LPOC is a not-for-profit, year-round, extra-curricular organization of the Lake Placid Central School. It offers a full calendar of free trips and a handful of exceptional trips subsidized at about 80%. The LPOC program is open, without fees or residency requirements, to all youth ages 7 - 18. hardy kidsIn 2017, Charlie Wilson and Henry Loher, each at the wise age of 9 pitched the idea of adding a kids' mountain bike race to the Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival schedule. Their first year as race organizers was a success and they used their profits to kickoff a multi-year project to build a bike skills park in Wilmington. Through the continued support and generosity of The Town of Wilmington, BETA, and numerous local businesses, the park was built by the "Hardy Kids" with help from volunteers and funds raised from the 2018 and 2019 races. Now after three phases of upgrades with one more addition on the way, the park is a town staple. There will be more information to come on this year’s Hardy Kids Mountain Bike Race, follow their Facebook page for more info. x-chromesIn Elizabethtown/Lewis, a group of Dads and daughters have been getting together to go rock and ice climbing, hiking, mountain biking and even cliff jumping. In an interview with the Press Republican last Spring, Ryan Hathaway, whose daughter Olivia participates stated that "It started as a group of dads who just wanted to spend time together with our kids. That is the most rewarding part for me; the time bonding in the outdoors with my kids. About 25 girls have tried one activity or another." In 2021, the X-Chromes worked with BETA to construct a new mountain bike trail at Blueberry Hill in Elizabethtown. the keene youth commissionThe Keene Youth Commission was established and charged with the responsibility for the coordination of all youth programming within the municipality to ensure that the youth are served with the best possible youth development. In January 2021, BETA began working with the Town of Keene and the Keene Youth Commission to lay the groundwork for a new community trail system in Keene. BETA secured a $2500 grant from the Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance and the Youth Commission was awarded a $2500 grant from the Adirondack Foundation Generous Actsprogram. The Youth Commission utilized the funding to hire Luke Peduzzi of Peduzzi Trail Contracting LLC to do a site analysis and identify property for the new trail system and pump track development. Construction will begin in May 2022 on the new trail system in Keene. Learn more here, and help us choose a name for the new trails. While Peduzzi Trails completes additional site planning work and begins construction on Phase 1 of the new trail system, BETA will work with the Town and Youth Commission to implement a grassroots fundraising campaign at the local level. We have begun to receive earmarked donations for the project already (thank you to these early passionate donors!) We have also identified and will pursue multi-year state and/or federal grant funding in partnership with the Town and the Essex County Office of Community Resources to support future phases of the project. ride with gratitudeIt's a simple concept. Being able to use trails is an incredible privilege, and everyone benefits when we trail users recognize it as a privilege. It makes us careful about how we treat landowners, trail managers, town residents, and the land itself. The Bike Borderlands initiative has created a campaign to instill a strong code of ethics within the mountain biking community. It calls on riders to respect the gift of mountain biking, care for others, protect nature, and hold each other accountable. BETA is proud to partner with our fellow riders and trail builders at Bike the Borderlands to promote the Ride With Gratitude campaign in our corner of the Northern Forest region.  volunteer trail days: dig to ride (& Win!)Sign up to volunteer on the trails with BETA and you'll be entered to win a Theragun Mini courtesy of High Peaks Cyclery. If you've never used one before, prepare to fight over it with other members of your household. Perfect for recovery after a morning of riding or an afternoon spent digging. Besides the Theragun Mini, other prizes include work gloves and foam/body rollers. Drawings will be at the end of May, June and July.
 save the date!APRIL 30th: Bike & Gear Swap NYSEF Building at Whiteface 9-11AM Bike inspections and maintenance recommendations Bike Swap (Bikes should be in good condition and not older than 10 years) Gear Swap, Raffles & More! JULY 9th: Pisgah Pedalfest Stay tuned. SEPT 2-4 Labor Day Weekend: 5th Annual Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival Stay tuned.  BIG thanks to tony goodwin Tony Goodwin in his natural habitat. Photo courtesy of Nancy Battaglia. Did you enjoy our ski trail conditions reports this year? We are endlessly grateful to Tony Goodwin for volunteering his time to publish frequent, informative updates for skiers throughout the winter. Casual followers may not know that Tony was one of the founders of the Jackrabbit Ski Trail (back in 1986), and served for 29 years as the Executive Director of the Adirondack Ski Touring Council (BETA's predecessor organization). Tony's knowledge of Adirondack trails is unparalleled and his name is synonymous with ski touring in our region. We often joke that Tony can look out his window in Keene and instantly know how much snow has fallen in Paul Smiths, and whether conditions are good on Avalanche Pass. Thank you Tony for your many contributions and ongoing support!  Your support makes our day.
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