A nice letter from a nice(r) person than.....
AZ Mikey said:
your favorite trail bully. Please read Scotty's take. (and we'll see you out there Mikey)
Yeah......its me again. You know the drill. Always feel free to hit "delete" when I start one of my opinionated rants. This one seemed to take on a life of its own, so go get a beverage if you are actually going to read it.
I was going to just sit on the sidelines regarding the trail maintenance conversation, but I guess I am just not smart enough to keep my mouth shut. If you wish to share this with someone, feel free to do so.
So, as always, you can: 1) Delete, 2) Ignore, 3)Chime in, 4)Bash, 5)Other
I started riding a mountain bike in the fall of 1994. (Fall, of course, being a key to how I ride a mtb.) It was/is incredibly challenging from a skill level and fitness point of view. Beyond that, well, there is so much more to it. The beauty of the surroundings, the people, the crunch of tires in the rocks........ It has become a really huge part of my life. I remember some of the first trails that I attempted to ride/walk. The quality, quantity and diversity of the trails amazed me.
As I got to be a little better rider, (i.e. riding more than walking), I remember wishing that there weren't so many hikers or equestrians "in the way" of my biking. I don't think that I was ever openly hostile to other trail users, but I know that I was not the model citizen in terms of yielding the right of way, and so forth. Fortunately, early on in my riding adventures, I learned from friends the importance of having a positive relationship with the other trail users. I joined various mountain bike groups (MBAA - mainly to race, NORBA - same, IMBA - heck, sounds like a good idea) and read a lot of what these organizations published. I read about trails that had been closed to mountain biking and realized that I did not want anything like that to happen to me.
Through the years, I became well indoctrinated with the basic rules of the trails. To this day, I try to always yield the right of way, be kind to the trails, say hello to others that I meet, and basically share that "good vibe" with other trail users. Am I perfect - no! But, I guess the point is; I try.
Along the way, I have had the opportunity to help with various trail maintenance projects. One of my first experiences with trail work occurred because of an incident that some of us might recall. The destruction of the Original Pemberton Trail, still rankles some of us that remember it. Sure, it might not have been a "perfectly" designed trail - but, darn it was fun. The resulting "re-route" / "re-engineering" of the trail left a lot to be desired.
Shortly thereafter other trail projects were planned. To have a trail that we wanted to ride, rather than a bulldozed, dirt sidewalk, I joined with many other riders and helped build some new trail. By showing up, taking part in the trail work, and being recognized as mountain bikers - we helped give political clout to our efforts to have trails built the way we wanted. And, we got better trails in the process. The competitive loops at McDowell Mtn Park are far from perfect, but they do service a user group very well. I am proud to have had a hand in building them, even if the actual design work had already been laid out. More importantly for me, it sparked the beginning of a commitment. I liked being involved with giving back something in exchange for all of the good times I was receiving. It seemed to me, that it was "the least that I could do."
Trail maintenance and building opportunities have developed into something special for me. They are held outside, and well, I like being outside. Most of the time, the people that you are working with will listen to you if you have an alternative to the design process. I like that, because, I love to ride different trails. So, by being involved with the process, I get a small vote in how the end result will turn out. Sure, most of the big design work is done before I ever get there, but that is my fault. If I was more pro-active and spent more time with it, I am sure some people out there would love the help on the design process too.
Trail work days often involve something of an artistic point of view for me. I am not talented with music or painting. But there is something really neat about following the ribbons tied to the creosote or mesquites and imagining what the trail will look like. Which cactus will need to be replanted, which rocks can stay for technical challenge, how to overcome significantly, sloping hillsides, and yet have a self-draining trail that will be there for years to come? The opportunity to be involved and then, literally hours later, see the fruits of your labors, is truly amazing. Maitenance opportunities, where you undertake reroutes to improve sustainability and drainage are equally rewarding in their own way.
