I have enjoyed some of this builder’s trails and this piece about him recently: A Day in the Life of a Mountain Bike Trail Builder
Perhaps one day I will leave a memo deeper than the one below on a typical day in my trail building and layout life thus far. It’s diverse to say the least. The New York Times did have a brief piece on part of my trail life a few years ago. Until then, check my Flickr and Instagram, and see the article above. Luckily I get more field time than desk time at this time, but my elbows and body aren’t getting younger with time. In general when the ferns fade and the leaves drop it’s trail and project scouting time, and again during freeze-thaw cycles, and again in the spring melts and rains– to examining seeps, streams, and wet spots on future build and repair sites. Since 2013 May brings crew training, and biological reviews, both of which continue for the next four months or so. By July a tropical existence sets in with sweat, critters, gritty gloves, and trying to play catch-up. Fall comes faster than expected, computer neglect calls, and the crews disperse with a piece of my soul. The cold sets in again, the leaves drop again, and the cycle recycles. Somewhere between the grind of tools, supply orders and planning I find a free minute to ride and hike outside of work hikes and rides, and if I’m lucky a distant storm sends swells across the ocean to the shores of my aquatic neighborhood.
- A related poem on the matter.