20 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 10-16, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com A PATH FORWARD Preparing the trails for Sea Otter Classic’s 6,000-plus bikers, as well as for the countless visitors to Fort Ord National Monument, is a never-ending process for volunteers. By Erik Chalhoub Trail 47 is a popular path in Fort Ord National Monument among bikers, hikers and equestrians alike. The single-track makes for a quick loop, and like every other trail within the monument, the views are a thing of beauty. It’s one of the few trails that go in and out of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, and as such, it’s an important component of many races that make up the annual Life Time Sea Otter Classic. In recent years, the trail was notorious for its drainage issues at Couch Canyon, causing a culvert crossing to fail. To avoid the sketchy crossing, cyclists and other trail users would instead go around it—but this proved too damaging. The erosion in the area got so severe that in 2023, the Sea Otter Classic rerouted its cross-country course away from this area. Enter the volunteers from the Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA). The group of mountain bike enthusiasts have worked for years to maintain the 86 miles of trails within the former U.S. Army land. They were awarded an $80,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which manages the majority of the monument’s land, to secure a 50-foot fiberglass bridge manufactured in Pennsylvania. More than 500 volunteer construction hours later, the bridge was installed over the drainage ditch by the end of 2023, and in 2024, Sea Otter Classic athletes crossed over the new span for the first time. For two decades, MORCA volunteers have quietly maintained Fort Ord’s trails, despite their visually loud, but immediately recognizable, bright orange shirts. Coming off what they describe as one of their most productive years ever, MORCA has plans to capture and sustain the enthusiasm for cycling locally all year-round, not just when the Sea Otter Classic rolls into Laguna Seca. It’s just before 9am on a warm Tuesday morning at Fort Ord National Monument’s Creekside Terrace Trailhead near Salinas. The parking lot is nearly full, with hikers getting a morning walk before they SHOCKS AND AWE For cyclists the world over, the rolling hills of Fort Ord National Monument and the iconic corkscrew of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca are the stuff of legend. Tens of thousands of people make the journey to Monterey County every year for the Life Time Sea Otter Classic, whether it’s to compete on an intense downhill course, give their little ones their first taste of two-wheeled adventures or offer products to make life a little easier for these athletes during and after a long day of strenuous activities. “Sea Otter has become this bucket list event for athletes,” says Jeff Frost, senior event manager of the Sea Otter Classic. “They need to have the box checked off and say they’ve been to Sea Otter at least once.” Typically, more than 7,000 athletes are among the 70,000 spectators during the four-day celebration of cycling, from April 10-13. This year, people from 25 countries and 45 states are registered to compete, many of whom are either checking that box for the first time or who aim to best their personal records on the various courses. To make an event of this caliber go off without too many hitches, it takes a year-long effort behind the scenes to contend with Mother Nature, which doesn’t care how much time it takes to maintain a trail—a little bit of rain always threatens to create dangerous ditches for riders at high speeds. “It’s fun, it never gets old,” Frost says. “There’s always something going on everyday that you need to figure out and change—or just enjoy.” On the following pages, learn more about the volunteers who work nonstop to ensure the trails at Fort Ord National Monument are well-maintained not just for the athletes, but for the numerous daily users. As you plan out your itinerary with our guide, you’ll come across terms used to describe the different types of bikes and competitions—get up to speed here before you visit. -Erik Chalhoub, associate editor Life Time Sea Otter Classic. 9am-5pm from Thursday, April 10 through Saturday, April 12 and 9am-2pm on Sunday, April 13. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Monterey Salinas Highway, Salinas. $35 for spectators Thursday-Saturday, $20 for Sunday. seaotterclassic.com. Life Time Sea Otter Classic 2025 Above: The expo grounds at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic are filled with vendors from around the world showcasing their products, many of which are making their debut. The event draws bicyclists of all ages, from beginners to seasoned veterans. Left: Fans watch a balance bike race start on the obstacle course inside the Kids Zone. Shovels in hand, volunteers with the Monterey Off Road Cycling Association survey Trail 50 in Fort Ord National Monument, filling in ruts and trimming branches to prepare the track for riders competing in the Life Time Sea Otter Classic. MICHAEL DADULA MICHAEL DADULA COURTESY OF MONTEREY OFF ROAD CYCLING ASSOCIATION
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