Letter from Board President
May 31, 2026
THOR Friends,
One of the greatest joys of this work is watching people discover what's been here all along. I can’t wait for more people to realize what adventures we have just outside your neighborhood. Platte River State Park, for example. 23 miles of trails with different personalities throughout. From the progressive flow on the west side, wall rides and jump lines on the east side, and the more classic “race route“ that has been around for decades, I love the experience that Platte River State Park brings to this trail system. You can spend a day out there, and each section brings a new experience. I think about the Lewis and Clark Monument Trail and the grit it takes to complete one lap, let alone three or four. I think about the drops and the jumps, the “Wild West” feel that Lewis and Clark themselves would respect. For me, Lewis and Clark is a place to tap into your courage and push yourself. A place to fail and try again. All before dusting yourself off, returning to normal life, and picking your kids up from school.
The more time I spend in the THOR trails system, the more I am rewarded with connection. This past weekend, late May, I brought my son to the east side of River State Park to explore the new feature-filled segments designed with kids and adults in mind. While in the parking lot, we noticed a fellow Dad and two kids who were 10 years old, my son's age. After a quick conversation, Murphy and I realized we could show these guys around. Joey and I joined forces and set out on the trails as new friends who’d never met before. We crashed, we jumped, we struggled up climbs, we hollered down rollers and tabletops.
Two hours later, we were back in the car. Bruised, tired, and dirty. The boys had connected in a way that you would think they were childhood buddies. They were high-fiving and laughing about the crashes that threw them to the dirt just 20 minutes prior. We took the ever-important post-ride selfie, exchanged numbers, and headed home.
Fast forward a few days, and my usual riding buddies were busy. I headed out to the Platte trails once again, solo, to put some miles in. Within 15 minutes of my 1.5-hour riding day, familiar faces had shown up. Some of the THOR crew were out cleaning up the trails. By the time I had gone from the west to the east side, I had hopped in with two other friends from Lincoln who happened to have the same idea for their morning as I did.
I was out for a solo ride. But it was far from solo.
Meeting new people, sharing new experiences with your kids, getting outside, scaring yourself, doing something you thought you couldn’t do, crashing and getting back up. Brainstorming a solution to a faulty derailleur and having your 10-year-old come up with a surprisingly creative answer (tightening the screw with the dog collar tag, good call Murphy!) These are experiences that happen within hours on our trail system.
All these things motivate me to help bring these experiences to the neighborhoods throughout Omaha. Thanks to the team at THOR, it’s happening!
Mandan is wrapping up — and it's going to surprise some people. Cunningham breaks ground soon. Tranquility returns, better than ever. Hummel. Chalco. Papillon. Natural surface trail connectors weave through all of it.
The future looks good.
THOR is working hard to get you natural surface trails on a more regular basis to continue to foster social connections and personal growth. And most importantly, a breath of fresh air. And I’m honored to be a part of it.
Enjoy your summer. See you out on the trail.
Corbin Redli
President
Trails Have Our Respect (THOR)
Board of Directors