The Joy in Mountain Biking

December 15, 2023

Finding joy on the trails!

We love the outdoors. We love feeling the crisp and fresh air that permeates our lungs as we navigate the forest trails. We love the land. We love our community. We love our landowners, whose generous gift of access makes Kingdom Trails and programs like these possible. We also recognize that KT was founded and built upon lands first inhabited by the indigenous people of this region, the Abenaki, and we seek to honor and acknowledge their ancestors and allies, both past and present. These ideals form the bedrock of our mission and embody our core values, exemplified by commitments to "prioritize access and inclusion" and "embrace outdoor recreation, health, and safety as a shared responsibility." We find joy on the trails and exploring the land, and we wish to share this joy with everyone.

 

Powered Magazine is a nonprofit organization created by and for people of color who find joy in the outdoors. Powered's mission is to magnify the full spectrum of identities that represent outdoor lovers and promote physical, mental, and social well-being in communities of color through outdoor engagement. In 2023, KT and Powered partnered together to create an affinity space that provided programming for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) youth and adults to learn the joys of mountain biking in a safe and supportive environment. Both organizations saw the joy mountain biking can provide and wanted to offer an experience to those who may not have the opportunity to learn to ride. Together, we set three dates for each program throughout the summer of 2023. 

 

Mountain biking is more than just a recreational activity; it's a dynamic tool for engagement and empowerment. Riders learn the technical skills of mountain biking and gain confidence, resilience, a sense of accomplishment, and belonging in a mountain biking community to find joy. These Programs reached 12 new adults who learned new skills in the morning through two BIPOC instructors partnered with Powered, and then tested their new knowledge on the trails in the afternoon! Many sought a chance to return to develop their new skills further! Programs like Powered can serve as a platform for building a supportive community where participants can share experiences, overcome challenges, and celebrate triumphs together. As a group leader with Powered noted: “Our participants found joy in MTB and the natural beauty that surrounds KT.” The joy of being outside and learning with each other!

 

Unfortunately, the youth programs never had a chance to run due to extended rain and thunderstorms. But Powered and KT saw a deep interest in furthering youth programming with Powered and local diverse youth! Along with the vast success of the adult program, we are both invested in continuing programming in 2024!


Kingdom Trails would like to extend our deepest thanks to The Wildflower Inn for providing access to their gazebo and field next to the trail network, Sport Thoma for working with KT to provide bikes for the adult programming, and Kingdom East School District for their willingness to provide youth bikes from Burke Town School. We are SO grateful for amazing community partners that make programming like this possible!

 

#thankyouktlandowners, for making programs like this possible! We #ridewithgratitude for you!

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Leadership Transition Announced at Kingdom Trails and the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative

By Sven Cole • July 25, 2025
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.

Cannondale Becomes KT's First Corporate Sponsor

By Sven Cole • June 17, 2025
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
Vermont State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak, speaks at the 2025 Outdoor Recreation Day at the Statehouse

KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!

By Abby Long • February 13, 2025
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse! This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study. Why does this matter? Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
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