# Do you Dig it?



## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Just curious how many MTBRs participate in trail work.

If you do or don't, why not? What would make you more likely to dig?


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## D. Inoobinati (Aug 28, 2020)

We get it. You do trail work. You're so awesome.


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## ctxcrossx (Jan 13, 2004)

D. Inoobinati said:


> We get it. You do trail work. You're so awesome.


And now we know your stance as well

...Some people are givers, some people are takers.


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

So far I am in the free loader sections besides clearing downed branches off trails when I encounter them.

Trail work is in the back of my mind and now that covid seems to be on its way out 🤞🏽I will do so.

Bonus besides helping and meeting new people would be that what I would learn there I could use building trails on my property.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

I signed up twice this year, but for some reason the organizers could not accommodate more than 10 people so I got waved off both times. ???
Now my schedule is different so I probably won't go out again until Sept.

In the mean time, there's lots of stickers and grape vines to cut.

-F


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

ctxcrossx said:


> And now we know your stance as well
> 
> ...Some people are givers, some people are takers.


yours is a weak post. you don't know D. Inoobinati stance whatsoever

I've built *miles* of trail, removed hundreds of tons of downfall, but then go for years not doing a damn thing.

then I pick it up again and do more maintenance. in cycles, as I feel like it. this year I am lazy as heck and reaping the benefits of everyone else hard work, I ain't doing squat for trail work this year. but I've made my bones*eleventy


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

I used to love trail building/maintenance and do a lot of it. I ultimately found that too many head trail builders are ego maniacs who make it no fun because they're pricks who take it way too serious.

The last work day I did, the head trail builders told me and my buddy that we were talking to much and not benching enough. I just never went back.


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## cookieMonster (Feb 23, 2004)

I have cleared hundreds of trees off my local trails over the years, and purely for my own benefit.


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## djlee (Feb 5, 2009)

I voted for monthly, even though I don't dig that often. I try to volunteer 4-6 sanctioned dig days/evenings per season, but I also go to the bi-monthly land manager board meetings and participate at that level. 
I love the dig days, but I hate the meetings. Without going to the meetings, however, the goodwill generated with a shovel doesn't transfer to policy.

I'm also the poop fairy. Once a week, or so, I'll ride the first mile of one of my 5 local trail systems (rotate) with some trash bags and pick up all the poop/bags of poop, then circle back to the trailhead and dump them in the trash can. What's really frustrating to me is the amount of bagged poop left within 100 yards of the trailhead - and no, it isn't left for the "return trip..."

I retired May 28th, so my schedule has opened up a lot more!!! I am going to take some time off, but then I am going to volunteer as part of our park system's "Volunteer Trail Steward" program.

The greatest threat we are facing, in my neck of the woods, is population growth and the corresponding development.


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## Bacon Fat (Mar 11, 2016)

My local Mtb trail workers are very proud of how smooth they make the trails. Anything that might make you think as you are riding up to it is removed. Luckily they have little interest in the trails I maintain, so the trails stay more natural. Just finished cutting a 1 mile loop trail in the neighborhood for biking and hiking.


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## SkyAboveDirtBelow (Apr 14, 2019)




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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

How many of you volunteer to help the elderly? The homeless? Vets with PTSD? Underprivileged kids? Lots of ways to donate your time besides trailwork.


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## Squirrel in the Spokes (Apr 9, 2021)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> I used to love trail building/maintenance and do a lot of it. I ultimately found that too many head trail builders are ego maniacs who make it no fun because they're pricks who take it way too serious.
> 
> The last work day I did, the head trail builders told me and my buddy that we were talking to much and not benching enough. I just never went back.


"Take it out of my paycheck"


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

Squirrel in the Spokes said:


> "Take it out of my paycheck"


Exactly. These guys were ultra serious. Sorry, but if I'm out here swinging a pick I'm also going to BS with friends.


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## ctxcrossx (Jan 13, 2004)

127.0.0.1 said:


> yours is a weak post. you don't know D. Inoobinati stance whatsoever
> 
> I've built *miles* of trail, removed hundreds of tons of downfall, but then go for years not doing a damn thing.
> 
> then I pick it up again and do more maintenance. in cycles, as I feel like it. this year I am lazy as heck and reaping the benefits of everyone else hard work, I ain't doing squat for trail work this year. but I've made my bones*eleventy


You're right, I don't. But I do recognize the attitude that is being delivered. No one who actually spends (or has spent) time on the trail, would respond the way they did. They very clearly are showing a disrespect for the whole notion.

