TAMBA, or the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, is a Tahoe based volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that builds, maintains, and advocates for multi-use trails in Tahoe while providing education to all trail users and hosting fun community events. However, their role and impact in the community goes well beyond trail building and management.
TAMBA was formed in 1988 and started its life fraught with challenges. In the early days there was conflict between TAMBA and other trail users both local and coming from other communities. TAMBA worked hard to overcome those obstacles and to build the trust of other trail users. They worked so hard in fact, that within just a few short years they boasted a membership of over 1500 users. TAMBA’s struggles were not over however, and in the early 2000’s TAMBA lost its nonprofit status and faded into the background for several years. Then in 2011 TAMBA rose from the ashes and again became the voice for the mountain biking community in Tahoe.
Over the years that would follow, TAMBA built its membership back up, strengthened its relationship with the U.S. Forest Service, and built on other important relationships within the mountain biking community. Today, under the leadership of Drew Bray, TAMBA’s new executive director, the organization is stronger than ever and quickly building their membership back to what it was at its height. Drew is no stranger to TAMBA, having been a member in the early days, he is nonetheless still new to the organization’s leadership. Taking on his new role in late 2021, just after the Caldor Fire turned our community upside down, Drew is focused on the fundamentals that make TAMBA exceptional; responsible multi-use trail stewardship, advocacy, maintenance, education, and collaboration to ensure new and sustained multi-use trails long into the future for the benefit of the Tahoe community and the countless visitors that come to enjoy Lake Tahoe each year.
Taking over the leadership of an organization can be difficult in the best of times, and these have not been the best of times, but Drew has taken the handlebars with the confidence of an experienced rider, steering TAMBA in the right direction despite the challenges posed by pandemics and wildfires.
Over the last two years, COVID has taken a toll on TAMBA’s ability to organize groups of volunteers for trail management projects and build membership through community events. However, the pandemic also highlighted the importance of TAMBA’s role in trail stewardship, maintenance, and education as many more people than average flocked to outdoor recreation in the face of canceled indoor gatherings. This greatly increased demand in recreational trail use has reinforced the need for TAMBA and driven up interest in membership despite the inability to gather for community events.
Now, as the world begins to reopen, it remains to be seen if the increased demand for outdoor recreation will wane or if those who discovered a new passion in mountain biking over the last two years will be back on the trails this summer. In either case, TAMBA has been busy since the Caldor Fire working to establish the safety and restoration of trails that were impacted by the fire. In most cases those trails have now been reopened thanks to hard work on the part of TAMBA and the U.S. Forest Service.
Post wildfire trail work is far from finished though, as many wooden features such as signs and bridges need to be replaced. Additionally, TAMBA has plans to harden existing trails against future wildfires.
It isn’t all hard work though, as TAMBA puts on and takes part in some incredible community events. The Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival is one such event that they are looking to bring back into the basin this summer. This two-day event will feature music, food & drink, activities for kids, and major mountain bike manufacturers showcasing the latest and greatest equipment for attendees to test out. Rose to Toads is another event coming later this fall and is a large community ride that helps to raise money for trail maintenance.
In 2022 TAMBA is ramping up their community engagement through volunteer programs, youth engagement in trail stewardship, and an increased number of trail maintenance days. These efforts will be made possible through the hiring of an outreach coordinator who will be responsible for pulling together pools of volunteers to support expanded trail work and other community outreach. Engaging the youth is especially important to Drew, who also coaches a local high school mountain biking team. Youth involvement helps establish an early love for trails which can lead to lifelong trail stewards.
More trail days means more TAMBA volunteers getting together to get dirty on the trails, building and maintaining for their future enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. These trail days are deeply rewarding and often end with a bike ride and a beer according to Drew. They are memorable experiences that build comradery between members and volunteers and hopefully leave individuals with a sense of accomplishment and a desire to volunteer again.
At the end of the day, TAMBA is about community. Their goals are to maintain trails and promote trail education and stewardship, but what has happened over the years is so much more than that. They have become a community of likeminded individuals whose shared passion brings them together not just to ride, but to spend time and effort ensuring their shared outdoor spaces will be there for others, long into the future. If you would like to learn more about what TAMBA does or if you are interested in becoming a member, visit their website at https://tamba.org.
