| | Hopefully by now you’ve seen the new SWMMBA logo. We wanted to share a little background about why the change… After 10 years, we felt it was time for a refresh—and with the help of Kindling Design, we’re proud to introduce the new SWMMBA logo. Our brand icon is a shorthand for SWMMBA: compact, powerful, and instantly recognizable. Built from the shape of a berm, it captures motion, flow, and the thrill of the ride while grounding itself in Southwest Montana’s terrain and trail culture. The negative space within the design forms the letter “S,” directly connecting the mark to our name and mission. The triangular frame symbolizes strength, stability, and connection to the visual language of trail and park signage. Paired with the Nimbus Sans font, the refreshed identity communicates SWMMBA’s enduring values of action, inclusivity, and forward momentum—a visual expression of who we are and where we’re headed. Keep an eye out for updated merchandise with a 10 year special edition logo coming in the Spring!! |
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| We’re thrilled to announce that Emily Golz and Rob Leo are joining the SWMMBA Board of Directors! Rob will be stepping into the role of Treasurer, and we’d like to extend our gratitude to Matt Remond for his outstanding work this past year. Matt will continue serving on the board and will work closely with Rob during the transition. Rob Leo
Originally from Philadelphia, Rob left the East Coast at 18 in search of education and adventure in the Rocky Mountains—though mostly adventure. A lifelong winter sports enthusiast, Rob first connected with the mountains through trail running and climbing. After years of wear and tear from those pursuits, he finally gave in to mountain biking in 2017 while living in Park City, Utah. Despite a few early crashes and bruised ribs, he quickly grew to love the sport. Since then, Rob and his wife have chased singletrack from Guatemala to British Columbia, exploring everything from hero dirt to desert sandstone. Since moving to Bozeman in 2022, he’s been inspired by the energy of the growing mountain bike community and is eager to help it thrive. Emily Mendoza Golz
Emily grew up exploring the Eastern Sierras before heading to Missoula for college, where her passion for the outdoors deepened. After thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, her love for big adventures only grew stronger. Rock climbing came next, and eventually mountain biking joined the mix—quickly becoming a favorite way to spend time outdoors. As an attorney, Emily is excited to use her professional experience to advocate for expanded trail access and help grow inclusive recreation opportunities in the community. For her, nothing beats a day on bikes with friends and family, and she’s eager to help create more spaces for others to share that joy. Please join us in welcoming Rob and Emily—we’re excited for the experience, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives they’ll bring to SWMMBA! |
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| | | | Bridger Bowl
Thanks to everyone who filled out our recent survey about the three new trails we built at Crosscut and Bridger Bowl — Golden Rule, Big Thigh Country, and Gnomadic. Your feedback has been incredible, and it’s clear these trails are already making a huge impact in our riding community. We received nearly 400 thoughtful responses, and we can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your experiences. This survey is how we listen and adapt. Every one of us has a favorite trail, a feature we’d like to see more of, or an opinion on what’s missing. By collecting this feedback, we’re able to guide the conversation about mountain biking in Bozeman with real data. That means better advocacy with land managers, better prioritization of future projects, and more trails that reflect what our community actually wants. |
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| | | | Big Sky: Trail Dogs
The Big Sky Chapter, Trail Dogs, is coming off their most productive year to date, with an energetic volunteer Board putting several new trails on the ground, including a new network of expert skidder trails off of Mountain to Meadow that includes Jimmy’s Dad, Master Splinter, Had to Lay ‘er Down, IBS, Tread on Me, and The Middle, a new expert jumpline named the Witch Jumps at the bottom of M2M, as well construction of the first 1.7 miles of the Hot Dog Trail, a beginner-friendly two-way flow running parallel with the existing M2M trail, and Sod Buster, a blue-square tech trail that departs off the top of the Michener Mud Creek DH.
We graciously thank our volunteers for the incredible 596 hours of trail maintenance logged this season, and to all of our generous donors including Lone Mountain Land Company, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation, Moonlight Community Foundation, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Big Sky Tax District (BSRAD), Gravity Haus, Conoco, Big Sky Biggie, and our many private donors through the Give Big campaign that have contributed to Big Sky’s ever expanding mountain bike trail network.
The Trail Dogs are excited to complete the Hot Dog Trail next spring, as well as break ground on a new blue-square, Terraflow-built flow trail called the Elkhorn DH, which will depart off the top of the Elkhorn Spur climb just below the top terminal of the Madison 8 Chair at Moonlight Basin, and descend 3.5 miles down to the Madison Loop and One and Only hotel.
Thanks again for everyone’s hard work, support, and dedication! We love mountain biking in Big Sky!
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| Bozeman: The Dirt Concern
The Bozeman Chapter, The Dirt Concern, has wrapped up their very busy summer season! This year, our volunteers have been absolutely incredible! Across 15 trail work days, 153 volunteers contributed a whopping 585 hours of trail maintenance. We hosted workdays at a variety of locations, including the Regional Pumptrack, Leverich, Westlake, Pete’s Hill with GVLT, Chestnut, Wall of Death, Crosscut, Trumans, Langohr, and Wheeler. We were also thrilled to host a special Ladies+ trailwork day, making space for more women to get hands-on with trail work. Our group rides have been just as busy and well-attended. Nineteen Group Ride Leaders guided 13 rides (with only two canceled due to weather), welcoming 149 riders in total. Women’s rides were especially popular, with the Ladies Take Over Leverich event drawing the largest turnout. Between trailwork and rides, it’s been a fantastic season of community, camaraderie, and care for the trails we love!
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| | | SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Bo Trails |
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Bo Trails is a longtime local trail-building business and a proud supporter of SWMMBA! This past summer, Grant and his team went above and beyond—helping blast in a brand-new singletrack in Ennis and generously donating machine rental time for the Westlake dirt jump build. Altogether, these contributions totaled an in-kind donation of over $8,000.
Next time you’re out enjoying the Bangtails, Meadow Creek, Ibex/Porcupine, or any of the countless trails that Bo Trails has built or maintained over the years, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and passion behind them. Huge thanks to Grant and Bo Trails for their continued dedication to our trails and unwavering support of the SWMMBA community!
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| | VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: TDC Trail Work King and Queen |
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Grace Strand has successfully defended her Trail Work Queen crown for a third year in a row! Grace is a dedicated volunteer who shows up and moves dirt for her local mountain bike association. This year she attended numerous trail work nights, not to mention volunteering at local events and leading group rides. She’s a gem worth a crown every day of the year! Congratulations Grace, you’ve been crowned 2025 Trail Work Queen! TDC has crowned a new 2025 Trail Work King! Welcome Isais Lawrence to the long lineage of dirt loving kings! Isais hustled this season, showing up to weekly trail work continuously and bringing his compassion and stoke to every corner of the TDC community. Congratulations Isais, we are thrilled to crown you 2025 Trail Work King!
This year's 2025 Trail Work King & Queen prizes are sponsored by long-time TDC supporter Tusacola Branding and Chalet Sports. Thank you for your generous contributions to our local trail work nights and volunteers! |
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