Latest Bike Park Vid
May 1, 2013 on 12:41 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentWe finished so many things at the bike park this past weekend that I decided a visual would be best. It pretty much covers all of the things we took care of. The only items not show are (1) landscaping and brushing, (2) completion of a transition trail down the [Continue Reading]
Big Additions at the Castle Rock Bike Park
April 29, 2013 on 1:57 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsI realize that some of you who are unfamiliar with GGR work parties probably think I’m blowing smoke when I post reports about how much we accomplished. Trust me – I’m not exaggerating. This past weekend was a full-on shot that produced big [Continue Reading]
Crew Needed for Mega-Build at the Castle Rock Bike Park
March 13, 2013 on 12:45 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 11 CommentsOur time has been limited in 2013, so we have decided to focus all attention on a two-day build at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, April 28th. The scope-of-work for these two days is huge. It will take great logistics and an excellent [Continue Reading]
Fundraising for GGR Weedeater Complete – $400 Donated, $0 Needed!
February 5, 2013 on 1:45 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 13 CommentsWhat a tribute to the people who are part of the Growlers community! It took only 24 hours to raise the $400 for the weedeater, with 20 people contributing and two others saying, “What the heck. Keep the money for the Growlers fund” – even after [Continue Reading]
Small Crew Keeps the Ball Rolling at the Castle Rock Bike Park
January 21, 2013 on 3:22 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsWe had a very limited work party at the bike park on Saturday, January 19th. We had a few jobs to complete and some planning to do, so we didn’t require our usual crew of dirt animals. Ryan, Dave, Greg, Kevin, Randy, and I hit three things - Completed the [Continue Reading]
Kevin Hits the Five-Foot Flat Drop
November 27, 2012 on 1:43 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | 1 CommentKevin Knorr lands the five-foot flat drop at the Castle Rock Bike Park in the vid below. Check out the whiplash upon impact as Kevin’s face nearly contacts the handlebars. [Continue Reading]
OBT Line at the Castle Rock Bike Park
November 20, 2012 on 1:43 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentRyane Olin led the way at our last work party, performing his magic with the excavator to come up with several new technical lines on the west side. In this vid, Kevin Knorr takes on the two most challenging lines. He skipped the one on that side of the site that [Continue Reading]
Huge Effort Keys Work at Castle Rock Bike Park
November 12, 2012 on 4:33 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 6 CommentsWhen Paul and I spoke at the recent NTWA meeting, the easy part was telling them that we could get people to come out for our work parties. What was much harder to explain was how much our guys are able to get done in a limited number of hours. That’s because [Continue Reading]
Jacob’s Plan for the Bike Park
October 17, 2012 on 12:58 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentJacob Wiessner, son of GGR members Cori and Peter Wiessner, attended the grand opening of the Castle Rock Bike Park in September. He has spent the past month contemplating ways to improve the park and has reached a conclusion – he wants us to build an [Continue Reading]
Skills Clinic Highlights the Basics
October 15, 2012 on 12:48 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsBig thanks to Ryan McMaster for serving as our instructor at Saturday’s skills clinic at the Castle Rock Bike Park. Even though he was working with sub-par material, Ryan managed to convey some fundamental skills to a group that included Vaughn Martin, Bob [Continue Reading]
Grand Opening Vid Captures the Vibe
September 28, 2012 on 12:11 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentCheck out the video and you will be able to feel all that kid energy! There are also some great crashes, included serious stunt riding by Tana Gutzka, Rob Larsen and Bob Horness. [Continue Reading]
McMaster to Host Skills Clinic
September 26, 2012 on 2:51 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsRyan McMaster of Growlers Gulch Racing will be the instructor at a skills clinic at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday, October 13th. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and should be finished by 12:00. Focus will be on riding the pump track, log-overs, and jump [Continue Reading]
Examiner Posts Grand Opening Vid
September 26, 2012 on 12:39 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 3 CommentsNot only did the Examiner send a reporter up from Portland, they also posted a vid on their site. Big thanks and a great job by Stu and Corie Marks. [Continue Reading]
