{"id":761772,"date":"2026-06-26T15:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/761772\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:06:11","slug":"25000-builds-1-km-jump-trail-in-nova-scotia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/761772\/","title":{"rendered":"$25,000 builds 1-km jump trail in Nova Scotia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most trail associations would struggle to build a kilometre of machine-built jump trail for $25,000. The Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association<\/a> just did it.<\/p>\n

Using three unused pasture fields slated for future development, the volunteer-run organization just completed a one-kilometre flow trail in Kentville, N.S. The project cost less than $25,000, a figure association president Lorenzo Catarini estimates is less than one-third of what the trail would normally cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt market it probably would have cost around $80,000\u201d says Catarini.<\/p>\n

The new trail sits in the heart of the Kentville trail network and ties together several existing routes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tim Foster \u2013 Dose Design House photo.
\nA trail for everyone<\/p>\n

Built by Nova Scotia trail builder Devin White of Dirt Love<\/a>, the trail was designed to appeal to everyone from kids on strider bikes to experienced riders looking for airtime.<\/p>\n

The concept sounds simple enough: build a jump trail. The execution is a little more nuanced. Catarini says White intentionally designed the trail to be progressive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe built it in a way that it\u2019s a green trail that goes up to a very blue plus,\u201d says Catarini. \u201cYou can ride a strider bike down it as a five-year-old and do the whole thing, but if you\u2019re good, you can catch some 12-foot triples and doubles and gaps and get big air on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key is eliminating consequences. Rather than building mandatory gaps, larger features have been built as tables.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tim Foster \u2013 Dose Design House photo.
\nBuilding big on a small budget<\/p>\n

The project came together through a mix of donations, volunteer labour and local partnerships. A local contractor loaned the association a 15-ton excavator for four days, complete with fuel. Developers Parsons Limited provided access to the land and annual funding. Other local businesses contributed equipment, money and materials. The association also launched a GoFundMe campaign and relies on memberships that cost just $35 annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing moderately large trail projects on a shoestring budget,\u201d says Catarini.<\/p>\n

Much of that comes down to White<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s willing to work like a dog,\u201d says Catarini. \u201cHe loves the sport so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catarini says White often spends extra days perfecting features even when the budget doesn\u2019t account for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest problem with Devin is getting him to leave the trail and say it\u2019s good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a cycling destination<\/p>\n

The jump trail is only one piece of a much larger vision. Since reviving the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association a few years ago, Catarini and fellow volunteers have helped build roughly six kilometres of new trail around Kentville. The long-term goal borrows heavily from places like Bentonville, Arkansas, where trails weave directly through communities instead of existing as isolated destinations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter visiting Bentonville, I was like, this is how mountain bike trails should be built,\u201d says Catarini. \u201cThey should be built into a community, not away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Halifax less than an hour away, Catarini believes Kentville can become a destination for riders. For now, riders in the Annapolis Valley have a new kilometre of trail to enjoy. Not bad for a project that cost less than a decent, used pickup truck.<\/p>\n

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