Rumor has it that people are volunteering less now than 2-3 years ago. What's going on? How do trail building/stewardship organizations that depend on volunteers woo people to spend a Saturday off their bikes and with a shovel or rake in hand instead?

Within trail building and mountain biking, there are hot topics that are rife with controversy. That is code for people having REALLY strong opinions on different subjects. One of the ongoing topics of conflict is e-MTBs. Some love them. Some think of them as abominations from the depths of a fiery abyss. However, there is such an e-MTB that is bound to unite trail builders … the Tern Orox.

One of the fascinating aspects of trail building is how laws and regulations vary significantly from country to country. Even within a country, there are also enormous regulatory differences from state to state, province to province, and region to region. As a result, building new sanctioned trails can be difficult, if not nearly impossible, in some locations. As a result, the rogue trail builder, who doesn’t want to wait years … decades, simply grabs a tool and quietly slips into the backcountry to build.

I never imagined talking about politics in the capacity of Trail Builder Magazine. However, after countless comments like “keep politics out of trail building” or “keep your woke thoughts to yourself,” I thought it was time to have an honest and frank conversation. But before we dive into this, let me share a story …

Mountain biking is not immune to being labeled elitist. When entry into this sport or recreation (and lifestyle) is a $2,000-$7,000 bike (or more), it becomes problematic for many. At the same time, we know that anyone on a janky $100 bike from a thrift store can have a blast riding, but there are still obstacles that mountain biking needs to overcome.

However, it’s not just about getting new people into mountain biking, which is a challenge from a financial perspective. Trail builders who make mountain biking possible cannot always keep up in the bike arms race. In preparing for this article, I heard from a few trail builders who expressed this concern.

We’re excited to introduce you to Home Grown Mountain Biking Tours out of Tucson, Arizona, and share their story of involvement in trail building. In this interview, we hear from Tara Alcantara, the owner, lead guide, and head coach of Home Grown. Let’s jump into this …

We are all familiar with the phrase, “Trails don’t build themselves.” While every reader here knows that all too well, the consensus is that most mountain bikers are not always aware of who builds and maintains the trails they enjoy. In a social media post this week, we asked what obstacles you face regarding trail building. “Finding and recruiting volunteers” was one response.

So, how do we get more mountain bikers to park their bikes for a day and instead pick up a shovel, rake, or McLeod and work on trails? One possible solution is to capture the hearts and imaginations of the youth …

It’s been a few months since we last published an interview in this series. In the rapidly changing world that we live in, especially as professional trail builders with projects constantly starting and finishing, even if we wait only a few months between when we get responses back from an interview to publishing it, so much has changed. I say that as a backdrop for posting this interview with Uriah Steber of Benchmark Trails.

There's a saying about unsanctioned trails: they exist because of unmet demands or needs. I feel the same way about social media and willingly giving a voice to "rogue" trail builders. Why is that?

I've had numerous conversations with non-profit trail stewarship leaders who are almost exasperated by getting blasted on social media by rogue builders. Often, the pushback is due to lengthy bureaucracy and rules regarding building and maintaining trails. This causes much frustration for builders who want trails NOW, not ten years later.

As you can imagine, both sides are frustrated, even angry, and can sometimes be verbally hostile. When that happens, all communication lines are severed. Trail stewardship organizations go their way while the rogue builder quietly picks up a McLeod and slips unnoticed into the forest to begin digging a new––and unsanctioned trail.

Most often, when we think of or talk about startups, the prevailing images that come to mind are venture capital-backed tech startups in Silicon Valley. Yet a startup is a startup, whether you’re starting a bakery, a coffee roasting company, an apparel brand, or, yes, a trail building company.

In light of a recent article we posted on our website in which Greg Mazu shared the painful story of shutting down Singletrack Trails, I thought it would be timely to address trail building startups, the pressure faced by those launching these kinds of ventures, and the overall hype of grind culture that is prevalent in startups.