The Sentinel-Record - HER - Hot Springs
HER Cover Story 'Olympic Strides' Behind the scenes of one of the 'top races' in the country
Parker talks mountain biking, Northwoods Story and photography by Grace Brown
Mountain biking opportunities abound in other states like Colorado, Oregon and Virginia, but now “The Natural State” is starting to show up on the mountain biking community’s radar.
With the dedication of Phase One of the Northwoods Urban Forest Park trail system the weekend of Nov. 16-18, Hot Springs will begin to draw more thrill seekers to the area, but local mountain biking enthusiasts like Jona Parker and her family are already itching to take full advantage of the course.
Since 2012, Parker used mountain biking as a way to connect with her husband and two sons. Although it took many years for the mother of three to actually put her mountain bike to use, she has now become a top advocate for making the dream of a 44.6-mile system of first-class biking trails a reality.
Ever since Parker first learned of the possibility of a trail of such length accessible downtown, she and her family have worked alongside the city of Hot Springs, Garland County, Hot Springs National Park, the International Mountain Biking Association, and the Walton Family Foundation to see it through completion.
“Having children who are home-schooled and avid outdoor enthusiasts, I wanted to use this opportunity to teach them how to become involved in the projects that are important to us in our own communities. We attended all public input meetings and we showed up to all the volunteer opportunities. We started a weekly volunteer work group that still meets on Wednesday evenings to help build a user (and) volunteer base that will help care for the trail once it is complete. We also host a weekly group ride that meets on Thursdays, again to help build a user base and to transfer ownership of the trail to the community,” Parker said.
Her husband, Matt, first purchased his wife a mountain bike 14 years ago on her first Mother’s Day.
“I walked into the house and there waiting for me was a mountain bike. To be honest, at the time it seemed like a cruel joke to give a woman who just had a baby a mountain bike,” she said, laughing.
However, the seemingly ill-thought-out gift turned out to provide the Parker family with a means to learn a bit more about one another and reflect on the present — something that ended up bringing them closer as a family in the long run. Although her daughter is more into horseback riding, Parker said it is still something they can all enjoy doing.
“When the boys were younger, we would start riding and they would just talk, and talk, and talk. It was such a beautiful thing because I didn’t have any other distractions. I could just listen. As they have grown older and biking has become such an integral part of who we are. Those moments of absolute presence are what we all crave. That, to me, is the most powerful thing about an activity like cycling. We have so many things pulling at us all day but when we are on our bikes, that’s it. We talk, share ideas, share frustrations, make plans, laugh, occasionally we cry, and that has been the best thing to come from us doing this as a family.”
Not long after she began riding her mountain bike on a regular basis, she noticed the amazing physical and emotional gains she started to make. She felt more connected to her community and the natural world, more aware of her body, her mood improved, she became stronger, and, most
importantly, she became fully engaged with the present moment.
“We are constantly distracted by so much in our busy lives, but the moments I spend riding my mountain bike are simple. I have to focus on what I’m doing. I get to ‘get in the zone.’ It’s like a form of meditation for me; some like to call it ‘Cyclotherapy.’ Whatever you call it, the simple act of riding your bike every day can have quite a positive impact on your life and your perspective,” she says.
As she became more of an advanced rider, Parker started looking for ways to encourage others to take part in this amazing exercise of endurance and physical fitness. That’s just about when she started coaching the first youth mountain biking team in Hot Springs.
After a friend and fellow cyclists volunteered to take the lead, Parker said she jumped on board. Around a dozen people showed up to the first informational meeting at a local coffeehouse earlier this year and now 16 students and 12 coaches participate in the local National Interscholastic Cycling League’s team.
“Being the head coach of Hot Springs first youth mountain biking team is inspiring. Most of the kids on the team have spent very little time on the trail, but kids learn and grow at an incredible speed. I’m amazed every practice at how confident they have become. Mountain biking is hard, but these kids show up, they work hard, and we are just having a blast learning together,” she said.
