COVID-19 halted many activities, but work on Grant County mountain biking trails continued.

The Eastern Oregon Trial Alliance, a Grant County-based nonprofit group focused on cultivating outdoor recreation in Eastern Oregon, continued their work to improve mountain biking opportunities in Grant County.

“We’re kind of building from the ground up,” said EOTA member Darin Toy. “There hasn’t been a big mountain bike presence here.”

A bike park and pump track installed at the Seventh Street Complex were the first projects for the organization. Toy said the projects were geared toward beginners and local kids to show them other recreation opportunities in the county.

Toy said COVID-19 affected their ability to host large events last year, but despite that, they continued to improve the pump track in John Day and brought a professional from Central Oregon to help with the improvements last spring. They also finished installing a bicycle work station at the bike park last year.

EOTA also worked on the Magone Lake project along with the Forest Service, which is a big priority this year. They completed one of the trails at Magone Lake, which is 3.8 miles long, called the Tinker Trail according to Toy.

“Those were our two big accomplishments even despite the COVID-19 pandemic,” Toy said.

Another benefit of having the trail system is giving people another reason to visit Grant County. The new trails help promote recreation locally while creating interest with visitors looking to mountain bike and visit the area, according to Toy.

Toy said they are nearing a crucial point with the Magone Lake trail network.

“As community stakeholders, we are responsible for completing a certain number of miles (at the Magone Trails network) for our grant match,” Toy said. “This year we’re trying to make a push out there to complete our mileage for the match.”

He said the grant funding for the Magone Lake project came from the recreational trails program provided by the State Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The development part of the match is to complete roughly 10 miles between EOTA’s volunteers and the Forest Service.

There are monthly volunteer workdays, available to everyone, scheduled from May to October — with uncertainties about the May event due to COVID-19 numbers. A “big event” is also an overnight volunteer trail work event scheduled for June 5-6 at Magone Lake.

There will be monthly trail work days throughout the rest of the season currently scheduled for May 15, July 17 and Aug. 21. EOTA will continuously update their Facebook page regarding their monthly events.

Toy said residents can help EOTA by participating in the workdays, buying a $25 membership or sponsorships.

“We are a local nonprofit, and we are a small family-oriented organization looking to promote healthy recreation in our community,” Toy said.