Nick Ryan | Copper Harbor Trails Club Trails Coordinator | 204

Topics Include:

• Giving Tuesday for Copper Harbor Trails Club
• Looking back at the 2025 achievements by the Copper Harbor Trails Club
• Looking forward at the 2026 goals
  • Wrapping up the Keweenaw Point Trail in 2026
• Winter Trails around Copper Harbor that the far east end of the Keweenaw Peninsula
• More than double your donation through the Giving Tuesday Campaign when you donate through the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation to the Copper Harbor Trails Club
• The Nick Ryan backstory on how he got into mountain biking
• Why Nick chose Copper Harbor as a place to work
• Enrolling into the Northwest Arkansas Trail Technician Program
• Going deeper on the importance of Planning and Design for trails
• Building Experiences
• The International Trail Rating System and traveling to Europe to attend the certification course
• International Trail Rating System Details
• Copper Harbor Trails Club adopting the International Trail Rating System
• Going deeper on wayfinding
• Things that Nick learned generally speaking while in Europe
• What Nick Looks for in a Trail Community
• Trail Maintenance and the value / and importance of Trail Maintenance
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Copper Shores Community Health Foundation | Giving Tuesday: https://www.coppershores.org/giving-tuesday

Copper Harbor Trails Club: https://www.copperharbortrails.org/

Northwest Arkansas Community College Trail Technician Program: https://www.nwacc.edu/academicdivisions/trailstrades/trailtechnician/

International Trail Rating System: https://itrs.bike/

Show Support By:

Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp: https://www.outdoormarketingbootcamp.com/

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

IMBA Trail Towns and Ride Centers™ with Joe V. and Marty Caivano | 203

For episode 203 we have Joe V. and Marty Caivano back on to discuss the recently launched IMBA Trail Towns Designation and the recently relaunched IMBA Ride Center™ Designation. We covered everything from the importance of these designations for your community, how to get these awarded these designations, and even provided some example communities for these designations. If you are looking to level up the status of your community – Look no further as this conversation is for you!

Topics Include:

• Trail Towns and the why behind the Trail Town Designation
• Becoming a Trail Town
• Community Assessment Tool
• Trail Town Application Window
• Why become an IMBA Trail Town
• Re Launch of the Ride Center™ Designation
• The evolution of IMBA and the mission of More Trails Close to Home
• The consolidation of Bronze, Silver and Gold Ride Centers™ to Ride Center™ and Premier Ride Center™
• How riders think about where they want to ride today
• Defining “Bike Park” within the Ride Center™ Designation
• Defining Gravity Riding within the Ride Center™ Designation
• Using CAMBA / Mt Telemark Village (Hayward / Cable, WI) and how this region fits into the new Ride Center™ designation as an example
• Reapplying to become a Ride Center™, even if your community is a current Ride Center™.
• Example of Copper Harbor and how that community would fit into the new Ride Center™ designation.
• Joe’s new Ride Center™ radius now that he’s based in Colorado
• Marketing component of Ride Centers™
• TrailForks & IMBA
• Rating and Reviewing Ride Centers™
• What Joe V looks for in a Trail Community
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

IMBA: https://www.imba.com/

Trail Towns and Ride Centers™ Press Release: https://www.imba.com/press-release/imba-expands-community-designation-program-new-imba-trail-town-recognition-and-imba

Show Support By:

Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp: https://www.outdoormarketingbootcamp.com/

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For episode 202 we have Miles Ramsey the creative director for 52Eighty Creative. Miles has been working with the PTBA, American Trails, along with others in the Trail Space to improve the marketing game on the outdoor infrastructure we all love to build and use.

Miles also the person behind the Outdoor Marketing Boot Camp which was created as a way to help bring new and creative ideas to the outdoor recreation and trail world.

The Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp will be hosted in a virtual format so traveling to and attending this conference will not be an issue. Miles has brought together more than 25 professionals who work in Outdoor Space as speakers at the Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp. This conversation also kicks off a partnership that Miles and myself have formed to help co-promote both the Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp and the Trail EAffect Podcast.

