Wood River Valley residents take part in Bike to Work and School Day

HAILEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Wood River Valley residents were feeling a little refreshed Wednesday morning after taking in the fresh mountain air for an annual event along the bike trail.

On Wednesday morning along the Wood River trail from Bellevue to Ketchum, roughly 500 riders, adults and kids, gathered for Bike to Work and School Day.

“It’s nice to just spend some time outside, whereas driving, I get there in two minutes, and then I just walk in to work, biking just wakes me up in the morning,” said Anneka Thompson, who was riding her bike to work.

It was organized by Mountain Rides, who said the event is a great way to get people out of their cars and alleviate some of the traffic congestion in the area.

“Just to keep people out moving and mobility, using something other than car. It is environmentally friendly,” said Mountain Rides Communication Director Kim MacPherson. “People love it. In fact, I get emails starting in February, ‘When is bike to work day? When is bike to school day?”

The Blaine County Recreational District, which handed out treats to riders along the trail, said the event has been going on for at least 12 years.

“It is a great way to gather the community. A great time to educate our community members on bike safety and help everyone get ready for some summer,” said BCRD Director of Development and Communication Morgan Buckert.

Additionally, she said she was surprised by how far some riders traveled Wednesday Morning.

“We have a lot of folks riding their bikes to work or school in Ketchum, which is about 12 miles north of here (Hailey), Buckert said.

However, some community members said they weren’t biking to school or work. They just saw the event as a way to build community spirit.

“Being outside. Taking time to see the sites. There have been two or three people I haven’t seen in months (on the bike path in Hailey),” Chad Matteson said.