| David Snyder is a local who has built a sustaining lifestyle around mountain biking in Capitol Forest, year round for well over a decade. Motivated by a desire to give back, he is helping to build a positive local community presence for mountain bikers through the Thurston County Search and Rescue and the Friends of Capitol Forest volunteer group (of which is he is a founding member). Meet him at "The Y' every Saturday at 9:30 AM or every Wednesday at 6:00 PM for a group ride and a tour of The Forest..Look for the friendly guy with the big smile, that's Dave. Name? David Snyder Age? 48 Current city of residence? Tumwater How long have you been mountain biking and where did you start? About 20 years ago in Marysville,WA. I traded a buddy my street bike for a blue "Seika" mountain bike. It was the first MTB I had ever seen and it was love at first sight, I mostly rode it on urban trails and around town as I had know idea of what a MTB was really capable of. How long have you been riding in Capitol Forest? 15 years. My first ride in Capitol Forest was the summer of 91'. I camped out at Fall Creek and rode to Capitol Peak. It took me all day, I got lost a couple of times, was very exhausted, I thought this is crazy, and it took me till next year to come back. How often do you ride here? Every Wednesday and Saturday all year long. You lead night rides in Capitol Forest on Wednesdays, what are those rides like? Typically lasts for 1 1/2-2 1/2hrs. In the summer we finish before dark and it brings out a large group of riders, as we transition into the winter months the crowd drops off and turns into a after dark ride. If you are a mountain biker and have not ridden an after dark forest ride, well you just haven't lived yet!!! Every thing about the ride is new and different and the exhilaration factor is right up there with any extreme sport. Good bike specific lights are a must. What is a typical weekend ride for you? 10 to 30 mile group ride, climb up trail or gravel road with an adrenaline pumping down hill trail-ride back. What do you like most about riding in Capitol Forest? The miles and miles of diverse and interesting trails What has kept you interested in mountain biking over the years? For me its a package deal, it keeps me physically fit, always challenges me, gets me outdoors, cool equipment, year round sport, and the people involved in mountain biking are really high caliber, fun people to hang and ride with. Have you ever been into racing? No, however I wouldn't mind fooling around at a local event. One sentence description of Capitol Forest….. World Class cross country / single track riding. What is your favorite trail in Capitol Forest? Trail #40 From the top of Mt Molly to Waddell Creek rd. Its only about 3 or 4 miles long, but I like to include it as part of the down hill part of the ride because it is the fastest biggest air trail in all of Capitol Forest. What are the biggest changes you have observed in your years biking in Capitol Forest? Definitely more use by mountain bikers....thats good! If you could change anything about Capitol Forest what would it be? Really we're spoiled here, we have a huge playground open year round to mountain bikers. I would like to see some improvements in keeping my playground free from dumped cars/trash and people that just don't belong out here. Maybe one of the best things we can do is to have a more visible presence of people who are here to enjoy the recreational opportunities (In Feb 2006 David helped form the volunteer group Friends of Capitol Forest). What is your bike of choice for riding in Capitol Forest? I ride a "Haro Extreme" semi-down hill bike, 6" front and rear travel, 8" hyd. disc brakes, fat sticky tires, riser bars, large platform pedals with real long spikes. The bike is a little heavier (37 lbs) than the average bike you would see out here, but its indestructible. Any advice to riders coming to ride here for the first time? It is really easy to get turned around out here and its a large area, come prepared. Hook up with Mountain Bike Search and Rescue or the Capital Bicycle Club group for one of are/their weekly group rides. We know where all the good stuff is and would love to show you around with out getting you lost. You are the team leader for the mountain bike division of Thurston County Search and Rescue, how did you get involved and why? I responded to a flier at a local bike shop about a year ago for a new SAR (Thurston County Search and Rescue) unit that was just starting up, I was the only mountain biker that showed up! So I started recruiting. We now have 10 trained and state certified mountain bike members within our unit of about 37 members. This is the first ever SAR unit of its kind in the area so the last year has mostly been about putting the team together. I just have to shamelessly say that the SAR mountain bike team is without a doubt the best trained, most involved, fittest bunch of people that have ever come to together in SAR, and hey they're really cool too! I got involved with SAR because it was a way I could put my interest in mountain biking to use in something bigger than me. It is just a way of bringing other guys and gals together with similar interests to ride and have fun together, support community events, be prepared and available for a SAR mission and promote mountain biking in a positive light in our community. If a mountain biker was interested in volunteering for Thurston County Search and Rescue who would they contact? David Snyder (360) 870-7137 davidsride@yahoo.com or tcsarmbt@yahoo.com If you had the choice of which song to get stuck in your head while riding what would it be? I really like the sound of the ride, the forest, other riders and the bike squishing down. Shuttle or climb? Climb Pre-ride meal of choice? Double shot grandee mocha All day epic or 2 hour anaerobic masochist-athon? All day masochist-athon! Hard tail or full suspension? Full Berm or air? Big air Spandex or baggies? Baggies Any family, friends or bike shops you would like to recognize, say hello to or thank? Thanks to my wife Rochelle for putting up with all of my crazy bike antics, I love you. |
