This year’s lineup of events rallies the community and riders around stunning cinematography and captivating stories in the country’s most legendary mountain biking cities and venues, including our very own Pagosa Springs.
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Nov. 11. That’s when local nonprofit DUST2 will host a special screening of the mountain bike film “Ritual” at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, inviting riders, coaches, families and supporters to reflect on the season and celebrate an exceptional year of growth.
It’s been a banner 2025 for DUST2. Under Team Director Janine Emmets, the team welcomed 18 high school athletes — several new to competitive biking through the Colorado High School Cycling League — along with a thriving middle-school Adventure Team with head coach Amanda Gadomski.
DUST2’s board reports that four regional races yielded multiple top-10 finishes, including Gianna Shaeffer’s fifth-place in the sophomore girls’ class at Leadville and Nathrop races, Eric Smith seventh-place in JV boys’ class at Eagle, and Adelyn Hittle’s eighth-place in the varsity girls’ class at Nathrop.
But the season wasn’t just about podiums and racing. The DUST2 team scored second place in the league for the most trail work hours in the season, logging more than 250 hours this year on trail rides and maintenance on Pagosa’s Reservoir Hill, Dakota Springs and Turkey Springs trail systems, promoting stewardship work across Archuleta County and reinforcing DUST2’s founding mission: to “encourage bicycling as a lifelong sport, develop a sense of community and maintain mountain-bike riding opportunities.”
Coach Dawn Cook shared, “Our athletes dedicated three days a week to practices, twice a month to trail work and still found time for fun rides together on weekends. Mountain bike team is more than just racing; it is the strong bonds created in beautiful environments and on crazy adventures. ‘Ritual’ is a night of celebrating these athletes and our Pagosa riding community.”
The upcoming film night offers more than just inspiring cinematography and fast descents. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the program starting at 6:15 p.m. Local beer and wine will be available for purchase, along with other refreshments and a raffle.
All proceeds will be directed toward next year’s programs — more coaching, more trail tools, more girls on bikes and expanded youth scholarships currently covering 30 percent of riders.
For Pagosa Springs residents, this is a moment to recognize how much the mountain bike scene is celebrated — and how interconnected it has become with community, youth development and trail preservation.
As one parent put it, “My daughter entered DUST2 as someone who rarely raced; by season’s end she was navigating switchbacks on Turkey Springs, cheering for teammates and talking about giving back. That’s the win right there.”
Tickets are available through the DUST2 website (www.dust2pagosa.org) for $15-$20 (adult) and $10 (youth).
Whether you ride or simply root for the riders, you’ll find yourself among community.
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