SANDPOINT — The Pend Oreille Pedalers’ third annual progressive dinner fundraiser and trail-building party capped off another successful year for the local nonprofit.

The group started Saturday, Oct. 25, with a trip to the Schweitzer Basin trail system, where volunteers helped winterize the trail. Volunteers spent the early morning and into the afternoon digging, raking and rebuilding the trail to ensure it’s ready for use throughout the winter.  

Rane Stempson, a POP volunteer, said that the dedicated team of volunteers gave over 3,000 hours to help complete 10 miles of new trails in the area. 

Later that day, a group of 40 supporters dined during the nonprofit’s annual progressive dinner fundraiser. Stempson said the event is POP’s signature fundraiser, which is themed around famous bike races. She said this year’s event consisted of four Spanish-style courses. 

“Our amazing hosts — the Welker Family, Wells Family, Meyer and Stempson family, and Burges family — went all out with food, drinks, and decor fit for royalty,” Stempson said. “Not even the rain could dampen the joy.” 

Stempson said the event raised $5,918, over half of the group’s goal of $10,000 for the organization’s youth programs. POP uses those funds to support mountain biking scholarships, peer coaches, mountain biking camps and clinic scholarships, according to the press release. 

This year, Stempson said POP supported over 170 youth through 20 peer coaches and gave away 12 bikes.  

The end of the 2025 season celebrates the 21st year of POP, an organization dedicated to building and maintaining bike trails in and around Sandpoint. Aside from the other Schweitzer Basin, the nonprofit has maintained tails in the Pine Street Woods, Hayes Gluch.  

POP provided the bike parking and valet service at the Festival at Sandpoint in addition to the organization’s efforts in maintaining the area’s trails. The organization will be hosting its last women on wheels ride of the season today, Oct. 29, at 4:30 p.m. the Pine Street Woods main parking lot. 

POP said that costumes are encouraged, and they’ll be providing candy while riding through the butterfly, pinecone and owl trails before it gets dark. More information can be found on POP’s social media or at the organization’s website, pendoreillepedalers.org.  

“From all of us at POP, thank you for being part of this amazing journey,” Stempson said.