One of the beautiful things about trail work is that you don't have to be involved in every facet of the process to be a huge help. You can show up at trail work events and offer your labor. You can pick your hand tool and decide how many blisters (or not) you are getting that day. You can help provide lunch or snacks for the workers. You can be involved with lay-out and planning to a certain extent on some projects. There are plenty of volunteer groups out there looking for people to help with a myriad of differnt activities related to building and maintaining multi-user trails.
Several years ago, I decided that I would work at least 1 trail maintenance event per year. One day out of 365. I can ride or hike (yeah, I do that too) any of the other days. Sure, work and other stuff gets in the way far too often with those other 364 days, but I still find time to ride quite a bit. I also decided that doing trail maintenance was a lot more fun when it wasn't really hot out. I guess I am more inclined to have sweat running in my eyes when I am on my bike, then when I am using a pick or a McLeod.
Where is this major rant going............well.......it sure would be nice to see more familar faces at some of the trail maintenance projects. Hey, how about less of the "same old faces", and how about a whole bunch of "new" familar faces? How about a whole bunch of people that are truly "new" to the process? We are so incredibly fortunate in Arizona. We have amazing numbers of trail opportunities to ride bikes, horses or hike. But, with increasing populations in many areas, the trails are really getting worked. Our "single" track, in many places is big enough to drive vehicles along it. The demands put on the relatively small resources that the governing agencies have available are not even close to being enough to maintain the current number of trail miles. And we need more trails!
More trails will help ease the burden on existing trails. More trails will help disperse existing and new users so that various user group conflicts can be minimized. Anyone that has ridden South Mountain lately on a weekend knows that we could use some more places for people to go to hike, bike and ride their horses. We need more trails. We need to better maintain the ones that we have. And the agencies responsible for all of this, don't have the resources to do it.
Sure, belonging to an advocacy group is a huge help. Write your check out, drop it in the mail, and you are good to go. Right? Wrong! This is only part of the answer.
As enthusiasts, we need to do more! The next time you ride your bike, think about the trail that you are riding. Perhaps it is a "newer" trail? Who built it? Do you like it? Cool. Want more? Would you have done something different? Get involved!
Or maybe it is an "old" trail. A "classic" with awesome features, challenging lines, solid drainage, beautiful views. Wow! How lucky you are to be riding that kind of a trail! Something like that, built correctly, will be enjoyed for generations to come. Wouldn't it be cool to ride something like that, knowing that you had helped with even a small part of it? That opportunity exists - and then some!
I have not devoted a lot of time towards trail work. But, I have tried to be true to my goal. At least 1 day per year. Last year, I worked 2 days. This year, I will have 3 days completed within the next 2 weeks. These days do not come cheap. I have had to rearrange other activities and "gasp" actually missed a couple of rides! Yes, I would rather be riding. But, when I am riding, I respect, and appreciate the trails that I have all the more, due to the efforts that I am putting forth.
Think of all the people that you know that ride a bike, horse, or hike. Can you imagine the amount of trail that could be built and maintained with each of those people working 1 day per year on a trail project? It is almost an unfathomable amount to me, because I know how few people get involved.
Please do not misunderstand. I am not asking people that are already involved to do more. I have made a choice to work 3 trail days this year. I actually hope that I can do quite a bit more, because of certain project that has really hit home with me. It happens that I am able to make that choice. And that is fine.....my choice!
If you already do trail work, and have similar goals to me (1 day per year), well, right on! You are giving a little bit back.....and it is appreciated. If you can do more, awesome! If you are a regular trail user, and you aren't doing any trail work, well -- please reconsider.
The trails that we all enjoy required a group of people that put in significant effort. It is amazing what a group of motivated people can accomplish. Just showing up is the first step. One day per year is not much. Do more if you can. But make it out to a trail event this year. You might find out that there is a lot more fun to it than you realize. I guarantee, you will appreciate your next ride even more!
Enjoy your trails - show how much you do!
Scott A