I have no issues at all with people varying when they are able to do it. I've done that myself. I do have an issue when people disrespect those that do put in the work...and no one who has planted a shovel, or trimmed a branch on a trail, would say something like that.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

127.0.0.1 said:


> I've built *miles* of trail, removed hundreds of tons of downfall, but then go for years not doing a damn thing.


It's legit. We aren't machines. Added an option for you 



Fleas said:


> I signed up twice this year, but for some reason the organizers could not accommodate more than 10 people so I got waved off both times. ???


If your local organizers aren't keeping you busy and you see a section of trail which you think needs work, you might consider contacting them and asking if it's ok with doing the fix yourself. This is how I've done the vast majority of trail work. Right now the bulk of what I do is working direct with the forest service. I do talk to local trail groups, but it's more along the order of "I'm brushing out Northshore", "I'm fixing the drainage on Winberry".

Bring a partner or two for safety if you do.



acer66 said:


> So far I am in the free loader sections besides clearing downed branches off trails when I encounter them.


It's more than a lot of people do, particularly if they are big enough you need a hand saw to clear some of them.



djlee said:


> I voted for monthly, even though I don't dig that often. I try to volunteer 4-6 sanctioned dig days/evenings per season, but I also go to the bi-monthly land manager board meetings and participate at that level.
> 
> I love the dig days, but I hate the meetings. Without going to the meetings, however, the goodwill generated with a shovel doesn't transfer to policy.


I'm on one local trail organization board and my wife is on another so I've sat in on many of those meetings so I feel your pain.



djlee said:


> I'm also the poop fairy.


Probably the most irritating trail users of all times. Right up there with horseback riders who posthole the hell out of a fresh built trail.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> I used to love trail building/maintenance and do a lot of it. I ultimately found that too many head trail builders are ego maniacs who make it no fun because they're pricks who take it way too serious.
> 
> The last work day I did, the head trail builders told me and my buddy that we were talking to much and not benching enough. I just never went back.


_'Get to work son! We're not paying you to sit around and talk! Oh, wait a minute...'_


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Scott O said:


> How many of you volunteer to help the elderly? The homeless? Vets with PTSD? Underprivileged kids? Lots of ways to donate your time besides trailwork.


Mountain biking is like a potluck. We all show up with a few skills and a little time and build something for all of us to enjoy. Would you show up at a potluck and say "I donated to the American Way last week"?

I don't disrespect any of that, but if you have time to ride, you have time to dig.


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## bingemtbr (Apr 1, 2004)

My cycling team mandates at least 4 hours of volunteer service per year--it can be trail work, or working as a course marshal (for a cycling or running 5k event), or cleaning up after Saturday's farmer's market downtown near the LBS. Its pretty impressive once you learn there are over 250+ members on the team. 

Additionally, we are paid members of the local mtb associations in the areas we ride regularly. 

I do have an awesome McLeod and set of Gerber brand axes, machetes, hatchets, etc...and sadly I really haven't been able to use these tools too often in the last couple years due to life.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Bacon Fat said:


> *My local Mtb trail workers are very proud of how smooth they make the trails*. Anything that might make you think as you are riding up to it is removed. Luckily they have little interest in the trails I maintain, so the trails stay more natural. Just finished cutting a 1 mile loop trail in the neighborhood for biking and hiking.


Seems entirely too common and frustrating for those of us who like trails with a bit of texture. Some trails I want to tell our local trail work crew to stay off entirely and let other manage them.


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## Barbapapa (Apr 15, 2021)




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## djlee (Feb 5, 2009)

Ogre said:


> Seems entirely too common and frustrating for those of us who like trails with a bit of texture. Some trails I want to tell our local trail work crew to stay off entirely and let other manage them.


One of the challenges we face. We have plenty of volunteer labor, but many who want to smooth out the trails. Equestrians, hikers, birders, runners, even some within the mtb/emtb community...


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Crankout said:


> _'Get to work son! We're not paying you to sit around and talk! Oh, wait a minute...'_


Exact opposite of how I run trail work.

"Let's not kill ourselves, ain't nobody out here getting paid."

...sound of a beer cracking...

I tend to put in a couple hundred hours a year (or more) between trail and track building/maintenance. Easily did over 40 in just the past 3 weeks. 
I've put in my time in meetings and hearings, etc, but those days are done for me. 
I'm reaping the rewards now and able to just stick to the fun stuff. 

