Over 100 riders from eight states participate in Bike Fest

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Last weekend, Oct. 1-3, Caliente’s Mountain Biking Association (CAMBA) held its second annual Caliente Mountain Bike Festival. 

“Bikers don’t need much of an excuse to hit a new trail,” said fest coordinator Sam Gross, when asked where this year’s participants were from.

“The biking community is tight knit. We’re all connected in some way or another, so it’s not unusual that most bikers at this festival are from all over.”

With over 100 participants, the festival included a kick-off barbecue, a raffle, skills clinics, shuttle rides to the top of trails, fair booths and a big Taste of Lincoln County dinner in the evening featuring food and drink from the Knotty Pine, Side Track, Silver Cafe, Pine Tree Inn & Bakery, Cafe Caliente, Taqueria Goyis and S&M Margaritas. 

Courtesy Photo – Riders enjoy mountain biking trails near Caliente. The annual Mountain Bike Fest was held Oct. 1-3.

Originally founded by Holly Gatzke, who has since moved, CAMBA is now directed by Christine Harrington, a local with a passion for the sport who hopes to show surrounding communities what Lincoln County has to offer.

“I’ve seen so many examples of the transformative power [biking] has for both individuals and communities,” Harrington said, “When people start, they tend to develop a sense of empowerment and confidence, start leading healthier lives and become more resilient.”

Harrington hopes as word continues to spread about Caliente’s trails among the biking community, the participation will help boost the county’s economic growth, and events like the festival do just that. Although the majority of bikers came in from Vegas and southwest Utah, there were also registrars from Idaho, California, Arizona, South Dakota and even as far away as Pennsylvania and New York. 

“We’ll all be back,” Gross said in an interview. Gross and his friends hail from Utah, and when asked how Caliente’s trails compare to others he’s experienced, he said, “These trails are really fun. Definitely worth the trip over.”

In fact, the new trail that debuted last weekend got rave reviews and was compared to some really well-known trails in the southwest that people regularly travel to ride. 

The whole idea for trails in Lincoln County started with several forward-thinking community leaders, including then-field manager of the BLM Victoria Barr and former Caliente mayor Stana Hurlburt, who worked with the International Mountain Bike Association. They hoped to use outdoor recreation tourism to support the local economy. Since beginning this project, word has spread, and riders from as far away as Reno or Salt Lake now spend their weekends in the county. Several folks have even moved to the area after falling in love with Lincoln County and the trails. 

Organizers would love to see the local biking community continue to grow. Their plans for 2022 include trying to get more folks (especially kids) out on the trails, maintaining the trail network, building new trails and showing off what Lincoln County has to offer to riders from around the region. 

When asked for advice for beginners, Harrington said, “Get out there and go for it.  Link up with someone who rides and ask them to go ride with you.  It really helps to have someone who can give you basic technique tips and pointers as you get started. Caliente Mountain Biking Facebook page is a great place to find riding buddies and get general trail/bike advice.” She said no rider, experienced or otherwise, would be enjoying these trails without CAMBA’s volunteers. 

“I mean it 100 percent when I say that none of this would have happened without them. I’d also like to say thanks to Side Track, Knotty Pine, Silver Cafe, and Pine Tree Inn & Bakery and Shady Motel for their incredible generosity. We are also incredibly grateful to Nevada State Parks, City of Caliente and BLM for permitting our event and for ongoing support of our work.”

CAMBA members are more than pleased to see years of effort paying off and will continue to work toward their goals of awareness and growing the biking community in Lincoln County. 

For more information on mountain biking in Lincoln County, see CAMBA’s Facebook group.