Trails Create Community and Bring People Together
To talk or write about trails means there is a never-ending supply of content. Trails touch so many topics, from trail building itself, to tools and machinery, to policy and advocacy, to non-profit and for-profit trail building organizations and companies, to economic development, and so much more. I’ve repeated that last sentence to others more than I can count over the previous few weeks and months. While everything I just wrote (and said) is true, that is only the tip of the iceberg regarding trails. I’ve been reflecting on the power of trails to create community and bring people together.
In particular, I’ve spent the past month on the road every weekend, going to events that revolved around trails. That could be a race highlighting a newer trail system, women-only trail-building events, work parties in remote, breathtaking places, and so much more. I’d even lump the International Trails Summit this past April in Reno into this as well. From races to dig days to planning and board meetings to conferences/conventions, one of the words that come to mind that is the connective tissue to all of these is “community.”
This past weekend was another vivid reminder. I sat in an empty parking lot on Friday night, staring at Mt. St Helens with a group of volunteer trail builders. Due to a landslide just past us, the road was closed, and since we were there to work on trails the next day, we had “special access” to hang out and camp in a spot that normally would be bustling with tourists. Instead, people sat around a fire in a parking lot, laughing and enjoying one another’s company. The same vibe spilled over the next day out on the trails.
On Sunday, I headed out to the Oregon coast for the first Ride the Dirt Wave series race. This new race series features trail systems up and down the coast, bringing awareness (and people) to these trail systems. Throughout the race and afterward, I watched people laugh, cheer each other on, and enjoy the community fostered because, way back, someone had the vision to build a trail system there. Another then had the idea to host a race there. And the story goes on.
In a day where we seem more divided than ever, what united us was not a politician or political ideology. Heck, I’m sure if we spent time talking about it, we’d see the wide spectrum of beliefs revolving around the hot topics of our day. Instead, it was dirt that brought us together. In particular, ribbons of dirt that were cut and shaped through the forest. While we see divisiveness displayed all over social media, what I found reflecting on not just this past weekend, but all of the other events was community. Community that was fostered around a shared interest and passion …. trails.
Finding safe spaces in society seems more and more precarious. Out on the trails and among trail builders, it’s a simple meritocracy. Can you swing a McLeod and move dirt? Are you interested in volunteering your time, treasures, and talent for the furtherance of trails? Again, it’s more than trails but the impact they bring. For those involved, the simple act of working on trails creates and nurtures community. Regardless of where I go, I see this same storyline over and over again. Let’s not lose sight of this.
As we near the launch of the very first print issue of Trail Builder Magazine, I am grateful for this community of people. For you. This platform was created to celebrate you and tell your stories.
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
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.
