Building Trails, Building Community, Building Connection
Hello! Thank you for showing up here and being interested in THOR’s work and mission. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jason Brummels. After helping to organize and lead events in the trail community from 2009 to 2014, I joined the THOR Board of Directors in 2015. Since 2022, I’ve had the privilege of serving as THOR’s Executive Director.
The Journey So Far
I’m grateful for the progress our community and organization have made over the past several years. Together, we’ve built a professional community development organization from scratch. We’ve assembled a team and established processes, gathered tools and resources, opened new trails, maintained and improved existing ones, and launched new projects and programs.
“Like any journey without a roadmap, we’ve had to make course corrections along the way—listening, learning, planning, and iterating as we go.”
Cone Park Trail System
Sioux City, Iowa
Mandan Park Construction
Omaha, Nebraska
Black Elk Construction
Blair, Nebraska
Adams Park Trail System
Omaha, Nebraska
New Trails Opened, New Trails on the Horizon
As the expectations of trail users and communities have grown, it’s exciting to see the region’s first professionally planned, designed, and constructed trail systems opening and taking shape:
Cone Park in Sioux City (Open 2024)
Adams Park in Omaha (Open 2025)
Mandan Park in Omaha (Opening 2026)
Much more to share Winter 2025-2026
Each of these systems represents not only new places to ride, walk, and run—but also the strength of partnerships and community momentum driving them forward.
Partnerships that Power Progress
Even more than the trails themselves, it’s been inspiring to see the vision of the Omaha Natural Surface Trails Feasibility Study come alive through incredible programs and partners.
Youth & Education: NICA, BikeCollab, DEVO, Girls Inc., NorthStar, PACE, Spark, Nelson Mandela
Community & Nonprofits: Nebraska Medicine, Cause Collective, Lake Cunningham, Blue Bucket Project, Nebraska Offroad Series
Parks & Agencies: Omaha Parks, Sioux City Parks, Nebraska Game & Parks
Corporate & Institutional Partners: REI, Turner Construction, Charles Schwab
And this is only a glimpse. Volunteers, hours of labor, and partner contributions continue to expand rapidly—together adding hundreds of thousands of dollars in value to our trails and improving the quality of life in our communities.
Our mission and drive have never been clearer: Trails are outside for all, movement in nature for everyone, and common ground for our communities.
A Renewed Commitment to Sharing the Story
We’re committed to dramatically improving how we share the stories of progress, programs, projects, and people in our community. This journal entry is a step in that effort, as well as the recent interviews with long-time volunteer Howard Shear and Manawa’s dedicated trail champion, Todd Grassman, as well as the recap of the new Prairie Downhill at Black Elk.
As part of this commitment, we’ll also be sharing more about the work of the THOR team: who we are, and the how and why behind our projects.
I look forward to continuing to build our community with you—on the trails, alongside you at programs and events, and through this journal as we share more in the months ahead. Be sure to join us at the upcoming Good Vibes Ride!
Best,
Jason Brummels
Executive Director
Trails Have Our Respect (T.H.O.R.)
