Trail Builder Mag is a passion project. I have no investors, no donors, no supporters, and no sponsors. But I also don’t have any overhead. What that means is we are financially sustainable from Day One. This is huge in this time of volatility in the print magazine world. That also means I don’t have a budget to jet-set to different locations and hire an army of writers and photographers. But I’m good with that. It doesn’t mean we won’t get there soon.

It should be no surprise when we talk about building new trails as a potential catalyst for economic development in rural communities, it is met with opposing views. Some embrace it, particularly those who’ve been impacted positively by it. Then others decry it arguing it could very well lead to rural gentrification. Look no further than the Whistlers or Vails to validate this. Which is it?

I ventured away from Portland’s rainy climate a few weekends ago to attend a mountain bike race in Echo, Oregon. I had never been there before, let alone ridden there. I’ve known about the trails for years, but since XC riding days have long been in my rearview mirror, I never felt compelled to drive three hours just to pedal. But that all changed for me.