Middle Tennessee OHV

08/26/2026

WHY WEDNESDAY | ISSUE #08

We missed you last week, but we’re back, and this week belongs to DC.

In 2008, DC restored an old dirt bike and went looking for somewhere to ride.

He found West Point.

Nearly twenty years later, he’s still there.

There have been National Enduros, countless hours of trail work, a Frankenbike, more than a few stories, plenty of sarcasm, and a whole lot of years spent doing his part to help make sure the next person has somewhere to ride too.

But if you ask DC, he’ll tell you this story really isn’t about him.

“WP is not about me or any one person. It is about the group as a whole.”

And maybe that tells you more about DC than we ever could.

This week’s Why Wednesday is about participation, stewardship, the people who carried this club through some of its hardest years, and one man who would really prefer we stop making such a big deal about any of it. 😂

Issue #08: David “DC” Clark

Take a few minutes and read this one.

And DC, we apologize in advance for making an entire article about you but the next generation should know the ones before them who continue to put in the work.

https://www.midtennohv.org/david-clark

08/12/2026

We know... we're a little late this week. 😅

Our apologies for the delayed Why Wednesday, but we promise this one is worth the wait.

For nearly two decades, Steve Carmack has quietly helped shape the trails, friendships, and volunteer spirit that make NATRA what it is today. He never set out looking for recognition. He simply found a place worth investing in and kept showing up.

Steve's story isn't really about trail work.

It's about the people beside him while the work was getting done.

It's about the volunteers who leave the woods a little better than they found them and ask for nothing in return.

We're honored to share Issue #07 of Why Wednesday and recognize one of the quiet builders of NATRA.

Take a few minutes to read Steve's story. We think you'll understand why, after all these years, he still says...

"It's worth it."

And if you've got a favorite Steve story or memory, we'd love for you to share it in the comments.

https://www.midtennohv.org/steve-carmack

08/10/2026

THE TRAILS DON’T MAINTAIN THEMSELVES. 🌲

Trail maintenance and conservation are ongoing efforts across NATRA.ClubExpress.com - West Point & Rainbow Falls properties, and this weekend was a pretty good example of what it takes to keep all these miles of trails open and enjoyable for our members and families.

After the monthly NATRA meeting, several members went straight to work in West Point. We were able to spray many miles of both two-track and single-track trails, while another group tackled some pretty substantial trees that had come down across the trails.

Equipment was hauled in. Sprayers stayed running. Chainsaws came out. Trees were cut and moved. A whole lot got accomplished because people were willing to give their time.

And that part matters.

NATRA and MTOHV are 100% volunteer-run.

The people maintaining these properties have full-time jobs. They have kids, families, homes, responsibilities, and plenty of other things they could be doing on a weekend. Nobody gets paid to clear a trail, spray overgrowth, haul equipment, or spend hours behind a chainsaw.

We do it because we love this club, these properties, and what they give our families. We love being able to load up, get outside, and ride. We want our kids and the generations coming behind them to have that same opportunity.

But with two properties and so many miles of trails, maintaining all of it simply cannot fall on the same handful of people.

And here’s something we really want you to understand:

Volunteering doesn’t have to mean giving up an entire Saturday for an organized workday.

If you’re out riding with your kids and stop for five minutes to trim the face-slappers hanging over the trail, you volunteered that day.

If you move a limb out of the trail instead of riding around it, you volunteered that day.

If you carry a small saw or a pair of loppers and clear what you safely can while you ride, you volunteered that day.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to take your whole weekend.

Imagine what happens when hundreds of members each do just a little while they’re already out enjoying the properties.

Those five or ten minutes from a bunch of members can save HOURS of work for a small volunteer crew later.

That’s how a volunteer-run organization works.

Rainbow Falls is next on our list. We know there is work to be done, and we’ll be headed that way soon. With two properties, so many trails, and a limited number of volunteers, we simply cannot be everywhere at once. Small efforts from members riding either property make a tremendous difference.

We also owe a HUGE thank you to Sonshine Ridge Campground for being such gracious hosts this weekend and allowing us to use the campground as our home base. Having somewhere to stay and stage our equipment saved us so much time hauling everything back and forth. And after some very long, HOT days working trails, we can personally attest that having a clean bathhouse and a hot shower was pretty dang nice. 😂

They’ll be fully opening at the end of August, and we hope our NATRA/MTOHV family will get out and show them some serious support. We can’t wait to see what they have in store!

Finally, THANK YOU to every member who showed up and worked this weekend. Whether you spent hours spraying trails, hauled equipment, ran a saw, moved trees, or simply jumped in wherever you were needed, this is what stewardship looks like.

Bring the kids along. Let them help move a limb. Let them see us taking care of the places we get to enjoy. Preserving these properties isn’t just about clearing trails today. It’s about teaching the next generation that having access to something this special also means taking care of it.

Ride it. Enjoy it. Take care of it.

Because if you trimmed a few face-slappers while you were out riding with your kids today?

You volunteered today.

And if all of us start thinking that way, taking care of two properties and all these miles of trails becomes a whole lot more manageable.

You don’t have to join a workday to be a volunteer. Just leave the trail a little better than you found it. 🌲

That’s what being part of NATRA looks like.

08/05/2026

WHY WEDNESDAY | ISSUE #06

A Community Worth Investing In

Before I ever met Bob Croteau, I thought I already knew who he was.

