VICTOR — A new 55-acre bike park has opened in Victor, Montana, offering mountain bikers a place to ride while also serving as a healing space for veterans and the community.
Arthur Sykes, who served three tours in Iraq, found mountain biking to be therapeutic after returning home from service.
"I had a lot of dark nights, a lot of dark days and you know intrusive thoughts that were uncontrollable and being on the bike and looking down that trail it was an opportunity for me to be able to pick and choose what I wanted to think about and to be in nature and it just couldn't be any more life giving," Sykes said.
Check out the new bike park that's opened in the Bitterroot Valley:
After becoming a professional mountain biker, Sykes and his family hand-built three miles of bike trails on their land just outside of Victor.
The park, called "The Property," opened this spring and has quickly become a family affair. Sykes' children, Arlin and Sayur, are already enthusiastic riders.
"It feels like you're just being free out in the wild," Arlin said.
"I'm feeling good and I'm feeling great," Sayur said.
Sykes takes pride in the work they've put into creating the trails.
"Just put so much work and sweat equity into it really is great to have something that you get to enjoy and also share," Sykes said.
The bike park offers riders opportunities to practice technical skills and try new features.
"Maybe go over a rock over and over again or work on a corner over and over again," Katie Scott, co-founder of The Property said.
Scott and Sykes have many plans for the future of the park.
"We'd like to create Montana ecosystems curriculum, run youth camps, maybe work with public schools to have field trips out here because the terrain is so diverse, it just has a lot to offer," Scott said.
Beyond biking, the family envisions The Property as an off-grid retreat space for veterans and others seeking connection with nature.
"I think that outdoor experiences can have real impact. I think it can change lives," Scott said.
The next generation is already planning to continue the family legacy.
"I want to work here and run the property," Arlin said.
Sayur offered a simple invitation to potential visitors: "Come out and come back."