And yes, I have a job, a family and a home too.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Exactly. These guys were ultra serious. Sorry, but if I'm out here swinging a pick I'm also going to BS with friends.


That's half the fun of doing trail work. Talking ****, etc. It's also about community buy-in and stoke for maintenance rather than linear feet of trail built.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

rockman said:


> That's half the fun of doing trail work. Talking ****, etc. It's also about community buy-in and stoke for maintenance rather than linear feet of trail built.


Exactly. I want to see and ride new trail just as much as anyone else, but trail building in the off season is how I get the social interaction I would normally get riding with friends.

I can talk and work at the same time. I don't need someone micromanaging my volunteer time.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

rockman said:


> That's half the fun of doing trail work. Talking ****, etc. It's also about community buy-in and stoke for maintenance rather than linear feet of trail built.


For real.

I never pressure my 'elves'. 
Help and company is always appreciated, but if I've set some goal set in my mind for progress, I'm perfectly capable and happy to be out there working by myself. Not like it's anything new.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

*MOAR! *And my back is currently telling me to chill out lol! I'm obsessive by nature so trail building has been a perfect outlet


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## tjhspapa (Nov 29, 2010)

Depending on the time of year and projects available, I’ll do trail work from between once or twice a month during the summer to once or twice a week during the rest of the year. You learn a lot about the trails when you build or maintain them. It’s impressive the amount of science, planning, and design that goes into creating a well built trail system.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

roughster said:


> *MOAR! *And my back is currently telling me to chill out lol! I'm obsessive by nature so trail building has been a perfect outlet


We have a fantastic trail in Oakridge which has a crappy 3 mile road section in the middle. For the past ~8 years they've been planning to build a trail around it, but its been slow going. Recently they green lighted the final connecting piece so I've been going balls out trying to get it cut out.

So I hear you. Typically I just do 6-10 days a year, but this year it's been weekly or more. I compromised and voted Monthly myself even though recently it's been MOAR!


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> Exactly. I want to see and ride new trail just as much as anyone else, but trail building in the off season is how I get the social interaction I would normally get riding with friends.
> 
> I can talk and work at the same time. I don't need someone micromanaging my volunteer time.


Micro-managing folks is no way to run a volunteer event. That said, crew leads do need to pay attention to what folks are doing. Otherwise, you end up going back and un-f**ng substandard work. But it's about having fun and that also includes leaning on tools.

And the more gnar-bros you can get out the better so they better understand it's more about getting water of the tread than dumbing things down. On the flip side we do a have a couple of repeat customers who are groomers that you have to keep an eye on.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Ogre said:


> We have a fantastic trail in Oakridge which has a crappy 3 mile road section in the middle. For the past ~8 years they've been planning to build a trail around it, but its been slow going. Recently they green lighted the final connecting piece so I've been going balls out trying to get it cut out.
> 
> So I hear you. Typically I just do 6-10 days a year, but this year it's been weekly or more. I compromised and voted Monthly myself even though recently it's been MOAR!


Hey Ogre, how's the Cloverpatch Connector going, anyway? Any ETA on completion? I want to get down there!
=sParty


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## unerlaubt (Aug 2, 2019)

Ogre said:


> Just curious how many MTBRs participate in trail work.
> 
> If you do or don't, why not? What would make you more likely to dig?


I don't get it, I dig 3 to 5 times a week and get harassed for it here.
Skidding the corners to form berms is hard on me and my tires, yet nobody seems to appreciate the sacrifice I make to fix our crappy trails.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Sparticus said:


> Hey Ogre, how's the Cloverpatch Connector going, anyway? Any ETA on completion? I want to get down there!
> =sParty


We've logged nearly a mile right off the shitty road 130 climb. The FS is logging the other end and I suspect have gone a similar distance. There is (maybe) a big trail work day there next Sunday where tread work starts.

When? Maybe?? 2023 spring? It's possible by next year if we got some enthusiasm and more hands on deck. Not a dig at you, I know you are plenty busy in your new home trail system.


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## SkyAboveDirtBelow (Apr 14, 2019)

Barbapapa said:


>


Now, look what we have
here before us.
We've got the Endurobros&#8230;
&#8230;sitting next to
the eBike Boys.
We've got the XC Riders&#8230;
&#8230;right by the Downhill Rangers.
Nobody is wasting nobody.

