Approaching its fifth year, the Sundre Bike n’ Ski Club remains as active as ever.
“We’ve been getting an excellent turnout this year,” said Bryan McBain, a member who also volunteers to help out with odd jobs, such as cross-country ski track setting during the winter.
“Week after week, even with people going away on vacations, we still have lots of new people coming out,” said McBain.
The number of people coming out for the club’s weekly evening ride has reached upwards of 17, including an age range from eight years old to 70, he said.
“If we get enough people coming out, we break into groups for more aggressive and less aggressive riders,” he said, adding more people are always welcome.
Anyone interested in joining the group for a ride, he said, is encouraged to drop by the parking area between the Aquaplex and skate park any Tuesday evening by 6:30 p.m.
Additionally, a number of volunteers among the membership have spent some time this season assisting the municipality with trail maintenance on Snake Hill as well as the paths along the Red Deer River.
“We rerouted a couple of trails that were getting too close to the river,” said Paul Shippy, club co-chair and co-founder.
McBain said efforts to set back some of those paths stemmed from safety concerns along some sections of trail that run close to the river and have been undermined by erosion, becoming a dangerous hazard for anyone walking or biking as the ground could potentially give way without warning.
While a couple of logs had initially been placed to demarcate the closed-off and compromised portion of the path while guiding traffic to the new set-back trail, those have since been removed.
McBain urges anyone who frequents that section of river trail to exercise caution.
“Be aware of the fact that some of these trails and paths along the river have been undercut by the water’s flow,” he said.
“If you do fall in there, you’re right in the main current of the river.”
Originally launching in 2015, the club has about 30 members. Anyone with an affinity for cycling and skiing can join for a fee of $35 a year, which largely helps to cover the cost of liability insurance for volunteers who contribute to the registered non-profit group’s activities and maintenance efforts, said McBain.
For more information, visit sundrebikenski.yolasite.com, or do an internet search for Sundre Bike n Ski Club to find the group’s social media page to follow the organization for updates. Alternatively, inquiries may be submitted to [email protected].
