When Philip Durden sat in a quiet room March 2012 after founders of Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (CAMP) asked who would like to be the vice president, he raised his hand.
Today, he calls it the best decision he's ever made.
Two years later, at the March 18 Auburn City Council meeting, the council loaned CAMP $100,000 to enhance and renovate hiking and mountain bike trails in Chewacla State Park.
It all started in October when Mayor Bill Ham and Ward 2 Councilmember Ron Anders visited Chewacla.
"Frankly, I was just amazed at what I saw," Anders said. "Seeing the citizens doing something was extremely impressive and encouraging."
The city temporarily loaned $100,000 to CAMP to renovate existing trails and begin building new ones, as part of the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which allows nonprofits to receive a grant of $125,000 to be matched by the organization for recreational trail building.
"[With] the work we're doing, and how we are involving ourselves in the community, they wanted to know how to assist us," Durden said.
CAMP, a 501c(3), works toward trail advocacy and promoting mountain biking as part of it's parent organization, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). CAMP's stamp can be seen at Lake Wilmore and the Tuskegee National Forest.
"We're not the typical citizen who asks the city what they can do," Durden said. "We are going to go out there with or without their help."
CAMP, according to Durden, intends to renovate the 16 miles of existing trails originally built by volunteers and donations. CAMP will then add an additional five to six miles of flow-style mountain bike trails. Durden said the trail will also contain features and jumps.
Bikers enjoy flow-style trails for their high-paced and gravity-oriented speed.
As a public park, CAMP bid the park to different businesses and, so far, has hired a trail designer.
That designer is hard at work, and Durden said he hopes to begin construction by May and to finish by fall.
The trail designs are based on IMBA standards providing for an environmentally friendly and sustainable trail.
Durden said the trails cut across the mountain, not down, as to avoid erosion.
"When we first started, you could park anywhere," Durden said. "Now, on Saturday morning, you have to park far away. The proudest I am these day is when I pull up, and the parking lot is full."
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