Parker was quick to brag on the exceptional atmosphere of the local mountain biking community. No matter where someone visits from, fellow
mountain bikers are willing and ready to take them in and dish out that famous Southern hospitality. With the completion of the first phase of the Northwoods trail right on the horizon, there should be plenty of opportunities.
Construction of Phase One of the planned 44.6-mile system of mountain biking trails on the city-owned Northwoods and Cedar Glades properties began in November 2017.
The total cost of the first phase of the mountain bike trail project is $1,299,975, with half the cost — $648,421 — funded through a matching grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
Once completed, the trail system will have hiking and biking opportunities, including beginner, moderate and advanced trails. There is even talk of a few jumps and turns commonly seen in bike parks. All of this is accessible within minutes of downtown.
Phase One provides a total ride distance of 25 miles — 13 miles in the Northwoods and 12 in Cedar Glades.
A section of the trail also cuts through a portion of Hot Springs National Park. It was built in accordance with the Bike Rule, a regulation “for designating bicycle routes and managing bicycle use within park units throughout the National Park System.”
The Bike Rule was signed in 2012 to improve the prior regulation in response to increasing public interest in bike use in national park units.
Phase Two of the trail system will result in
a 44.6-mile system of first-class biking trails in the property that incorporates pristine forested hills and three lakes in the Cedar Glades area north of Whittington Avenue.
A ribbon-cutting for Phase One will be held the afternoon of Nov. 16 at the Water Works Trail Head, according to Bill Solleder, marketing director for Visit Hot Springs. Taking part will be city officials and staff, The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce ambassadors, and staff members from the International Mountain Biking Association, local bike shops, and Visit Hot Springs.
That event will be followed by a “Slow Roll” bike ride on Park and Whittington avenues.
On Nov. 17, there will be a public ribbon-cutting and group ride at the Cedar Glades portion of the trails system, Solleder said in a news release. The festivities will be in conjunction with the Spa Running Festival and Attila the Hun Mountain Biking Race that weekend.
For beginners and novice riders, there will be opportunities to test ride some of the top brands and practice maneuvering the types of trails found in the Northwoods on a skills track before setting out on an official ride.
The portable wooden track is only a few inches off the ground, which gives especially young riders and new riders a chance to get acquainted with a single-track trail. Orbea and Rocky Mountain Bikes will also bring trailers full of bikes for riders to test ride, Solleder said.
Parker said more and more women are getting involved in mountain biking and cycling than ever before as they begin to see how it is the perfect fit for any woman.
“Women are built perfectly, physically and mentally for mountain biking. Mountain biking is hard — it takes fortitude and strength, it takes patience and creativity, and it takes a giant amount of humility; somewhat like childbearing and rearing. Women are made for this sport and women have the tendency to positively affect the things they become involved in. They open up channels of communication and make situations more expressive. I believe women are affecting and will continue to affect, mountain biking in extraordinary ways,” she said.
Parker’s advice to anyone interested in getting involved is to just do it but, for those who like to plan things out, she suggests striking up a conversation with someone, going to a local bike shop, or attending one of the several weekly group rides around town which offer rides for all levels of cyclists.
“The mountain biking community is eclectic — it’s young, it’s old, it’s men, women, and children, it’s your local coffee shop owner, it’s your dentist, and your Jazzercise teacher, it’s your cabinet maker and your nurse … it’s the raddest community you’ll ever be a part of,” she said
As far as trails go, Parker said there are so many options and it is difficult to nail down just one.
“The Northwoods presents options for everyone, from beginner to very advanced. The blue loop at Cedar Glades is perfect for new riders and is the trail that my student-athletes begin on. The west end of the LOViT trail is absolutely beautiful and so fun for beginners. The white loop at Iron Mountain is a great one, it has breathtaking views of Lake DeGray and is also beginner friendly,” she said.
“As they have grown older and biking has become such an integral part of who we are. Those moments of absolute presence are what we all crave. That, to me, is the most powerful thing about an activity like cycling.”