Nature's trails hold a unique allure, inviting us to explore the uncharted, embrace the serene, and find solace in the great outdoors. The flows, drops and climbs we often take for granted are the result of meticulous planning, hard work, and a deep love for both nature and adventure. Trail building is an art that mixes creativity with engineering, and is a journey filled with challenges and moments of pure excitement.

I was blown away by how well-received the first Women's Trail Builder Profile interview was. My inbox has continued to be filled with people wanting to highlight a female trail builder they know. It's super encouraging and shows how stoked people are about getting females into this space. Incredible! Next, I'd like to highlight a very special trail builder. She has one of the most positive and unique perspectives on how she got to where she is with trail building today. She defines being an ally, and it's her mission to make this space as positive as possible. Good vibes only from here on out. Without further ado, here is Alex Showerman. Let's get rippin!

The Pacific Northwest has a legendary reputation in mountain biking lore. There are mountain biking destinations of note dotted throughout the West, such as Moab, Sedona, Whistler, and many more. As a region, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia provide the perfect recipe for trail-building artistry—namely, ample precipitation and pristine dirt for shaping and sculpting berms, table tops, and other features. However, five hours east of Portland, it’s an entirely different world.

Who doesn’t love free stuff? More importantly, who doesn’t love a free hand tool? We’ve partnered with Camelot Tools to do a giveaway. Camelot created the SiteMaster. One of the best parts of the trail building is the community. You get to know the people behind the brands. Camelot has been a huge encouragement to this magazine.

Ok, here’s how to win …

As a new magazine and media outlet, we’re building everything from scratch. That ranges from backend systems to communications to marketing and more. One of the challenges is collecting data. While we can and do extract key bits of data from social media analytics, we wanted to create a survey to get more feedback from you. Why? Through Trail Builder Mag, we are creating a platform to inspire, inform, and connect together around the common goal of building, maintaining, and advocating for more trails. We want to build something that is not only meaningful and helpful to you but where you get a say as well. Welcome to the results of our first user survey.

Last week, while doing lunch laps at our local bike park in the city, I listened to another episode of the Trail EAffect podcast. The content centered on trail building in Alaska. During the interview, Ptarmigan Ptrails was brought up. Here was a trail-building company that started in Alaska and has since relocated along the south coast of Oregon. It was a good nudge for me to roll out our next interview in the Professional Builder Profile Interview series. Today’s interview features Eddie Kessler of Ptarmigan Ptrails. The interview occurred several months ago, but it is perfect timing to share it with you this week.

Why do you build trails? Why are trails important? There are innumerable responses to those questions. What initially compels people into picking up a rake, shovel, or McLeod is the desire for more and better local trails to shred on. However, at some point comes the realization that the creation of new trails goes far beyond our early motives for involvement. New trails represent hope for a better and brighter future for some communities. That’s what the Ride the Dirt Wave enduro series held on the Oregon Coast is about.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of travel, which has left my email inbox and DMs bursting at the seams and unanswered (apologies!!!). First, I ventured to eastern Oregon to cover another story about a bike park at a ski resort. It was three days of riding, exploring, and meeting many amazing people on and off the trail (article coming soon). After returning to Portland, I hopped on a plane bound for Arizona and the RezDuro enduro race on Navajo land in the northeastern part of the state. I returned to Portland late last Sunday night, only to step back into the classroom teaching as my semester began. I’m a little over a week removed from RezDuro, and I can’t shake it from my mind. It was special. Let me tell you why …

By now, you’ve seen or heard about our user survey. Many of you have already filled it out. Thank you. The results of this survey represent essential data for us moving forward as a magazine. You see, we want to make informed decisions to serve you better. To better serve you we want and need to more clearly understand who you are. That’s why the survey matters.

The journey from discovering the versatility of a concrete placer to designing and bringing to life the Champions Mattock has been an incredible adventure. Through research, prototyping, and collaboration with Up.Bike, and valuable feedback from trail builders, this tool has evolved into the Terracotta, a beautifully crafted and lightweight companion for trail champions and trail enthusiasts alike. With its multifunctional design and the convenience of eliminating the constant tool swapping, maintaining trails has become more efficient and enjoyable. The Terracotta stands as a testament to the passion and dedication of trail champions and serves as a powerful tool to ensure the preservation and enhancement of our beloved trails for future generations to enjoy.