CROSBY, Minn. — Fifth-grader Greta Lang is pretty excited to "shred the red" on a new half-mile bike trail at her school.
"I like the rock things you can ride over and bridges and how it's sometimes bumpy and hilly instead of just flat," Greta said.
The trail exists thanks to a ton of community support and an effort led by two teachers at Cuyuna Range Elementary School: Greta's dad, Clayton Lang, who's a P.E. teacher, and fifth-grade teacher Lori Vosacek.
"I don't think any other elementary schools have their own mountain bike trail," Vosacek said.
Since trails around the area's old mining-pits-turned-lakes were built in 2011, the area has become known for its fantastic mountain biking. Lang said he's seen lots of people come up from the Twin Cities, while others have traveled as far as Canada to race the trails.
Vosacek said a number of her students have never experienced what their hometown is now known for, but that's starting to change. Beginning this school year, Lang will teach third through sixth graders mountain biking skills on the school trail. The project also includes an outdoor classroom.
"There are people that live in the community that don't have the experience or don't have the access, even though they live a block away from some of the best mountain bike trails in the United States," Vosacek explained.
The trails were built with elementary school students in mind, but are open to anyone.
And for beginners, Greta has some encouraging words to share: "Once you get used to it, it gets easier."
"It came together through grants, community partners... the IRRRB (Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board) did a matching grant for roughly $44,000, which kinda put us over the top to get the Cadillac trails," Lang said.
An effort Greta is pretty grateful for.
"I'm really happy that people put money into it and helped build it," she said.
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