LapQuest was a good reminder for me about how much people care about trails. Without an active and long-standing partnership with rangers at the state park, there would be no trails. So often, when we show up to ride, most of us are unaware that what we’re pedaling on is the result of years of advocacy, building partnerships with the land owners, policy work, and funding before the first trail is installed.

I’ve spent the last two Wednesday evenings at the Gateway Green bike park, sandwiched between a maze of freeways in the city of Portland. When one thinks of “bike park,” we often envision lift-assisted access to trails in places like Whistler, Les Gets, and other ski resorts. Gateway Green has no chairlifts, no valet parking, no condos, or anything like that. But what it does have is community.

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.