That&#8230;
&#8230;is a miracle.
And miracles
is the way things ought to be.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

Past few months I've been going out and doing a lot of trail maintenance on my own. Because the whole covid thing, or maybe lost love, my usual crew has stopped riding so i've been riding solo, which lends itself to doing trail work. Anything from grabing a rake when coming across a really heavy needle/leaf covered area, pushing off and cutting small branches that have come down, hedge trimming back the evil Cali/elephant grass, and digging drainage during spate of wet spells that pointed out ponding spots. AFAIK the local MTB organization is not very organized anymore so its small groups on their own now.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Taroroot said:


> Past few months I've been going out and doing a lot of trail maintenance on my own. Because the whole covid thing, or maybe lost love, my usual crew has stopped riding so i've been riding solo, which lends itself to doing trail work. Anything from grabing a rake when coming across a really heavy needle/leaf covered area, pushing off and cutting small branches that have come down, hedge trimming back the evil Cali/elephant grass, and digging drainage during spate of wet spells that pointed out ponding spots. AFAIK the local MTB organization is not very organized anymore so its small groups on their own now.


I think this doesn't occur to a lot of people. If there is something which is clearly a problem, a lot of times you can take care of it without working with a trail group. Downed branches, sections with poor drainage, brushing, lots of stuff you can do without really getting a trail group out there. Around here anyhow, there is plenty to do with just carrying a hand saw and being willing to stop for a couple minutes to fix something instead of just climbing over it.

Breaking out the chainsaw, sanitizing the trail, or rerouting trails is definitely more controversial, but nobody ever complains about someone trimming the bush.


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## freetors1 (Sep 19, 2019)

I'm not opposed to do doing trail work. However, of the two local places I usually ride one gets almost no trail work whatsoever, and the work is mostly hiking oriented and rarely improves things for bikes. The other always seems to announce work days the day before and they're always at weird times. I'm not taking time off work to do trail work.


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## Caligata (Dec 30, 2020)

We have Ogre + Dig It, and this isn't a Skinny Puppy topic? I'm bummed. 

I've only maintained a trail once. Wasn't even a bike trail, just a gated road that's welcome to all users. Needed a little clearing after winter storms, so I brought a saw.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I come and go. I got pretty burnt out for awhile on trail work because the group I was working with had too many engineers leading work crews, and those guys would shoot down anybody else. You did exactly the work they said, or you were gone. Even though by then I'd put in enough time and had enough knowledge and experience to provide educated suggestions, it all got shot down. And often as not, their work sucked, too.

Nowadays, with a different club in a different place, I'm an approved crew leader. I'm not the guy who shows up and runs work days (though I could if I wanted). But I'll come out and lead a smaller crew on a specific project within the broader trail day. The USFS here is managing things (because covid) such that they're putting a max number of volunteer participants per crew leader in attendance. So they cap attendance based on the number of crew leaders who attend. This lets work parties get spread out more over the project site and still have someone keeping an eye on the work being done. I'm not a consistent, regular attendee, but I put my time in usually in clusters.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

digging is for suckers. trail poaching for life!!!!


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

I've never done trail work, it sounds too hard and unrewarding.
























Hogan Lake Blog







hoganlake.blogspot.com


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Finch Platte said:


> I've never done trail work, it sounds too hard and unrewarding.


As usual... nothing but lies from you.

Are you back on the bike yet?


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

Ogre said:


> As usual... nothing but lies from you.
> 
> Are you back on the bike yet?


Not really, more hiking than biking.

It would be sad if you came back to Hogan. You would ask yourself 'why?' many times.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

We don't need everyone doing trail work. Especially unsupervised! Our local race community requires 10 hours of trail work hours per person. That generates probably 5000 hours of work. Many of our trails cannot be modified or improved. We have a few hundred miles here in Austin.

You end up with limbs like these cut at torso height. Or worse yet broken off into spears.

All this one did is ruin a glove, bloody a knuckle and send me into semi safe a runout where I hugged the next tree.

Other people have not been so lucky. A man was extracted with the limb in his body. After many hours or trying to get to him and get him detached.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Finch Platte said:


> Not really, more hiking than biking.
> 
> It would be sad if you came back to Hogan. You would ask yourself 'why?' many times.


