There are team nights, and then there are team nights that actually give something back. Your Next Team Builder Should Make You Stronger.

Find your confidence and joy on a mountain bike at a VNTRbirds skills clinic

Mountain biking has a way of magnifying self-doubt. For some women, it starts with fear of technical terrain. For others, it’s rebuilding confidence after a crash or wondering if they even belong in the sport at all. But at the VNTRbirds Grand Junction clinic on the iconic Lunch Loops trails, three riders at completely different skill levels discovered the same thing: confidence can be built one feature, one corner, and one encouraging cheer at a time.

There’s always a moment at the beginning of something like this—when everyone is standing around, gear half on, half off, not quite sure what the next few days will hold. A mix of nerves, excitement, and that quiet question in the back of your mind: am I ready for this? VENTURE OUT Femme Backcountry Festival 2026 started there. New and familiar faces, people arriving from different places and different points in their backcountry journeys—but all showing up for the same reaso

You keep telling yourself, “I’m not ready for AIARE 2.” But what if that doubt is the best reason to take it? This course isn’t about being an expert—it’s about gaining the skills and confidence to make your own backcountry decisions.

I still enjoy my solo resort tours. But if VNTRbirds is hosting a group ride, I’m there—and highly recommend you check them out too! Skiing under the glow of a full moon with friends is an experience that you’ll never forget.

I could live out my life riding flow trails all day, but sometimes, you have to work on the hard stuff so you can get down the tricky sections. When I saw the VNTRbirds Steep + Tech clinic at Keystone, geared specifically toward intermediate and advanced riders, I knew I needed to sign up.

Winning the VNTRbirds scholarship meant the world to me. It was the only clinic I was able to attend all summer, and it happened to be at Valmont Bike Park—which made it even more special.