Dig In Details

The New York City Mountain Biking Association (NYCMTB) is seeking funds to host seminars on crib wall construction so volunteers can build a needed crib wall for the Fort George Connection Trail. Funding will also be used to acquire additional materials for the crib wall.

NYCMTB is building a new 1,800-foot trail, the Fort George Connection, in Highbridge Park where Manhattan’s only legal mountain bike trail network is found. The trail will act as a major junction, connecting three existing trails across the upper and lower sections of the park. This vital link between the more heavily used sections of the park and the historically misused sections will increase circulation throughout the trail system and, it is hoped, replace negative use such as illegal dumping and illicit drug use with healthy recreation.

While construction is currently underway for the lower section of the trail, a steep escarpment in the park represents a significant challenge to the construction of the trail. The trail requires a stone crib wall to support the tread. To address this challenge, NYCMTB plans to bring in trail builders local to the tri-state area with expertise in crib wall construction. This contractor will lead a series of seminars teaching volunteers how to properly layout a site and construct over 100 linear feet of crib wall using tools and materials purchased through the Dig In campaign. Donors to the Dig In campaign will be encouraged to sign up for these seminars to assist in the completion of the project.

Highbridge Park is located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, a historically under-served community in New York City. Since their introduction in 2007, the mountain bike trails at Highbridge have been a gateway into mountain biking for many individuals in the neighborhood and the city who would otherwise need access to a car to participate in mountain biking.