Topics Include:

• How Miles got involved with the Trail World (PTBA / American Trails)
• Common themes Miles has seen in terms of room for improvement from a marketing and branding perspective
• Small Business ownership
• Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp Backstory
  • Year One Successes
• Miles – on “Is it good for the client?”
• Speakers and the lineup for the 2026 Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp
• What should an attendee expect from participating in the Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp
  • Various levels of experience
• Dates: February 17th & 18th 2026
• What Miles looks for in a Trail Community
• The Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp Podcast
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

52Eighty Creative: https://www.52eightycreative.com/

Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp: https://www.outdoormarketingbootcamp.com/

Outdoor Marketing Bootcamp Podcast: https://www.outdoormarketingbootcamp.com/podcast

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For episode 201 we have Berne Broudy and Greg Durso. Berne is an outdoor journalist, storyteller, and happens to be the president of Richmond Mountain Trails a Non-Profit Trail Organization. Greg is an adaptive athlete and senior program director for the Kelly Brush Foundation. Together Berne and Greg helped to create the new film titled “Best Day Ever” a film about adaptive mountain biking, trail building and what it looks like when inclusion is part of the trail building process from the beginning.

Topics Include:

• The purpose and backstory behind the Best Day Ever movie
• Breaking ground on the Driving Range Trail System – Vermont’s first fully adaptive trail system.
  • Challenges with building the Driving Range Trail System
• Some of the characteristics of an Adaptive Trail
• The intentionality of making the Driving Range sessionable, progressive and diverse in terms of trail experiences for all riders (and this system is mostly Blue, Black and Double Black).
• Greg participating in and getting other adaptive riders into the Fox U.S. Open downhill race at Killington, VT
  • How DH Tracks lend themselves to being great for adaptive riders.
• Different types of Adaptive Mountain Bikes
• The Kelly Brush Foundation – Kingdom Trails – and Adaptive Mountain Bike Camps
• Expanding on what the Kelly Brush Foundation does
• What Berne learned through creating this movie “Best Day Ever”
• What Greg learned through filming the movie “Best Day Ever”
• Screenings of the movie “Best Day Ever” which you can do now!
• American Trails: Advancing Trails Webinar: A Guide to Adaptive Mountain Bike Trail Building
• What Berne looks for in a Mountain Bike Community
• What Greg looks for in a Mountain Bike Community
• What Greg thinks the future of adaptive trails looks like
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Best Day Ever Movie: https://www.bestdayever.mov/

The Driving Range Trail System: https://www.richmondmountaintrails.org/the-driving-range

Richmond Mountain Trails: https://www.richmondmountaintrails.org/

How to donate to the film (w/ a $25k Matching Grant): https://www.bestdayever.mov/impact

Heartland Film Festival: https://www.heartlandfilm.org/festival

The Kelly Brush Foundation: https://kellybrushfoundation.org/

American Trails Webinar: A Guide to Adaptive Mountain Bike Trail Building (10/30/2025): https://www.americantrails.org/training/a-guide-to-adaptive-mountain-bike-trailbuilding

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For Episode 200 we flip the script, and Pete Taylor takes over as the host, putting your regular host myself, Josh into the hot seat. We dive into the backstory how the Trail EAffect Podcast came to be, a mistake or two that I’ve made along the way along with a whole bunch of other topics that Pete had.

Topics Include:

• The Driftless Dirt / Trail EAffect Podcasts Backstory
• Why Start Trail EAffect
• Where has Trail EAffect taken me
• Biggest Surprises and Mistakes
• Highlights from the show
• Difficulties that have come with the podcast
• Monetization of the show
• Scheduling of the shows, and time invested into the show
• Becoming proficient at podcasting, audio and editing
• Give advice, things I’ve learned through this journey
• The value of Trail Planning and Design
• Advice to Trail Organizations who may be lacking funding
• Favorite places / Little Gems for trail communities
• What does the future of dirt look like
• Thoughts on “expired” golf courses
• The future of dirt
• What’s next
• What Josh looks for in a Trail Community
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Vernon Trails: https://vernontrails.com/

Bluedog Cycles: https://www.bluedogcycles.com/

Pertnear 20 Mountain Bike Race: https://www.bluedogcycles.com/pertnear-20-2022

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For Episode 199 we have Pete Taylor of Vernon Trails, Bluedog Cycles and Camp Bluedog – the largest longest running kids’ mountain bike camp in the Galaxy. There are so many words that could be said about Pete but I’ll leave all of that up to him!

