Trail Heroes: Gerry Creighton of Bellingham
Trail building is often a quiet act of devotion—a labor that takes place early in the morning, in the rain, or long after the last rider has left the trailhead. For Gerry Creighton, what began as clearing brush in Southern New Jersey has evolved into leading build crews in Bellingham, WA, where he now stewards trails like Swirlz and Brown Pow. His work is rooted in a deep love for the ride, shaped by personal loss, and sustained by community. We caught up with Gerry to hear more about his journey, the evolution of his trail work, and why raw loam still makes his heart race.
How long have you been involved in trail building?
In July 2011, my late wife and I started maintaining a local property in Galloway, NJ. I haven’t stopped volunteering to build and maintain trails for at least 13 years.
What has your level of involvement been?
I started solo by keeping my local trails in Southern New Jersey clear of brush and fixing drainage issues and fallen trees. I volunteered hundreds of hours yearly and became involved with JORBA. That evolved into traveling to build in other areas and eventually leading groups of volunteers. After my wife Susan passed away in 2016, I moved to Bellingham in 2018 and got involved with WMBC.
Now, I run volunteer trail days on Swirlz and another trail called Brown Pow, which I help maintain with my trail partner, Julie Goeman. Brown Pow used to be an unsanctioned trail, but WMBC made it legal in 2019, and I worked on reroutes to get it up to spec. I’m also building an extension to Swirlz, adding about a mile, which I hope to finish by Fall 2024.
How did you get started?
Since I was a kid, I’ve been making trails through the woods. I just loved riding my bike in the woods. That love has never gone away. I raced MTB Enduro on the East Coast and enjoy riding great trails fast. Trails don’t fix themselves, so I enjoy helping to keep them open and riding well.
What are some unique challenges to trail building in Bellingham?
Everything is steep here, so bench-cutting trails on a slope can be tough. Plus, we have trails in the local watershed, so we’re limited on when and how much we can dig during parts of the year.
What are one or two success stories you’re most proud of?
Building Swirlz is definitely one. It’s not long, but it links riders to a black diamond trail called Spacewolf in a way that’s both fun and scenic. It crosses both DNR and private land, and the private section was full of slash I had to clear. This all happened during the early days of COVID, so I was mostly working alone at first. Eventually, as we learned how to work safely, a few others were able to help. My friend Susan Towers helped dig the climbing portion, which we saved for last.
Also, being named Volunteer of the Year by the WMBC for 2023 was a huge honor.
What’s your favorite tool?
Pick Mattock.
What bike are you currently riding?
Transition Spire.
What’s your favorite type of trail to ride?
I love raw, natural-feeling “loamers” with some natural drops or jumps—something fast and flowy.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in trail building or mountain biking in the past 5–10 years?
In trail building, I’ve seen a lot more attention to detail—especially in berms and jumps. People are shaping them to be not just functional but beautiful. These features have become works of art, especially in flow trails.
As for riding, the impact of e-bikes has been huge. Whatever your opinion on them, they’ve made it a lot easier for trail builders to access remote areas. That’s a big deal.
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Gerry Creighton’s story is one of quiet persistence and deep passion—for the trails, the ride, and the community it builds. Whether solo on a bench cut or leading a group dig, his work speaks for itself in every corner of Bellingham’s trail network. His love for loam and eye for what makes a trail sing continue to shape the riding experience for others, one project at a time.
Photos by Eric Mickelson
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.
