(Lander, WY) – Lander’s name usually travels on ropes. Sinks Canyon and Wild Iris have put the town in globally read climbing magazines for decades, but for one weekend in August, the noise comes from tires on dirt.
The Jurassic Classic Mountain Bike Festival returned Aug. 15 and 16 for its 10th anniversary, and festival director Stacy Wells said the weekend was built around what riders themselves asked for. Last winter she sent a questionnaire to Lander Cycling Club members asking how the club was doing, and the responses kept circling back to the festival.
Brooks Even flies through the air on the dirt track at ASI Friday evening. h/t Carl Cote Jurassic Classic goers gather around the Cottonwoods dirt track to watch the truick contest Friday in Lander. h/t Carl Cote A festival goer wins a helmet at the Jurassic Classic Mountain Bike Festival in Lander. h/t Carl Cote Festival goers collect raffle prizes Friday night at the Jurassic Classic. h/t Carl Cote Bryce Newmann gets a lap on Lower Brewers started as he cruises around Fossil Hill. h/t Carl Cote
“I got some great insight on what our members missed and wanted from the Jurassic Classic,” Wells said. Two requests came up often, to bring back the Thursday night ride, and put a movie back on the schedule under the open sky. She was able to get both back on the calendar.
Attendance came in about 25 people above last year, maybe a little more, though Wells said exact counts are slippery when families and kids are in the mix. Most riders came from the surrounding states, with Colorado, Utah and Montana well represented. She had hoped for a bigger jump, but she’s happy with the numbers going up.
“I really feel like this year is going to be just the seed for it to grow,” she said.
A young festival goer wins a new helmet in the raffle Saturday night at the Jurassic Classic. h/t Carl Cote Brooks Even throws a Huffy during the Huffy toss contest Saturday at ASI. h/t Carl Cote Festival director Stacy Wells gets herded by a cattle dog while wearing a dinosaur suit. h/t Carl Cote A strider racer bears down toward the finish line Saturday at ASI. h/t Carl Cote 
Hayden Hudson catches air on the Cottonwoods jump track at ASI Friday. h/t Carl Cote
The financial picture improved. Between registrations, donations, raffle tickets and merchandise, the festival brought in roughly $16,000 to $17,000, separate from sponsorships, for the cycling club. Expenses still have to come out of that, but Wells said things are looking up.
“With the amount that we raise, we’ll actually make a difference for the cycling club this year,” she said. “Whereas last year we were actually at a deficit.”
Part of that push came from merchandise. For the 10th anniversary, the club leaned into getting its name on shirts and out into the world. Volunteers received their own version with “volunteer” stitched on the pocket, and about 70 more went up for sale. Roughly 20 remain, and the club is still selling them as a fundraiser.
The weekend did not start the way it was drawn up. The Thursday night ride was supposed to run at Johnny Behind the Rocks, a deliberate return to the trail system where the festival began, but the Weiser Knoll fire had other ideas.
The Bureau of Land Management never told the club to stay away, instead Wells felt she had to make the call for the festival.
“The BLM didn’t tell us not to, but they were very concerned about the area, but it was still open and there’s nothing that they could do about that,” she said.
Girls line up at the start of the strider race Saturday at the Jurassic Classic in Lander. h/t Carl Cote The boys strider race gets off to a quick start in Lander Saturday. h/t Carl Cote A rider smiles as she speeds down into the forest on Lower Brewers Saturday. Festival goers are able to ride shuttles to the top of lower brewers at Fossil hill from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. h/t Carl Cote A mountain biker cruises down through the woods on Lower Brewers Saturday. h/t Carl Cote Laura Griffee, Lori Karker, and Ash Barnett work the raffle booth at the Jurassic Classic Saturday in Lander. h/t Carl Cote
What tipped the decision was the community itself. Locals were posting on social media asking people not to go recreate out there while crews worked.
“I think it’s a wise decision for the cycling club to choose not to recreate there that night, just because we don’t want to add any stress to the situation,” Wells said.
The pieces fell into place quickly with the reorganized plans. Because of rainy weather, Lander Presents had already moved its Thursday night music to the Pioneer Museum, which freed up the Alpine Science Institute in Sinks Canyon. The group ride moved there instead, and about 25 people showed up.
Thirty-three people volunteered across the weekend, each putting in at least six hours. Some logged 10 to 13 simply because they wanted to.
New this year was daycare. Wells, who runs kids camps throughout the summer, hired one of her high school counselors so parents could sign up, drop off and go ride. About 10 kids came through each day.
“Parents just freaking loved that,” she said. “They just thought that was the best thing ever.”
One of her favorite moments came from something that was never on the schedule at all. Hometown rider Alan Mandel came out and started working with kids, which turned into an impromptu jump-off.
Riders make their way up to the high point on Lower Brewers on the backside of Fossil Hill. h/t Carl Cote James Campbell tosses a bike in the huffy toss competition Saturday. h/t Carl Cote Ash Barnett helps a girl get glittered up at the Alpine Science Institute Saturday. h/t Carl Cote The boys strider race was underway at ASI Saturday evening. h/t Carl Cote
“It was really fun to see those kids shine,” Wells said.
Wells had never run a festival before this one. She is already thinking about next year, and about not doing quite so much of it alone.
“I’d probably hire some folks to do some of it so that I can continue to be the director,” she laughed, “so that I don’t get burned out.”
She is also sending another questionnaire, this time around to everyone who attended.
“I really want feedback on what went well and what were areas that they thought we could improve on,” she said.
Something that stuck with her since the weekend are the messages from out of town riders, still surprised by what they found here in Lander. Wells moved to Lander for the climbing herself, and watching the other side of town’s outdoor identity fill in has been rewarding for her. Visitors keep telling her the same thing, that Lander is a special place to ride, and how nice it was that the locals were happy to share their backyard with them.