The mission of the Teton Freedom Riders
is to coordinate the growth of mountain biking in the greater Teton County,
Wyoming area through sustainable trail construction, maintenance, advancement
and safety.
The United States Forest Service was
given a grant (The Gas Grant) to be applied to the trail system
in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. This opened the door to the first “user-specific”
trail system in the country. There was enough money for everything but
the labor. The BTNF would only approve trails that were sponsored by a
local business or organization; this lead to the birth of The Teton Freedom Riders.
Due to the increasing numbers of
residents and tourists along with the rapidly growing popularity of trail
related activities issues arose exponentially. User conflicts increased
amongst mountain bikers, horseback riders, trail runners, hikers & dog walkers.
Trail erosion and degradation was occurring faster than it could be repaired
and maintained. These primary issues spurred a public outcry for a
solution.
In October 2004 we became incorporated
and begun working in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service. The Teton
Freedom Riders fill the labor void with thousands of hours of volunteer labor
via individual efforts and organized “Dig-Days.” The U.S.F.S. holds
TFR responsible for trail design, signage, safety & education.
Since our inception a strong
partnership formed between the Teton Freedom Riders, the Bridger-Teton National
Forest and Friends of Pathways. Each member of this triad
provides a niche skill set which generates a synergy that has a direct impact
on the community. It is this triad which makes our progressive trail
system possible.