Trail Builder Tested: Treeline Coffee Roasters’ Lighthouse Roast Delivers Flavor and Fuel
Before the first tool scraped dirt or the crew finished their first jokes, the kettle in Nacho the Van was already on.
It was one of those Pacific Northwest mornings—the kind that clings to your flannel and seeps into your bones. My van was parked just off a gravel spur road, pine needles crunching under boots as everyone trickled in. Tools rattled, mugs clinked, and the aroma of fresh coffee started cutting through the cold.
Lighthouse from Treeline Coffee Roasters is a single-origin Guatemalan with notes of strawberry, cola, and a winey finish. But tasting notes aside, it just hits right in the stillness of a trailhead morning.
I brewed it up with my Kalita Wave, steam rising as the first sips kicked in. I’ve tried a lot of trailhead coffees over the years—beans stashed in backpacks, half-brewed on camp stoves, even a few cowboy-style regrets when I’ve forgotten coffee filters at home. But Lighthouse stood out. There’s a subtle fruitiness that comes through even if you’re not usually the type to pick apart flavor profiles. It wakes you up without hitting you over the head.
Treeline also offers GEO Singles—single-serve pour-over packets that are basically tailor-made for trail builders. Lightweight, mess-free, and surprisingly flavorful, they fit easily in your tool pack or day bag. All you need is hot water and a mug, and you’ve got coffee wherever you take your break. They’re perfect for volunteer work days, backcountry overnights, bikepacking, or when someone forgets the French press.
There’s a reason Treeline resonates so well with the trail building community. They roast in Bozeman, Montana, surrounded by singletrack, snowpack, and early mornings. It’s not just branding. They live this life too, and it shows in how they craft their coffee.
Even better? Treeline is one of our industry partners offering exclusive discounts to Trail Builder Magazine subscribers. So if you’re out there building berms, shaping turns, and giving back to the trails you love, you deserve a spectacular cup of coffee.
So next time you’re gearing up for a dig day, give Lighthouse a go, or any coffee from Treeline Coffee Roasters. Brew it in your van, on a rock, or out in the backcountry.
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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.
