More than 110 volunteers gathered this past Saturday to take a hike in the rain.  We gathered in Devou Park until a slight rain and a chill in the air, but this was no match for our enthusiasm and optimism.  After getting some bagels and coffee, we broke off into teams and got a chance to meet one another.  The rain started to pick up....we gathered beneath our tent and heard the plans for the day from our GBC leader, Ryan Cowan and our CORA leader, Chad Irey.  Upon learning that honeysuckle was the creation of pure evil (for the sake of the trails) we were now ready to embark on our journey.  The teams headed up the mountain and with each team departing, it seemed as though mother nature had lost the fight.... the rain was coming to an end.

 

Upon the trails we had folks clearing trails in all different ways.  We created 700 meters of new, benched trail...cleared 1,300 meters of new corridor (clearing brush, honeysuckle et al)... and cleared 1,700 meters of honeysuckle along the existing trail (the trail that GBC created a year ago!!)...in summary... we affected 2.3 MILES of trail building in Devou Park!!! AMAZING!

 

After exhaustion and hunger were beginning to set in, the volunteers hiked down the mountain for lunch.  The muddy and smiling volunteers all made their way down to lunch talking of their battles with nature and some even toting stories of being inside creeks while others laughed about the honeysuckle.  We grilled burgers, hot dogs and some veggie burgers and all gathered for a hearty meal while Double Platinum Productions provided us some lunch music.  After lunch those who were still able to move their arms joined a cornhole tournament for which Sean Stallo and Matthew Lafkas were the runners up!!! (yes... Ryan Cowan and his father won... but it is more important to know who came in 2nd by 2 points...)   The volunteers then began to depart and head home to get out of their soaking and dirty clothes.  At the end of the day it is hard to say what the most amazing part was... the fact that more than 110 volunteers showed up on a rainy cold morning... the work completed... the aid of the CORA crew.. the excellent organization by the Hands-On committee ....or the fact that at the end of 4 hours of muddy work all were laughing and smiling.  Whichever you choose.. it was an amazing day.

 

To some, the event might appear to be an odd fit for Give Back Cincinnati as they might question how this affects the community.  The image of a mountain biker is not necessarily that of an individual in need, however these trails will be a benefit for generations of our entire community.  The pioneer work of the CORA team on the surface could all too easily be dismissed as selfish, that is until you hear the amount of work, planning, time, energy, paperwork, and funds that have gone into this project and others like it.  These men and women that dedicate countless hours to building these trails properly are not doing it for themselves by any means.  If they wanted to go for a ride on their bikes, they could easily get in the car and find a trail somewhere, but it would not be just a few miles from downtown Cincinnati in a public park that is open for the entire community.  The trails will become an unique asset to Greater Cincinnati when completed as it will be a place just a few miles from the city center where individuals can escape into nature for a hike or a bike trip.  We have many wonderful parks and these are often touted (as they should be) around the world for their quality, but now we will have a new asset to be proud of in these trails.  Give Back Cincinnati is proud to work with CORA on this project because this project, like all of ours, enhances our community.  This will be a public place where all will be able to enjoy the trails for many years.  The CORA team is strategically and diligently building an organic trail that will stand the test of time through the seasons, corrosion, and increased use.  Their efforts to plan and execute in this manner will enable our hard work to have a lasting impact.  For this we are truly appreciative of them accepting our assistance on the trails.

 

You may never become a mountain biker who takes to these trails with great fervor, but your friend, colleague, family member or next great Cincinnatian might use these trails as a place to step away from the stresses of life and refocus... and this might have a greater affect on our community than we ever know.  Our parks and public spaces are an important part of our community and we thank all those that participated this year and those that planned the event that occurred seamlessly.  We also must thank the City of Covington for putting their trust into the CORA team to be trusted stewards of the park property.

 

Last, but not least important, thanks to Panera for breakfast, Chiquita for the bananas, Kellog, General Mills, Alpine Valley, Vitamin Water, Noodles and Co., the Cincinnati Zoo, Andy Smith of Double Platinum Productions, City of Covington Neighborhoods, Parks and Recreation Department, Metromix, the CORA team and their leader Chad Irey, and Anthony Garay and Erin Hood for designing our trail bags.