Hill Yeah! FUNdraiser Ride

What is Hill Yeah!?

This June 8th, 2024 MTBMD is hosting the second annual Hill Yeah! Ride, a FUNdraiser to support trail work at the Hashawha Environmental Center. All funds raised from Hill Yeah! go back into the dirt through trail building, trail maintenance, storm clean up, and more. All work on the trails is done by unpaid volunteers and is done to support community access to safe, fun and accessible trails with an emphasis on the community benefits of outdoor recreation, shared trail use, and education. Our goal is to nurture a shared commitment to our trails and outdoor spaces and mutual respect across all user groups.. 

Join us for a challenging and epicly fun day in the saddle! Four ride courses will be offered: a Family Ride, a Short ride, approximately ~8miles in length—encompassing the inner perimeter of the park’s trails; and a Medium ride, approximately ~11 miles in length taking riders through the inner perimeter of the Hashawha Environmental Center’s trails and out into the neighboring Union Mills trails before heading back into Hashawha, and a Long Ride approximately ~15 miles in length and taking riders through some of the park's most technical and challenging terrain including sections of the Speigel Hill area of the park. In 2024 we're also offering a Trail Run that will be approximately ~8–10 miles in length with a course to be determined. Each course will be given 3 hours for completion so participants can ride at their own pace.

The trails in the Hashawha Environmental Center are a combination of flowing singletrack and wider access roads, open fields, plenty of hills (of course), with a couple of stream crossings thrown for fun. Technical with rocks and exposed roots, and populated with steep "punchy" climbs, the trails are fun and sure to provide each rider with a challenging ride experience to remember.

The scenery changes from mostly woods to meadows and open fields with beautiful views of rolling farmland. The courses will be well marked and supported by course marshals for both routes.

Trail Maps

Courses are still being finalized and will be uploaded once complete. This year we will not only provide maps via TrailForks but will also provide links to GPX files so users can use any navigation app the prefer.

Day of Event NotesIf you have not signed your waivers on BikeReg please do so before arriving on Saturday.The Address for the Hashawha Environmental Center/Bear Branch Nature Center is
300 John Owings Rd?Westminster MD. 21158Parking: After entering the park continue to the first small parking lot on the right, look for staff to direct you to the field where we’ll have you park.Registration opens at 8:30aTires to trail at 9:00aPlease try to arrive 15–30 minutes early to get your registration completed and have time to get yourself prepared.Rest rooms and port-o-potty are located up the hill from registration at the Bear Branch Nature Center. A port-o-potty will also be located at the aid station along the long course.Please bring sunscreen and bug spray. Like anywhere else we have seen an uptick in Ticks in the park, the best way to avoid these pests is to use a good bug spray.Trek of Westminster will be on-site offering mechanical support if you need it, and we will also have our own bike stands and tools with tech support if needed.We will have water and snacks at the start area, but please bring any water or trail-side snacks you think you may need. It’s going to be a warm day.Courses will have aid stations. Details to be provided as sponsors are finalized.The course routes will be marked with way-finding signs and we will have course marshals at road crossings.At registration you will be given a paper will all the important event details including phone numbers in case of an emergency. Keep it with you at all time, consider adding the phone numbers to your mobile device before setting out for the ride.You will encounter some stream crossings in each route. Additionally you will encounter a little bit of everything on these trails—especially the long route—roots, rocks and jank, punchy climbs and fast descents, hard pack, hero dirt, and loose over hard sections of trail. Most trails have been cleared of vegetation as much as possible but it’s Spring and the plants are growing back faster than we can keep them trimmed. Keep it all in mind.
The courses are not extreme in length but there is a fair amount of climbing in each route. The climbs are sometimes steep and occasionally technical. The event is called Hill Yeah! so you already have an idea of this but it merits mentioning here.At the end of the ride we will provide a meal. We should have options for vegetarian to omnivores. No vegan or gluten free options are available, we apologize.FAQS

Who is MTBMD? MTBMD is an MTB club and trail liaisons for MORE located in and around the Hawhasha Environmental Center. We are a volunteer organization focused on the community benefits of outdoor recreation, shared trail use, and education. Our goal is to nurture a shared commitment to our trails and outdoor spaces and mutual respect across all user groups.

Do you have a website?  Yes! MTBMD.org

Where is event data on the web? On our website mtbmd.org and also bikereg.com

What are the ride lengths and how much climbing is involved? We will have four rides, a short ride of about ~8 miles, a medium ride ride ~11 miles in length and a long ride of about ~15 miles. There is also a family ride on green trails inside the park and is approximately ~3 miles in length. Additionally this year we are offering a trail run which will be ~8–10 miles in length. The event is called Hill Yeah! for a reason, you’ll be going up (and down) never ending small hills with a few bigger hills thrown in just for fun.