I knew he owned Shoals Outdoor Sports. I knew he had supported NATRA and our mission for years.

What I didn't know was Bob.

This week's Why Wednesday isn't about sponsorships or titles. It's about the quiet kind of leadership that rarely asks for recognition. It's about a man who thought he was joining a riding club, only to discover a community that would become family.

Along the way, Bob became one of the people helping make sure thousands of other families could experience that same sense of belonging.

His story is a reminder that the strongest communities aren't built by one person. They're built by people who simply keep showing up for each other.

📖 Read Bob's full story:
https://www.midtennohv.org/whywednesdays

One Community. Two Organizations. Shared Mission.

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE Bob CroteauNATRA Member Since 2017 | Volunteer | MTOHV Board Member | Shoals Outdoor Sports Owner Bob's Feature Coming Next WednesdayAnother volunteer.Another story.Another reason this organization continues to grow. Because every trail has a story.So do the people who built it...

07/29/2026

WHY WEDNESDAY | BUILDING SOMETHING THAT LASTS

Some people volunteer because they love to ride.

Others volunteer because they realize what they love could disappear.

That realization changed everything for former NATRA President Brandon McLain.

As a kid, West Point was simply where he explored with friends and cousins. Years later, as he watched his own son learn to ride the same trails, he discovered something he had never considered growing up.

The future of those trails was never guaranteed.

That understanding led Brandon from trail volunteer to Vice President, then President, where he helped strengthen an organization that was once focused on surviving from one lease payment to the next. His story isn't about titles or recognition. It's about deciding that if something is worth enjoying, it's worth protecting.

The result is something thousands of riders experience today without ever realizing the work that made it possible.

Families arrive at West Point and Rainbow Falls expecting legal access, maintained trails, organized events, and a community that welcomes them.

Those things didn't happen by accident.

They happened because volunteers like Brandon believed the future deserved just as much attention as the present.

Our newest Why Wednesday feature shares the story behind one of the people who quietly helped build that future.

📖 Read Brandon's full story here:
🔗 https://www.midtennohv.org/whywednesdays

If Brandon's story reminds you of someone who has helped shape NATRA or Middle Tennessee OHV, tag them below and let them know they're appreciated.

07/27/2026

Today we're introducing something we've been quietly working on for months.

The West Point Legacy Campaign is now live.

For the first time, you can explore the story, see our progress, read the Executive Prospectus, and learn why protecting the final 1,477 acres of West Point matters.

Whether you're able to give today or simply share our mission, we invite you to take a few minutes to see what this campaign is all about.

🔗

Explore the Vision. Learn why preserving the final 1,477 acres matters, how the campaign works, and how you can become part of West Point’s future. 1,477 acres remaining to protect3,477 acres already preservedHundreds of miles of maintained trailsThousands of riders and families served each year 3...

07/22/2026

*Going to try this again and see if we can be more successful with the link working this time*

WHY WEDNESDAY | ISSUE #04

Some people volunteer because they love riding.
Others volunteer because they love the people.
For more than twenty years, Christy Wilson has watched NATRA become much more than a trail system. She has watched it become a place where families grew together, children built lifelong memories, and lives were changed in ways few people ever see.
One conversation with another mother forever changed the way she viewed every workday, fundraiser, and trail that volunteers worked so hard to preserve.
This week's Why Wednesday is about the quiet impact that happens long after the engines are turned off.
We hope you'll take a few minutes to read Christy's story.

📖 Read the full story:
https://www.midtennohv.org/christy-wilson

07/15/2026

WHY WEDNESDAY | ISSUE #03

Leaving More Than Tire Tracks

Trying something a little different today.

This week, we’re slowing down.

At 42 years old, Kevin Lash had convinced himself that chapter of his riding life was over.

A simple question from a coworker changed the direction of his life.

What began as a weekend ride at West Point became years of volunteer work, trail building, friendships, and a commitment to protecting a place that had given so much back to him.

Today, Kevin could tell you about thousands of volunteer hours.

He could tell you about bridges built, trails cleared, Poker Runs, and years spent helping preserve land for others.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he talks about the future.

“I’d like my grandkids to be able to tell their kids that their Poppa helped preserve this riding club.”

That single sentence says more about Kevin than any list of accomplishments ever could.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read his full story.

📖 Read the complete feature here:
www.midtennohv.org/whywednesday

Because every mile of trail has a story.
Every bridge has a builder.
And every place worth protecting has people quietly working behind the scenes to preserve it.

07/08/2026

WHY WEDNESDAY | Issue #02

Before there were thousands of riders enjoying these trails…

There were volunteers willing to build them.

For James Coggin, NATRA has never just been about riding. It’s about protecting something worth passing on.

From trail maintenance and leadership to helping guide the organization through years of growth, James has quietly invested countless hours into preserving a place that means so much to so many families.

His story isn’t really about trails.

It’s about choosing to leave something better than you found it.

Because one day, someone else’s children—and maybe even grandchildren—will create memories on trails they may never realize volunteers helped protect.

This week, we’re honored to share the story of one of the people who has helped shape the future of NATRA and Middle Tennessee OHV.

📖 Read James’ full story on our website:
https://www.midtennohv.org/whywednesdays

One Community. Two Organizations. Shared Mission.

07/07/2026

This one is a little different.

Sometimes it’s good to remember why we fell in love with these trails in the first place. ❤️

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