GVORC's Inaugural
Campfire Session - Trail Mix
Thursday, August 15
Base Camp Beer Works
2575 U.S. 6 & 50
Grand Junction, CO 81501
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Join us for GVORC’s inaugural campfire session! Engage with industry experts as they discuss the history of Mesa County trails, the organizations responsible for overseeing and maintaining each trail system, the associated costs for maintenance and improvements, and the principles of recreating responsibly.
Panelists Include:
Chris Pipkin, BLM Park Ranger & Outdoor Recreation Planner
Chris has been planning, building, and maintaining trails since 1989 when he first volunteered for a trail construction project while studying at Colorado State University. After that first project, he was hooked, and has pursued his passion for trails throughout his career managing public lands for the Bureau of Land Management in Grand Junction. As a Park Ranger and Outdoor Recreation Planner for the BLM since 1993, he’s had a hand in planning, building, and maintaining most of the trails, both motorized and non-motorized, in and around the Grand Valley. He’s been involved in every aspect of trail management, including on-the-ground trail design and layout, writing planning documents, organizing construction and maintenance projects, and leading trail crews. He also teaches trail design and crew leadership courses.
Chris lives in Grand Junction, where he and his wife have raised three children. When he’s not working on trails, he enjoys mountain biking and hiking on the many amazing trails in western Colorado and eastern Utah. He also enjoys backpacking, fly fishing, road biking, and backcountry telemark skiing.
Katie Catanzarite, Co-Founder of Dirt Mermaids
Katie Catanzarite has been involved with MUT and GVC for many years and joined the COPMOBA Board of Directors in 2020. Katie is active in the mountain biking community – she is an enduro racer, co-founder of Dirt Mermaids, an org dedicated to connecting and empowering RAD women on and off the bike, and formerly a coach on the Montrose High School MTB team. Katie enjoys living in the Grand Valley and believes its cycling community is the place to make lifelong friends. When out of the saddle, you can find her exploring the trails with her two dogs and tasting craft beer at local breweries.
Scott Winans, COPMOBA / GVT Board Member & Secretary
Scott Winans began volunteering for trail building and maintenance in 1995 and joined the COPMOBA board in 2009. When asked why he chooses to serve on the COPMOBA board, Scott states, “To donate effort toward an organization and a direction that is clearly a substantial and homegrown benefit to our communities and neighbors. To help support, guide, and grow the organization and its impacts.” Scott purchased his first mountain bike in 1984 and has been riding constantly since then. He has toured in a number of countries around the world (Europe, North & South America, Mexico) and is particularly partial to desert riding. Scott’s passion for bikes extends to his work life as well; he is co-owner of Rapid Creek Cycles in Palisade and serves as VP of Engineering for Mountain Racing Products where he helps develop & manufacture high-end mountain bike suspension, drivetrain components, and multiple other categories of products for the mountain bike market. Scott feels strongly that it’s important to contribute to your community and feels that everyone has something to contribute and should be involved.
Ross Mittelman, Trails Coordinator with Mesa County Public Health
Originally from Massachusetts, Ross has lived in the great American West for all of his adult life and the Grand Valley for 12 years. He attended the University of Montana where he received a bachelor degree in Geography and Spanish, then received his masters in Environmental Management from Western Colorado University in 2016. He has worked for 5 years as the trails coordinator at Mesa County Public Health. He has previously worked in environmental consulting, forestry, landscaping, gardening, trail maintenance, and ecological restoration. He owns a small farm in Palisade that he shares with his wife and two daughters.
