The chairman of NCA’s new Nosara trails committee, Ricardo Moraga, has taken on the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining the trails. It’s a big task, and he could use your help.
«Two weeks ago we cleaned the Dump trail. The stream is full of garbage. Three of us collected six giant bags of trash,» Moraga says.
The plan is to clean the trails three times a year. « Each time we’ll work two days every week over the course of a month. After we collect the trash we cut big tree limbs and then clear away underbrush using a leaf-blower. Cleaning the dump trail took us six hours, spread over two days.»
Besides helping to improve this great community resource, Moraga, owner of Nosara MTB (Mountain Trail Bikes) and Surf, sees a direct benefit for his customers. «They don’t want to use the roads because of the dust. The trails are healthier and safer.»
He and his staff use the trails heavily, whether planning and leading tours for customers, training for competitions, or simply enjoying them and appreciating their place in nature.. When speaking in Spanish, he uses the word « trillo » rather than « sendero » to describe the original trails of Nosara. A sendero is man-made, but nature makes a trillo, which shows less evidence of human interference.
Maintaining the trails also improves access. Although walkers can use any of the trails, bicyclists will find certain trails easier than others. Some sections full of tree roots, hills, or curves require superior biking technique. The trail near the dump is for bikers of near-professional level, Moraga says. If the trails are free of clutter, every user benefits, and the number of users is likely to grow.
He also hopes to draw attention to the trails by expanding them and by publicizing them through competitions. Nosara hosts two bike races a year, both organized by the Catholic parish. Moraga wants to organize a third race, in low season when there’s less dust and milder weather.
One goal of the new race would be to offer more experience to bikers who aspire to be professionals some day. As a second goal, he hopes to attract more people to the community of mountain trail bikers. The local club, La Costa MTB de Nosara, has 11 members at present.
«We want to ally ourselves with groups like the NCA to raise money to expand the trails. That’s a big task that will need a lot of investment. »
Meanwhile, back to trail maintenance. This is where you come in. « More than anything we need physical labor — more people,» Moraga says, adding that he’ll post a notice on his Facebook page (NosaraMTBandSurf) the day before the cleanup. Join Ricardo and his team. Gracias!
Photos courtesy of Veronica Monge Photography