Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545994
August 2026 29 up and start a hoo n' and a hollerin' and cheering you on. This behavior was common all day long. It seemed everyone along the route knew what was going on and they all wanted to be part of it. Which is really cool. The poli cal/social capital and sweat effort it takes to assemble LEGAL mul -mile single track can be overwhelming. Which is why so few people do it. About those Animals The Ashby Animals Motorcycle Club started with six members in 2020 to represent and serve the Dirtbike riders of North Central Massachuse s, and they have made a mark. Or two. Now at 114 members, the Animals have hosted numerous training sessions for younger riders, nervous novice rides, and for five years they've held the NETRA Ponderosa Challenge, which is unlike any other NETRA event. I know, I've a ended. Live bands and catered BBQ go great with single track it turns out. In the past six years, the Animals have donated over $7000 to local chari es such as Camp Sun- shine, Ashby Fire and EMS Associa on, and The American Legion. Their next goal is suppor ng and funding efforts to bring the Ashby public play- ground into ADA compliance. Under the leadership of Club President Jus n Baer, the Animals create a vision, sell that vision to the stake- holders, and execute. They make it look easy, but it's not. And Jus n will be the first to tell you he's got an outstanding team with him. I can't wait to see what they come up with in the future. About the ride.. The riders mee ng went smoothly with the usual advice and admonishments and an extra reminder to keep hydrated. Good advice given the high temps. It was already warm at 8 o'clock and would get a lot warmer. Our group of eight got out a li le a er 9 AM, and a er a half mile of asphalt we were into the woods on somebody's private backyard stash. No warm-up other than a 200-foot sec on across the front lawn. Get up, stand up, keep your eyes ahead. It was only a five- or 10-minute sec on un l we were back out on the driveway and headed toward the road, but the swea ng had begun. Road transit to sec- on two was surprisingly short and we quickly learned that sec on 2 was longer with a bit more gnarl than sec on one. As the morning went on the sec ons got longer and the weather got ho er. A large percent- age of the track was brand new and had barely been burned in. The first riders through had a very different track than the last riders through, don't you know. And