Is It Time to Have the Sustainability Conversation in Trail Building?
Life has a way of throwing curves at you. Most often, these unintended intrusions become enormous shaping influences on our lives. An illness … cancer … a disability … a job loss. These are all pivotal moments in our lives. As we emerge from them, we’re simply not the same. No longer can we view life and the world around us the same way. The same goes for me, mountain biking, trail building, and sustainability.
I lived in a large urban center outside of the U.S. with no car for a couple of years. None. My life revolved around moving from Point A to Point B on foot, by bike, or by public transit. We loved it. As a family, we learned how to easily navigate city life without the amenity of a vehicle. Since we lived in a neighborhood full of immigrants and refugees, I quickly realized that what I had assumed as a right or need my whole life was a privilege. Many people in our neighborhood didn’t have the financial means for the luxury of automobile ownership.
As a result of this time, I didn’t ride on dirt much then. There was no loading up my SUV and driving deep into the wilderness to shred. But I didn’t mind, as our life was full of rich relationships. Since then, we’ve landed in Portland and, in the process, picked up an SUV and, later on, Nacho the MTB Van. I had grown so accustomed to living in the city without a car that I recall my first trip into the Columbia Gorge to ride my bike. I honestly felt guilty. Keep in mind, for years before this life-shaping experience, I lived in Arizona, worked as a mountain biking guide, and drove all over the state to hike and ride my bike. But the experience that I shared above shaped me. I haven’t been able to view mountain biking the same.
Since I used to teach a university course related to bicycles, race, and equity, I was constantly reminded of this. In class, we’d review the data on the cost of owning and maintaining a car and how that impacts low-income families. And yet I’m a mountain biker. It’s not uncommon for me to load up my bike and head to Hood River for the day to ride. An hour’s drive east of Portland into the Gorge. I can’t shake that this is more of a privilege than I can even get my mind around. But I can drive to the trailhead. I can go an hour … two hours … and more to ride wherever I want. But what about those who simply can’t?
I’ve read through enough Pinkbike articles and, more importantly, the comment sections below to know that any time topics of equity, diversity, and sustainability are brought up, there’s undoubtedly a backlash. It’s like, “Hey, this is our beloved sport! Don’t talk to me about being inclusive to others or that sustainability B.S.” But I can’t shake these thoughts. They are tied to two pieces: environmental sustainability and accessibility.
I know I’m meddling now … but let me briefly address these two thoughts.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
I recall my first shuttled trip after my car-free experience. Again, I had no preconceived ideas or thoughts about this before my car-free existence in the city. Three of us went mountain biking … 3 riders and 2 SUVs. We drove for over an hour, parked one vehicle at the bottom of the trail, and loaded up our bikes on the back of the other SUV. We drove way up, parked, hopped on our bikes, and descended to the bottom. Then one designated “stayer” chilled seemingly for the next hour while the other two guys jumped into the other SUV, drove back to the top, grabbed the other SUV, drove down, picked me up, and left one vehicle again at the bottom. We drove back up top to ride down again (leaving one vehicle at the top). We did that a few times. Since it was my first real shuttle experience in years, I was inwardly in turmoil.
Surely there has to be a better way! I thought to myself. Listen, I don’t mean this in a mean-spirited or condescending tone … but I wonder out loud … is there a better way? Does mountain biking have to be intrinsically linked to non-environmentally sustainable practices?
ACCESSIBILITY
This brings up the second point of how accessible trails are. Obviously, this conversation ranges significantly from community to community. Unfortunately, for Portlanders, to ride on designated trails means driving up to an hour on average to get to a decent trailhead. Sure, there is the Gateway Green bike park in the city, but not much beyond that. However, other communities like Oakridge are a couple hours away, which has hundreds of miles of trails accessible simply by leaving your car in town and pedaling from there.
One way to address the environmental sustainability conversation is to have trails close to or in the city, town, or village. This would not only go a long way towards cutting down on carbon emissions but even making mountain biking accessible for those who don’t have the luxury or finances to drive to trailheads, even if all they have is a low-end bike they picked up at a non-profit bike shop.
While I know this is not the most endearing conversation in trail building, I believe it still needs to be had. I’m not anti-car or anything like that (have you seen Nacho the MTB Van???). I am fortunate to be able to drive all over Oregon and Washington to explore, hike, and bike. At the same time, I think a lot about creating bike-friendly cities that go beyond bicycle facilities like bike lanes and cycle tracks but also include access to dirt trails.
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh. These were taken at a recent dig day at Gateway Green in Portland.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