Massive Crowd Highlights Grand Opening at Castle Rock Bike Park
September 24, 2012 on 12:51 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 3 CommentsThe grand opening at the Castle Rock Bike Park on September 22nd, drew a crowd estimated at nearly 300, with a huge number of kids in attendance. The day featured skills clinics, a 10-station kids’ challenge, raffle prizes, and lunch provided by North County [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Prepped for Grand Opening
September 17, 2012 on 1:05 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentSmall crews on both Saturday and Sunday combined to ring up more than 80 hours as they put the finishing touches on the Castle Rock Bike Park in preparation for the grand opening on Saturday, September 22nd. Check the itinerary at [Continue Reading]
Itinerary Set for Bike Park Grand Opening
September 14, 2012 on 1:42 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 7 CommentsThe schedule of events has been set for the grand opening at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday, September 22nd. We are hoping all of you can make it. The event is open to kids; in fact, they are our focus that day, so plan on bringing yours if they ride. We [Continue Reading]
Writer Scopes Castle Rock Bike Park
September 11, 2012 on 12:56 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsI was doing some work at the bike park on Saturday when I ran into Bob Allen. Bob had been to Black Rock on Friday and was on his way to Duthie. He told me he had stopped in Castle Rock to check the bike park for a book he is writing for IMBA. Working title is New [Continue Reading]
Shelter at Bike Park Gets Finishing Touch
September 7, 2012 on 12:58 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsA cement floor was added to the shelter at the Castle Rock Bike Park earlier this week, completing a project headed by Eli Kranz. Kranz – assisted by a large group of friends – raised the funds, purchased the materials, and constructed the shelter for [Continue Reading]
Women Skills Camp Rocks the CR Bike Park
August 10, 2012 on 5:28 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentThirty participants braved very warm weather to receive instruction on features throughout the park. Sessions included work on the pump track, skinnies, elevated trail, log-overs and drops. The camp ran from 10 until 2, with Kevin Knorr from CanyonView Cyclery [Continue Reading]
Birthday Party at the Bike Park
August 2, 2012 on 4:01 pm | In Castle Rock Basketball, Castle Rock Bike Park | No CommentsOldest grandson, Carter, kicked off his 10th birthday celebration with a session at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday. His brother, Cameron, two cousins – Nick and Sam, and two of Carter’s buddies were there as well. Carnage was very minor. The pump [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Crew Produces Big Results
July 16, 2012 on 1:38 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsAnother work party produced the usual great results. A crew of 20 showed up at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday, July 14th to tackle a number of tasks. The group included Dave LeMonds, Rob Larsen, Randy Toney, Kevin Knorr, Chris Laughlin, Tom Eilertsen, [Continue Reading]
TDN Highlights Castle Rock Bike Park
July 9, 2012 on 1:30 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentThe following story by Natalie St. John was published in the Daily News on July 9, 2012. Photo credit to St. John as well. CASTLE ROCK — The grand opening for the Castle Rock Bicycle Park is set for Sept. 22, but cyclists of all ages and skill levels are already [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Ground Opening Set for September 22nd!
June 28, 2012 on 1:54 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsIt’s time to celebrate! After 15 months of hard work, Growlers Gulch Racing will host a grand opening at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday, September 22nd. Please put this date on your calendar. We’d like everyone to be there and we ask that you [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Receives Three Donations
June 26, 2012 on 1:43 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsThe Castle Rock Bike Park picked up three recent donations totaling $1,037.25. One came from an anonymous GGR member who contributed $100 for the second time this year. We also raised $387.25 at the TDG party at Porky’s last Saturday. This included $237.25 in [Continue Reading]
June 22nd Marks Bike Park’s First Anniversary
June 22, 2012 on 1:25 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentToday is the one-year anniversary of our ground-breaking at the Castle Rock Bike Park. A small crew from Growlers Gulch Racing was on hand on June 22, 2011, to install silt fencing and complete a scrape-off of the old BMX track, which was located where the pump [Continue Reading]
Castle Rock Bike Park Features Single-Track Option
