Trail Builder Magazine

A magazine dedicated to mountain bike trails and those who build, maintain, and advocate for them.
#trailbuilding

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is: “I’m not a writer.”

Good.

We’re not looking for professional writers.

We’re looking for trail builders with something worth sharing.

Learn more here: https://t.co/iHP5dQiPxm

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Many trail builders dream of working at Whistler.

Marcos Groenenberg’s goal was different:

Learn everything he could ... then bring it home to Patagonia.

Today he’s helping build Argentina’s trail future through Patagonia Trail Evolution. https://t.co/3LCWCT9yaj

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

At some point, many trail builders face a difficult question.

Do you keep volunteering ... or is it time to build something bigger?

Whether that’s launching a nonprofit or starting a trail building company ... what made you realize it was time to make the leap?

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

What’s your trail building off-season? Or is there one?

Around the world, trail building calendars look completely different.

Some crews spend all winter digging.

Others shut down because of snow.

Where do you build, and when do you have to hit pause?

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Buying a bikepacking route guide or Garmin is easy.

Keeping a 700-mile trail open? That’s a different story.

Have you participated in remote backcountry trail work? How is it different from frontcountry projects?

Read more: https://t.co/N9HoMrkPbE

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Behind routes like the Oregon Timber Trail are volunteers, trail crews, nonprofits, and land managers working to clear downfall, reopen corridors, and keep trails connected.

A new BOLT Coalition report highlights America’s long-distance trails. https://t.co/N9HoMrkPbE

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

What if one law changed the future of mountain biking?

Scotland’s right-to-roam legislation helped transform rogue trails into trail associations, thriving trail towns, and a mountain bike economy worth millions.

Read Illya Rudkin’s story in Vol 4:1: https://t.co/FBhxIxUWKt

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Before there was a bike park, there were pirate trails, backyard dirt jumps, and volunteers with shovels.

From the Ground Up tells the story of how Bogus Basin evolved into one of Idaho’s premier gravity riding destinations. https://t.co/NEHpsd3W3K

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Building a trail is exciting.

Keeping it alive is the hard part.

Volunteer hours. Partnerships. Advocacy. Maintenance.

In Vol 4:1, Brett Johnson reminds us that building a trail is only the beginning. Stewardship is what keeps it alive. https://t.co/FBhxIxUWKt

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Trail Builder Magazine has always been bigger than a magazine.

We’re building independent media for the people who build, maintain, and advocate for trails.

No clickbait. No chasing algorithms. Just community-supported storytelling for trail builders. https://t.co/sAH4aSFGlG

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Trail fairies may not exist.

According to “preliminary scientific evidence,” those perfectly shaped berms and freshly maintained trails may actually be the result of volunteers fueled by caffeine and questionable protein sources.

Yes, this is a real article.

Vol 4:1 is out.

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

I am stoked to share that the latest issue of Trail Builder Mag has officially arrived.

Vol 4:1 continues our mission to inspire, inform, and connect trail builders around the common goal of building, maintaining, and advocating for more trails. https://t.co/HkLImtDqMI

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Before pump tracks became a global phenomenon, Niels Bensink was building one in his backyard at 8 years old.

In Vol 4:1, we dive into the story of the Crankworx champion and Velosolutions builder who went from chasing the BMX dream to shaping pump tracks around the world.

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Too many small towns all over the world have been written off. Then trails entered the story.

What struggling rural community have you seen positively impacted by trails, mountain biking, gravel riding, etc.?

We’d love to hear the places and stories that deserve more attention.

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

What happens when trail work becomes more than just trail work?

In Vol 4:1, Alex Perales shares a deeply personal story about volunteer trail building, fatherhood, Type 1 diabetes, community, and finding healing in the woods one swing, one cut, and one cleared trail at a time.

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

There’s a moment almost every trail builder knows.

You’re making great progress on a project, feeling momentum build ... then suddenly everything stops because of one stubborn boulder or hidden rock outcropping.

Now what? https://t.co/IQgJ19YqcR

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Every trail builder eventually hits that moment:

You’re making great progress ...
then the mountain says, “NOPE!”

A buried rock shelf.
A massive boulder.
Solid bedrock exactly where the trail needs to go.

What’s your go-to approach when rock stops the build?

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

We're trying something new in Volume 4, Issue 1 of Trail Builder Magazine ... a comic.

Subscribe: https://t.co/sAH4aSFGlG

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Something big is coming in Vol 4, Issue 1 of Trail Builder Magazine.

In an upcoming feature by Mathew Wanbon, he goes deep into the trail building process of Mark Matthews and the evolution of his now-iconic freeride lines on Vancouver Island.

Subscribe: https://t.co/sAH4aSFGlG

[Trail Builder Magazine @trailbuildermag]

Most rakes weren’t designed for trail work.
This one was.

The Rake by Camelot Tools stood out for 1 reason: it handles the messy reality of trail building better than a standard landscaping rake. Heavy debris. Sidehills. Corridor clearing. Long dig days. .https://t.co/dNl9TfJcWW