Are the routes hilly? Yes! Topographically speaking, the Hashawha Environmental Center sits on land that is quite hilly, some of the hills are very challenging. Be prepared.

Do you have a map of the routes? We will be publishing these to bikereg.com and our own website mtbmd.org as soon as the routes are finalized.

Can I just download a GPX file for naivigation? Yes, we will be providing GPX files so you can use any navigation software you choose.

How does the family ride work? The family ride is approximately ~3 miles on green trails and is geared towards families with young children. The price of registration covers two (2) parents and their children. Parents MUST ACCOMPANY CHILDREN ON THE RIDE. Parents registered for this ride must ride in the same category as children, you cannot split parents and have one ride with the children while the other rides a different route. If a parent does choose to split from the family and ride a different route they will be asked to pay the additional registration fee of $65 for that route or asked to rejoin their family on the family ride route. No Exceptions will be made.

Can I ride the routes with a hybrid/gravel/cross/road bike ( with larger tires) Technically you could ride on a cross bike or gravel bike but we strongly recommend a mountain bike with at least front suspension. Recommended minimum tire width of 38mm is advised. Road bikes or hybrid bikes are not recommended. 

What type of start do you have mass/rolling/show and go? We will have rolling starts for the two ride routes, with show-n-roll for those who come after the rolling starts

Can I register the day of the event and will it cost me more? There is no day-of registration

What time is the start of the event? 8:30 am, June 8th will roll out beginning at 9am (a rain date of Saturday, June 15th has been reserved as well)

Do I have to pay for lunch? What is for lunch and when is lunch time? We’re working to be able to provide lunches and will update this info soon!

Do you have beer available? No beer, alcohol is not allowed in Hashawha

Are t-shirts/jerseys available, can I preorder do you have a sample to look at? As of this time we do not but we're looking into it

Do I get a discount for registering today? You can get a discount if you register before April 1st 2024. Registrations between January 1 and March 31 will be given a dsicounted registration total of $55 usd. After April 1 2024 registration will be $65 usd.

Do you share rider data? No we do not

Will trained medical people be available at the event? Yes, we will have Wilderness First Aid trained staff at the event and the Pleasant Valley Fire Fighter Department is aware of Hill Yeah! and ready with an ambulance if needed.

If you sell out, is there a waiting list? How do I get on this list? No waiting list. First come, first ride.

What about refunds? This is a fundraising event and your "registration fee" is a donation, there will be no refunds issued unless there are circumstances beyond our control and inline with BikeReg's refund policy (dangerous conditions or inclimate weather that will not allow us to reschedule the event, natural catastrophe, acts of terrorism, etc.).

Can I sell products at your event? No, but thanks for asking!

Will technical support be available and what is the extent of their support? We will have at least one mechanic on site at the beginning of the event and are hoping to arrange for a second.

Can I bring friends/family to watch the event? Can they watch along the routes? Absolutely!

Can guests buy lunch? We’re working on a lunch provider and will update this once we have made those arrangements.

Do you have rider number bibs/ID? We will have rider numbers that can be zip-tied to your bike

Is water /snacks available on the longer loop? Yes, we will have aid stations throughout both courses

Is there a rain/bad weather date? June 15th is our rain date

If the event is canceled will I get my money back and how long will that take. This is a charitable fundraising event and your "registration fee" is a donation, there will be no refunds issued.

Will signs/ markers be placed on the routes so I do not get lost? Yes! The courses will be well marked and we will have sag wagons available for those in need.

Who benefits from this event and is the registration fee tax deductible? Hill Yeah! is a ride to fund trail work at the Hashawha Environmental Center and to help financially support many of the park services—native plant gardens, animal rescue and care, Bear Branch Nature Center and more. Registration fees are not tax deductable.

How can I donate extra money for your event? You can donate directly through our website mtbmd.org

How can I report dangerous riders? An information sheet will be given to each rider, before setting out to ride, that has course maps and contact info should you need to use it for any reason.

 

We reserve the right to alter any and all details for Hill Yeah! as we see fit. Information will be provided to registered riders by email and via BikeReg.com. All group rides and events require a signed waiver to ride. Helmets, hydration and a trail-worthy mountain bike is also required. MORE and MTBMD are dedicated to providing fun, safe, and inclusive atmosphere for ALL RIDERS. We will NOT tolerate any hateful, disrespectful, or inappropriate language/actions at our rides or events. We reserve the right to ask someone to leave if they are unable to meet this expectation or if a rider is endangering themselves or others.