June 17, 2012 on 4:11 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsThe Castle Rock Bike Park continues to grow. At the north end of the park, a short gravel path takes riders to a trail that heads north on the very edge of the Cowlitz River. This is a great option for riders of all ages and ability levels. Currently, the trail [Continue Reading]
Women’s Skills Camp on Tap for August 4th
June 5, 2012 on 12:55 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsGGG diva Melanie Norris is heading an effort to bring a women’s skills camp to Castle Rock on August 4, 2012. Mel is teaming with Debbie Causey of the Northwest Trail Alliance. The skills camp will be based at the Castle Rock Bike Park, with instructors on [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Builders Kill It Again
June 4, 2012 on 2:15 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsA crew of 40 showed up on Sunday, June 3rd, to work at the Castle Rock Bike Park. As usual, we had a very extensive scope-of-work. And, also as usual, we made huge progress. A big crew hit the three jump lines. We haven’t had a chance to get to them because [Continue Reading]
Become a Pump Track Superstar
May 10, 2012 on 12:55 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsThanks to Keith Gianella for sharing a link to a great page about pump track riding. It explains technique and also emphasizes the skill transfer from the track to trail. Check it here. Also, view this video – which I believe features Keith – doing some [Continue Reading]
Parabody 400 Home Gym
May 9, 2012 on 12:56 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, G-Bay, Mountain Biking | No CommentsSOLD TO PAUL AND MEL NORRIS AT 6:46 A.M. ON WEDNESDAY Mike Van Hoose is offering a Parabody 400 home gym to anyone willing to pony up $100 for the Castle Rock Bike Park. Retail value is $2,000. Lord know that many of you slackers could use some definition. [Continue Reading]
Knorr Stars in Bike Park Videos
May 8, 2012 on 1:21 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | 1 CommentKevin doing a little testing last weekend. Clips courtesy of Andrew Holder. Advanced jump line - New mega-booter - [Continue Reading]
Growlers Gulch Racing Recognized as Champions for Healthy Lifestyles
April 30, 2012 on 1:57 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsCowlitz on the Move and Pathways 2020 has announced that it will recognize Growlers Gulch Racing as a 2011 Champion of Healthy Lifestyles. Pathways 2020 Director Paul Youmans said that GGR’s work ”exemplifies our efforts for everyone to eat smart, [Continue Reading]
Kevin on the Elevated Skinny
April 19, 2012 on 12:42 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | 1 CommentKevin makes it look simple as he cleans the elevated skinny on the east side of the Castle Rock Bike Park. What you can’t see from this angle is that most of the surface he is riding on is 4″ to 6″ wide, that the trail curves in places, and that [Continue Reading]
More Big Work at the CR Bike Park
April 16, 2012 on 1:15 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsMaking it all come together can be complicated, but this much is simple – when you’ve got the best plan and the best people, nobody can compete with you. Once again, the progress we made at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Sunday exceeded expectation. Big [Continue Reading]
Big Thanks To Toney, McMaster (No, Not Randy and Ryan)
April 12, 2012 on 12:41 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentIf you run into John Toney or Don McMaster, take a minute to thank them for all of the work they’ve done at the Castle Rock Bike Park. Think about it a minute – these guys don’t ride. And yet they have been key players throughout the build. Both [Continue Reading]
Travis Degn at CR Bike Park
March 29, 2012 on 12:46 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsCheck this vid of Travis Degn on the advanced pump track at the Castle Rock Bike Park. Work completed in January is now paying off and the massive outside line is completely pumpable, as Travis clearly demonstrates. We still have work to do on the smaller track on [Continue Reading]
More Press for the Castle Rock Bike Park
March 16, 2012 on 1:50 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsThe following story by Kim Colucci - “Volunteers Build Castle Rock Bike Park” – was published February 23, 2012, in the Town Crier, which is distributed in Lewis and Cowlitz counties. ********************* A volunteer crew of dedicated mountain [Continue Reading]
Patterson Late, Lipton Victimized
March 13, 2012 on 12:47 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 4 CommentsTwenty-four people worked at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Sunday. Only Mike Patterson was so dumb that he forgot to set his clocks ahead. As a result, Patterson and Jeff Lipton – who was naively relying on Patterson for a ride – were late. The work they [Continue Reading]
Elevated Trail Now Complete!
