JIM KONST/SPECIAL TO VIEWMike Hermann is all business as he concentrates on his balance while riding a downhill trail at Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park in Boulder City.
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Boulder City is home to several outdoor treasures that get a measure of national, and even international, recognition. One of these is Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park.
Brent Thomson, the trailmaster and founder of Bootleg Canyon, practically lives at the park. He has been doing this for 15 years, the first 10 without pay.
Thomson relies on volunteers and sponsors to put on races and special events at Bootleg Canyon throughout the year.
"About 15 years ago," he said, "I started riding my bike up here. A friend of mine and I found a couple of trails that weren't all that good, cleaned up a couple of more and before you knew it, we had a big trail loop. The loops are important because riders don't want to ride a trail one way, turn around and just come back. They love a trail loop, and the bigger, the better."
When the Cascata Golf Course was built nearby in 2001, the course donated money to improve the trail. Thomson was able to garner some additional in-kind donations, and he and his group were able to build a restroom facility.
The first trail created at Bootleg Canyon was the West Leg Trail, and then came the East Leg Trail. More trails were added and improved every year, and Thomson and his crew continue to add new trails today.
"It was fun at this time," Thomson said of his early days as a trail maker, "because we finally had permission. We weren't criminals. But until it was a park, we were on our own. Everybody that came up here was absolutely loving it, and that's what created so much support for Bootleg Canyon."
Thomson approached the mayor at the time, gained the support of the City Council, and a new park was born. Since that time, Bootleg Canyon Park has continued to grow, and it is now attracting riders from around the globe.
There are now more downhill and cross-country bikers than golfers worldwide. More than one in five Americans ages 16 and older rides a mountain bike, and bikers contribute $26 billion annually to the American economy, according to a 2008 report issued by the International Mountain Biking Association. Many mountain bikers also are conservationists who volunteer their time, labor and money to protect the natural and cultural resources where they ride.
Research has shown mountain biking to be an environmentally sustainable activity with no more impact on natural resources than hiking. In Southern Nevada, biking is a 12-month activity for those who are willing to brave the searing summer heat.
"We've got nine months of great weather," said Thomson, "but if you prepare for the heat, you can ride our trails year-round."
In the morning and early evening hours during the summer, visitors to Bootleg Canyon see a number of hardy riders taking advantage of the trails on a daily basis. Some cyclists even bring head lamps and ride after the sun goes down.
Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park consists of an extensive network of world-class downhill and cross-country mountain bike trails. The area has been visited by riders from as far away as Japan and Germany, and has been written up in magazines around the world.
The International Mountain Bike Association has certified one of Bootleg Canyon's cross-country trails as an Epic Ride, a distinction the IMBA has give only 18 trails in the world.
The names given to a number of the trails at Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park reveal a sense of playfulness found among those who frequent the trails. The park's downhill trails bear the following names: Armageddon, Ginger, Snakeback, Poopshoot, Diva, Ona Lee, G String and Reaper and Kavorkian (apparently a salute to Michigan's assisted-suicide doctor, although the ex-felon spells his name Kevorkian).
The most scenic cross country trails at the park are named Mother, P.O.W., Bar None, IMBA, West Leg, Girl Scout, Caldera, East Leg, Boy Scout, Skyline, Power Pole, River Mountain, Upper Lake View, Middle Lake View and Lower Lake View.
Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and a gate soon will be installed, Thomson said. Boulder City's Master Plan calls for designating it a city park in the future, he said.
On the weekends more than 250 riders use the park daily, and on weekdays, there are usually more than 70 bicycle enthusiasts pedaling on the trails, Thomson said. The Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park also has been receiving extensive media exposure recently.
The park was featured on the cover of the June issue of Mountain Bike Action magazine, which described its Kavorkian and Ginger trails as two of the "gnarliest trails around." Bootleg Canyon also has been featured in National Geographic, Men's Journal, Sunset Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
"Talk about free advertising," Thomson said. "That's worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It helps validate us as one of the premier downhill and cross-country sites for riders from around the world."
An exciting new attraction at the park is Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, which opened for business Aug. 22. Flightlines allows a person wearing a safety harness attached to a steel cable to glide down from the top of the mountain at speeds of up to 50 mph.
Thrillseekers get to enjoy the scenery of the canyon as they experience simulated flight. For times, prices and other information on Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, call 293-6885.
For more information on Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park, call Thomson at 204-7810 or e-mail him at brentthomsonart@cox.net. Visit www.bootlegcanyon.org. to learn more.
"This place is just booming," added Thomson, "and it's only gonna get busier. Come and visit us, and see what we have. Bring your bike."
If you have suggestions for future Boulder City sports articles, contact Jim Konst at JKONST54@aol.com.
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