The Southwest Region International Mountain Bike Patrol instructors training course over Easter weekend was held at a private ranch outside of Austin, Texas: Flat Creek Crossing. This ranch is approximately 600 acres of hilly and extremely rocky terrain with a 10 mile technical track winding over mostly fault line (up and down) in a large loop from the main lodge. Open to the public only 2 to 6 weeks per year, it was a real treat to ride the trail and experience this ranch. The trail was on par in difficulty with the 12 Miles of Hell course in Lawton. The most notable exception was having only 10 miles to conquer; you will leave Flat Creek wanting to do it again the next day.

From the dusty and rocky hillsides, Flat Creek Crossing demands furious spinning to attack the loose rocky climbs and careful selection of the line before letting the front wheel drop repetitive foot and half rock steps descending the other side. There were plenty of free riding fast descents, but they required concentration and shock absorbing arms, as bike and body took a beating over the loose flat rock. With 3-4 very short sections of tight wooded single track to tease the rider into pressing on, the trail offers an incredibly beautiful reward a little more than ˝ way through. The trail winds down from a grassy field into tightly packed single track, dumping onto the side of the hill, over tree-lined rock slab ledges, around the rim of a small tree-filled gorge, into a knarly V-shaped crack etched out of the rocky cliff. There is just enough room for peddles and shoulders as you take more smooth rock drops through the long crack and get ready to attack the steep wooden bridge anchored to the rock on one side with 3” thick rope ‘railing’ on the other. Finally, the crack and bridge behind you, the trail curves sharply to the left along the creek, up a few more rocky steps to a pebble-covered blanket of ledge shadowed by a huge limestone overhang hovering above and disappearing beyond the tree tops in a pitted and moss covered wall.

Under the protection of the cave-like overhang, rest and cool downs come freely. The namesake, Flat Creek Crossing, sits below. It is a wide, slab-lined creek, whose clear water reflects a bright green hue as it flows quietly under a vertical cliff framing the opposite side. It was breathtaking and inviting. Swimming is allowed and we vowed to come back after the ride to indulge. We didn’t make it until the next day, but the water was cold, not freezing, and perfect for an afternoon swim.

The conference offered some valuable perspectives on land manager issues and allowed the Oklahoma Mountain Bike Patrol a chance to share experience and benefit from organizational ideas of other patrol groups. We look forward to hosting the next regional conference right here in Oklahoma!

General Information about the OMBP

The Oklahoma Mountain Bike Patrol (OMBP) was founded in the fall of 2002. The OMBP is a not-for-profit organization of volunteers working with local and state park managers to provide education on trail safety and etiquette, as well as, encourage positive interaction between the mountain bike community, land managers, and other trail users. OMBP hopes to assist in building mutually beneficial relationships between the groups who plan, maintain, and use the wonderful trail systems in Oklahoma. Members of the OMBP are CPR certified through the National Safety Foundation, have demonstrated skills in bike maintenance, trail maintenance, trail etiquette, and education related to the sport of mountain biking. The group operates under the guidelines of the International Mountain Bike Patrol Association and hopes to have a close relationship with the OEF. Immediate goals include providing patrol teams to Greenleaf and Roman Nose State Parks, as well as, providing patrol services to local trails in the central Oklahoma area. If you are interested in becoming a patroller in Oklahoma or would like to learn more, please contact Walt Brittain.

A group email list has been established at ombp2002@yahoogroups.com. To protect the privacy of members, you must subscribe to the email list and have a yahoo user ID to access the yahoo group site, however, anyone may subscribe to the email list by emailing your request to Candy Joubert.