Dave SimpkinsEditor/Publisher

unCommon Ground Bicyclists wanting to help make rid-ing state bike trails enjoyable can now join a trail-monitoring program thats as easy as riding a bike.Monitoring is quite simple: bicyclists who enjoy regularly riding a state bike trail can also report maintenance and safety issues to the Department of Natu-ral Resources (DNR) in a kind of Adopt a Trail program. Bicyclists ride about a six-mile section of the trail once a week or so during the biking season.Trail monitors watch for fallen trees across the trail, developing potholes, and washouts and debris after a heavy rain. For minor issues they clear off the trail when possible, just as any courteous or thoughtful cy-clist would do. Or they may report to the DNR so DNR staff can do the clearing. Monitors do not do any po-licing, but they can report trail rule vio-lations theyve observed to law enforce-ment.Most of the time, the volunteer ride is just another relaxing time on the trail with no issues.Monitors are covered by workers comp and liability insurance for any rare

occurrences, as is the case with all official volunteers of the DNR, which also does a criminal background check (not driving, character or financial, just criminal court actions) of monitors.Cyclists can join a group that is already monitoring, or, if there is no group, start one or monitor solo.For more information and to volunteer, go to the MN DNR website (MN DNR: Volunteer as a State Trail Monitor. Submitted by Vic Olson, vic23265@gmail.com)

By Mike Tegeder, Parks & Trails Council president

Parks & Trails Council is very much identified with our great system of Minnesota State Parks. Indeed, a major undertaking in P&TCs early years was the innovative effort to raise private funds to acquire land for a new state park, which we now know as Afton State Park. A reading of Roy Meyers Everyones Country Estate: A History of Minnesotas State Parks testifies to our essential involvement with many of the great state parks we now enjoy.But we have also had relationships with regional parks for some time and this is a growing involvement as this issues story on Anderson Park in Isanti County testifies.Our 76 state parks are truly jewels that bedeck our state but the growing development of regional parks only enhances the presence of special places for a growing population. This is a great time for P&TC to work with various regional groups like the Friends of An-derson Park to provide more park and trail opportunities. These often are the first connection for people with parks. It was for me.My own appreciation of the parks goes back to when I was about 10 years old.

Living in north Minneapolis did not provide much in the way of outdoor ad-venture. But my parents signed me up for day camp at Baker Regional Park, then known as Lake Independence County Park. Once school ended we were bused out daily for a week where there was swimming, archery, crafts and even fishing from the shoreline. I did this for several years and I still have fond memories of the program. And then my brother and I with some

friends began biking on county roads out to the park for day-long summer adventures. Luckily county roads were not too heavily traveled by cars then.Regional and local parks are very acces-sible. They are often a bike or bus ride away. Working with local and regional groups P&TC support can make them even more available. There is especially an opportunity to connect these parks with regional bike trails. These are exciting days.

parks & trails council of mn w w w . p a r k s a n d t r a i l s . o r g

Letter from the president of Parks & Trails CouncilRegional parks: meaningful to states outdoor recreation

Minnesota Trails Summer 2015 5

Since 1954, the nonprofit, member-supported Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota has been

saving special places for the publics use and benefit. Together we ensure our states most outstanding natural lands are

preserved for parks and trails. Join us in continuing this legacy for future generations to understand and experience the natural world.

Plus our members receive a years subscription to Minnesota trails Magazine. Join Today! Either mail the subscription card enclosed in this magazine or join online

www.ParksandTrails.org

Join us in saving special places!

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota would like to thank the following sponsor www.pincushiontrailsinn.com

Retired Trails editor Vic Olson volunteers to monitor the Heartland Trail as well as doing a regular blue bird count for the MnDNR. Dave Simpkins photo.

by Vic OlsonFormer Trails EditorTrail monitors

wantedPublishing an annual guide to Minnesotas bike trails and rides sounded like a noble endeavor some twenty years ago to Vic Olson, then publisher of the Northwoods Press in Nevis. He was a regu-lar user and booster of the Heartland Trail and rode many bike rides in the region.In the spring of 1996, Olson made up a proto-type of his Minnesota Bike Trails

and Rides and headed to Cannon Falls on a snowy day. Within two hours he sold enough advertising to fill a page on the Cannon Valley Trail section of his new guide.Olson biked every trail, tak-ing detailed notes of all the natu-ral, historic or cultural highlights of each trail. The publication was really an excuse for my wife and I to get out of the office and bike all these great trails, enjoying the restau-rants and shops along the way, all at company expense, remembers Olson.The 1990s were good years for bike trails, new trails and new sections of trails opening each year, added Olson.I bought the annual news-print publication from the Olsons in 2003 and like Vic, took my wife and toured the trails, at company expense. I shortened the name to Minnesota Trails and converted it to a quarterly publication cover-ing state parks, rivers and skiing as well as bike trails. We shortly became the official publication for the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, a non-profit organiza-tion that acquires land for state parks and trails.I was a member of the Coun-cil and figured bikers were like me in that they enjoyed using all of Minnesotas out- door assets. People who bike also like to hike,

canoe and ski, as well as stay in interesting towns, eat well, sleep well and experience all of what Minnesota has to offer.The biggest story of that time was the over-whelming support for the 2008 Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amend-ment, which pours mil-lions of dollars into parks and trails each year. Out of the Legacy project came a big directive to connect many of the state trails with one another, as well as connect many trails to our state parks.Minnesota is now a pre-mier destination for bikers of all sorts. Last year, Jan Lasar be-came a partner representing a new generation of bikers who bike year around with everything from skinny tire bikes to fat tire bikes, on everything from paved, straight trails to rocky, winding trails. Like Vic and I, Jan is an ac-tive biker and a trail booster who loves riding these great trails with his wife, Jen. Since our wives have served as biking models, weve made a point of publishing a picture of each in this issue.Jan is proud to be leading Minnesota Trails into the future and enjoying our great parks and trails at company expense.

CELEBRATING

20 YEARS

4 Summer 2015 Minnesota Trails

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