Topics Include:

• Moving to Viroqua, WI to open a bike shop, a place with zero access for mountain bike trails
• Starting with Single Track - Vernon Trails – The local trail organization
• Opening Bluedog Cycles in Viroqua, WI
• Pete’s take on NICA and how that’s impacted Pete’s Mountain Bike Community
• Camp Bluedog – Why start a kids mountain bike camp
  • The backstory behind why Pete and Alycann started Camp Bluedog
  • 19 years of Camp Bluedog just wrapped up
  • Trail Building as Part of Camp Bluedog
  • Partnering with Sugar Creek Bible Camp for the facilities and trails
  • Events at Sugar Creek Bible Camp… (Past and Future)
  • Volunteers of Camp Bluedog
• Pertnear 20 XC Race at Sidie Hollow every fall
• Connecting you to what Matters: T-Mobile Grant for Trail Mapping and Signage
• What Pete looks for in a Trail Community
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Vernon Trails: https://vernontrails.com/

Bluedog Cycles: https://www.bluedogcycles.com/

Camp Bluedog: https://www.bluedogcycles.com/camp-bluedog

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For Episode 198, we’re catching up with Mike Repyak, who’s back on the show for the fourth time, this time with a brand-new role as Director of Development and Outdoor Recreation for the Kocourek Trailhead Foundation in Wausau, Wisconsin. We dive into Wausau’s ambitious trail plans, Mike’s continued work with IMBA, and highlights from the International Trails Summit that was held this past April in Madison, WI – Basically in Mikes backyard.

Topics Include:

• Mike’s new roll: Director of Development and outdoor Recreation for the Kocourek Trailhead Foundation in Wausau, WI.
• Recap of what Mike Accomplished at IMBA as the Director of IMBA Trail Solutions.
• A recap of the International Trail Summit that was held in Madison, WI in April 2025.
  • Pre Conference Sessions
  • Concurrent Conference Sessions
  • The City of Madison, WI as a true multimodal community
  • A meeting about the possibility of starting a statewide mountain bike trail organization in Wisconsin
• Diving into the details behind Mike’s new role in Wausau, WI.
• What the Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership is and why it exists.
• What the Private (with public access) trail development will look like adjacent to Rib Mountain State Park in Wisconsin.
  • Effectively expanding access from private lands into parts of Rib Mountain State Park in areas that were previously more difficult to access
  • The prospect of lift access for gravity trails adjacent to Rib Mountain State Park
• How Mike is still involved with IMBA in a part time capacity
  • 2025 IMBA Trail Labs Foundations in Winona, MN
  • Other Locations for Trail Labs Foundations
• Kafka Granite’s Wax Coated Pathway Mix (Trail Surface)
• What Mike looks for in a Trail Community
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership: https://greaterwausau.org/

Central Wisconsin Off Road Cycling Coalition: https://cwocc.org/

Visit Wausau Mountain Biking: https://www.visitwausau.com/outdoor-activities/biking-trails/

IMBA Foundations: https://www.imba.com/foundations

Kafka Granite’s Wax Coated Pathway Mix: https://www.kafkagranite.com/natural-crushed-stone/pathway-materials/wax-pathway-mix/

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

For Episode 197 we have Adam Yeoman, the Executive Director for the Copper Harbor Trails Club. During this conversation we talk all things Copper Harbor 2025, which includes some past events, future events, new trails, and there is also some intel on what participants of the 2025 Copper Harbor Trails Fest might have in store in terms of both XC and Enduro Course. Adam covers a lot during our conversation, and Copper Harbor as a trail organization has a ton going on, so even if you are not from the Upper Midwest there are some pieces of information that you may find interesting or helpful for your trail community.

Topics Include:

• Brief bit of Copper Harbor and Keweenaw Penisula History
• The transition from club president to Executive Director
• Staff at Copper Harbor Trails Club
• Ride the Keweenaw Event
• Copper Harbor Trails Fest
  • Orbion – Title Sponsor of Trails Fest
• Women’s & Men’s Ride Clinics
• New Trails coming online
• Keweenaw Point Trail continues to be built
• New Start Hub at the top of East Bluff
• Winter Trails for Copper Harbor Trails Club
  • Nordic Skiing
• Hints about 2025 Trails Fest Course for both the XC and Enduro
• Other events that have been held in Copper Harbor in 2025
  • Rough Stuff Rally
  • 906 Adventure Crusher
  • 12 hours of All You Can East Bluffet – Endurance Enduro
• What Adam looks for in a Trail Community
• Closing Comments

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Copper Harbor Trails Club: https://www.copperharbortrails.org/

East Bluff Bike Park: https://eastbluffbikepark.com/

Orbion – Title Sponsor for Copper Harbor Trails Fest: https://orbionspace.com/

Rough Stuff Rally: https://bikejerks.com/pages/rough-stuff-rally

906 Adventure Crusher: https://906adventureteam.com/mountain-bike-events/the-crusher/

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com

KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh

Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/josh

Smith’s Bike Shop – 130 Years of Excellence: www.smithsbikes.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services