Photos: Vivika Stamolis // Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance

It isn’t uncommon to see one user group losing trail access because of another, and all too often it’s mountain bikers who end up on the losing end of those battles. In a bid to keep the peace, there’s often a push to separate those user groups.

But separation isn’t always possible, especially within many trail systems on public lands. Fortunately, there are user groups who are willing to compromise, work together, and promote outdoor recreation as a whole. And that is a good thing, because the alternative could mean losing access to features like massive sandstone slabs.

Two build phases will bring new trails to Teanaway

While the plan for the Teanaway Community Forest is rather new, many of the trails are not. Jesse Cunningham, Evergreen’s Advocacy and Trail Program Manager, told us that the trails were essentially a free-for-all, with quite a few social trails popping up over the years. Fortunately, for recreation, Washington DNR wanted to formalize the trail system for multiple user groups, rather than close everything for habitat restoration, which is always a risk.

Along with some great terrain and potential 1,000-foot descents, Teanaway also has spectacular geological features. While “rock slabs” are usually synonymous with places like Squamish, the Teanaway Forest features a large sandstone slab locals have dubbed “Cheese Rock Slab.” The slab is huge, can be rather slick at times, and offers multiple lines for those wanting to start their adventure on it. It kicks off a black-rated trail called “Sandstone Slab” on many maps, dropping over 300 feet in a quarter-mile, with much of the elevation drop being the slab itself.

Cheese Rock Slab sits right in the heart of where Evergreen is focusing much of its trail work.

Thus far, Evergreen and the other groups have pushed through phase one of the project and are moving on to phase two. For Evergreen, phase one focused on trail restoration and expansion of a popular route dubbed the Big Sandy Trail (BST). 

The current BST is split into upper and lower portions, with the latter being the legacy trail. Upper BST, completed in 2024, stretches nearly four and a half miles, dropping over 1,000 feet of elevation. The trail is blue and incorporates a mix of flow and tech.

It is also a great connector for local riders who live in nearby communities like Cle Elum and Roslyn. “People would ride from those communities, over the ridge and drop into the Teanaway for years,” Cunningham explained. “But there’s no good singletrack to get you back out of there or to really connect those areas, so we built that upper Big Sandy Trail.”

Although Lower BST already existed, Evergreen had to do some work to bring it up to modern standards. Certain sections were too steep, and erosion had certainly taken its toll, especially on a trail dubbed “Big Sandy.”

In addition to connecting communities and providing a singletrack option, the two BSTs offer a solid intermediate descent. Combined, the trails drop roughly 1,500 feet over six miles. BST and other trails in the West Fork area of Teanaway pass by another interesting geological feature: hoodoos. Cunningham said that several trails pass by these weird features, likening the area to places like Utah rather than the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Phase two could take a couple of years and focuses on getting existing trails off private land. Two trails in particular, Windy Ridge and River Ridge, are on Evergreen’s list. They are also hoping to provide better overall network access and connectivity, which can be difficult in a trail system transitioning from social trails. To help with connectivity, Evergreen has flagged a new trail called Dingbat. Like Windy and River Ridge, Cunningham thinks Dingbat will likely be intermediate, due to the terrain where it is located.

He hopes to see Windy Ridge completed this year, allowing for River Ridge to be next year’s focus. Dingbat is likely two years out.

Multi-use partners working together

Since 2022, Evergreen has been working to provide better mountain biking opportunities in the Teanaway Community Forest in Central Washington. But they aren’t the only ones – a truly collaborative process with Washington Trails Association, Backcountry Horsemen, and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust boosts recreation in the Teanaway Community Forest.

“In 2013, the state legislature basically came up with a ‘community forest’ designation,” Cunningham said. “The Teanaway Community Forest is the first community forest in Washington under that designation.” 

Washington’s DNR and Department of Fish and Wildlife drafted a 2018 plan for the new community forest, with recreation as a priority. When the groups began working together in 2022, Cunningham said they each essentially adopted an area. The BSTs were the most significant project in phase one, and with Evergreen being a large organization, they took it on. Simply put, Evergreen had access to machinery such as mini-excavators, which would significantly reduce build time.

It also made sense because BTS and the area where those trails are located are more commonly frequented by mountain bikers than by other user groups.

In fact, since all user groups have used the Teanaway area for so long, they have tended to stay in certain areas, so to speak. And, as such, each organization has, more or less, been responsible for the area where their user group primarily recreates. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t collaboration between the groups.

“Part of the process has been that one group will go out and flag a line and then another group will come and sort of check that and give feedback,” Cunningham explained. Of course, compromises by all user groups have to be made, but on the other hand, there is also an opportunity for trails, or sections of trail, to be optimized for a user group.

Resources can also be shared more easily. While Evergreen may have access to big machinery, the Backcountry Horsemen have quick access to, well, horses. Cunningham mentioned utilizing the equestrian group’s sawyers to remove some fallen trees, a task more easily accomplished on horseback.

Evergreen is spearheading the second phase of the build at Teanaway Community Forest, alongside its partners. While Evergreen would prefer single-user-group trails, trail access is always better than no trail access.

“The whole process has been really good in terms of all of us working together and gaining an understanding of one another’s priorities and opinions,” Cunningham said. “It’s really strengthened our overall local recreation community.”