March 12, 2012 on 1:10 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | 3 CommentsMy hat is off to the people who showed up and worked their asses off at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Sunday, despite the usual inclement conditions. Deep in my heart, I know you guys are losers, but I can’t help but love you. I was expecting a crew of 16. We [Continue Reading]
Payin’ It Forward
March 5, 2012 on 1:53 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 5 CommentsSometimes, the reason for things just comes ringin’ through. I stopped by the bike park yesterday for a few minutes. There were a ton of kids onsite, and they were riding everything. I talked with some of their parents, who were excited about the work we had [Continue Reading]
Pine Trees and Prep Work
February 27, 2012 on 2:30 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsA small crew was on hand at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Friday, February 25th to assist with the planting of eight pine trees that Chris Laughlin procured for us through Watershed Garden Works in Longview. [caption id="attachment_10419" align="alignright" [Continue Reading]
TDN Highlights Castle Rock Bike Park
February 21, 2012 on 1:42 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | No CommentsThe following story by Barbara LaBoe was published in the Daily News on February 20, 2012. Photos by Bill Wagner With more than 1,000 volunteer hours behind them, builders of the Castle Rock Bike Park say they’re making good progress and hope to have the [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Total Surpasses 1,000 Hours
February 13, 2012 on 2:04 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsA small crew got together to work at the Castle Rock Bike Park on Sunday, February 12th. Volunteers included Ryan McMaster, Dave LeMonds, Bob Horness, Vaughn Martin, Steve Reed, Jon Van Natta, Don McMaster, Chris Laughlin, and myself. We added 27 hours to our [Continue Reading]
Saturday Work Party Caps Massive Two-Week Effort
January 22, 2012 on 4:37 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsSnow storm last Sunday. Rainy and cold this Saturday. But in spite of the weather, the GGR crew – along with a few friends - put in nearly 300 hours of time at the Castle Rock Bike Park during the past two weeks. Eighteen people showed last Sunday. We had [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Crew Makes Huge Progress
January 16, 2012 on 4:19 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsUnbelievable. A day that was on the edge of being written off because of snow ended up being one of the most productive thus far at the Castle Rock Bike Park. A crew of eighteen braved the weather, and did they ever get the job done. I got a text from Ryane at 6:48 [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Volunteer Hours
December 8, 2011 on 1:41 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentWe initially predicted that it would take 2,000 hours to complete the Castle Rock Bike Park. It will obviously take more than that. Our goal is to have at least 150 names on the list below by the time the project is finished. We understand that everyone has [Continue Reading]
Flat-Drop Now Complete
December 6, 2011 on 1:39 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsWe had room for a 36″ flat-drop on the south end of the site at the Castle Rock Bike Park, so I decided to build a hybrid. Instead of simply rolling into a three-foot drop, which would probably be beyond the reach of those of us who are mere mortals, I add a [Continue Reading]
Baby Steps Adding Up at the Castle Rock Bike Park
November 30, 2011 on 1:43 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsIt’s slow going, but the beat goes on at the Castle Rock Bike Park. The south end of the site now has a ramp that should enable riders of all ability levels to easily access the common area and the feature trail that will follow. A 36″ flat drop coming [Continue Reading]
Castle Rock Bike Park Continues to Take Shape
November 4, 2011 on 3:58 am | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 6 CommentsIt’s a testament to the members of Growlers Gulch Racing that the change of seasons has not slowed progress at the Castle Rock Bike Park. We just finished two very productive days that were helped tremendously by having an excavator operated by Ryane Olin and [Continue Reading]
Preview Day Draws Local Kids
October 30, 2011 on 5:23 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 2 CommentsNearly two dozen kids from the local area stopped by the Castle Rock Bike Park on Saturday to test things out as part of Pump Track Preview Day. The event was hosted by Growlers Gulch Racing. After watching a demo by Kevin Knorr, bikers had a chance to ride a [Continue Reading]
Major Work Underway at CR Bike Park
July 29, 2011 on 2:09 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 4 CommentsProgress continues at the bike park this weekend with a two-day build on tap. The plan is to complete the expert pump track. The beginner and intermediate tracks are rideable. However, Kevin Knorr, Ryan McMaster and Ryan Hicks – who have been involved with [Continue Reading]
Bike Park Photos – Additional News
June 27, 2011 on 1:48 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking, Photos and Videos | 3 CommentsThe photos below are from last Thursday’s work day – with Ryan McMaster, Ryane Olin, Randy Toney, and Randy’s dad, John, on site to handle the layout, rocking of the access area, scrape-off and grading. Huge thanks to them for putting in 11 hours [Continue Reading]
Castle Rock Bike Park Breaks Ground!
June 24, 2011 on 1:34 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | 1 CommentA small crew from Growlers Gulch Racing broke ground on the Castle Rock Bike Park on June 23rd. Our Fill & Grade permit, which allows us to disturb less than one acre of dirt, was approved earlier than expected and we decided to take advantage. The initial [Continue Reading]
Wall of Fame
April 30, 2011 on 12:43 pm | In Castle Rock Bike Park, Mountain Biking | No CommentsBig thanks to the following contributors who have pledged donations for the Castle Rock Bike Park. To donate, make your check out to North Country Recreation Area and mail to NCRA, c/o Jim LeMonds, P. O. Box 651, Castle Rock, WA 98611. We have 501(c) [Continue Reading]