That place has always been a red-headed step-child and lived 1 foot on the edge of legit so it's not too surprising. I mean they built a fence that passes through the trail in 2 spots and cuts one un-official trail off so they could host cows for 1 year.


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## Mac_89 (Mar 24, 2021)

I used to until the dude bros took over and turned every trail into a series of 20 foot gap jumps.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

Mac_89 said:


> I used to until the dude bros took over and turned every trail into a series of 20 foot gap jumps.


It's pretty frustrating watching some trails get re-purposed when you enjoy them as they are.

Sanitizing or building gap jumps, it's bizarrely the same thing, it changes the fundamental purpose of the route.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

FJSnoozer said:


> We don't need everyone doing trail work. Especially unsupervised! Our local race community requires 10 hours of trail work hours per person. That generates probably 5000 hours of work. Many of our trails cannot be modified or improved. We have a few hundred miles here in Austin.
> 
> You end up with limbs like these cut at torso height. Or worse yet broken off into spears.
> 
> ...


For me, this is one of the most frustrating aspects of the incompetent engaging in trailwork - leaving staubs.
Take the branch at the trunk.
Take the trunk at the ground.
One or the other, whichever the situation dictates.
=sParty


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

Humble Brag Alert:

The most recent edition of our local trail guide mentions, "someone raked A LOT of rocks during the summer of 2019 so this trail is much better now". That "someone" was me and I spent about a week raking stones off of my wife's favorite trail as my anniversary present to her.

I continue to do trail work on my own a few days per year as the organized trail days tend to be junk shows without as much actually getting done by the time you organize stuff, socialize, apres' beers, etc. I prefer to take a hike with a shovel, rake, and pruning saw.

My wife offered to buy me one of these setups but I think it's a high price to pay for altruism - but super cool nonetheless. Trail Building Tools | 3 Piece Handle w/ McLeod, Rogue, Saw Tools | Trail Boss Trail Building Tool

FWIW, I was on USFS and NPS trail crews in my younger years so I kinda know what I'm doing.


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## unerlaubt (Aug 2, 2019)

meh


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

dir-T said:


> I continue to do trail work on my own a few days per year as the organized trail days tend to be junk shows without as much actually getting done by the time you organize stuff, socialize, apres' beers, etc. I prefer to take a hike with a shovel, rake, and pruning saw.


No doubt, a few skilled workers can outperform 10 times more random volunteers. That said I think the big volunteer days are important and serve a similar purpose as beginner MTB club rides. It introduces people to trail building and makes people a little more aware of what kind of things trail builders deal with. Also, it's a big recruiting tool. If you have a small crew and are looking to bump your numbers a little bit, you can draft the 1-2 kick ass workers out of the 30 that show up for the junk show.

Also, thanks for helping out! I'm super curious about the portable trail tools myself.


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle.


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## ransom208 (Mar 31, 2021)

no dig, just cut!


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

Clearing deadfall, cutting back bush (i guess some people might like their bush wild, but the California grass if left alone is ridiculous) is pretty no brainer. Clearing rocks gets debateable. If its a heavy use all ability trail its ok, but otherwise i try to leave rocks alone. Cutting drainage also takes some thought. Ive seen others just dig a thin line from puddle to edge of trail. Thatll last all of a few weeks, i bet. I dig more than a little groove, usually recontouring the edge of the puddle. I also try to look at how riders will be going through and am pretty careful avout not making abrupt edges. The better ones ive done im observing are working and weathering well. Pretty satisfying. Some others i can see edge building up so prob wont be as effective at end of season.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Depends on the year and what projects are going on. Really didn't do much of any trail work in the first 10-15 years that I rode, but over the past 10 years I've done a fair bit. Trail building and trail maintenance are an addictive obsession with me. Once I get going I have a hard time doing much else until it's finished (I never imagined it would be so rewarding). Then I might go several months or even a year or two without doing much other than trimming back some brush, moving a fallen tree, clearing some loose rocks off the trail or raking out some bad ruts from a recent rain or careless mud riders occasionally.


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## Ogre (Feb 17, 2005)

KRob said:


> Depends on the year and what projects are going on. Really didn't do much of any trail work in the first 10-15 years that I rode, but over the past 10 years I've done a fair bit. Trail building and trail maintenance are an addictive obsession with me. Once I get going I have a hard time doing much else until it's finished (*I never imagined it would be so rewarding*). Then I might go several months or even a year or two without doing much other than trimming back some brush, moving a fallen tree, clearing some loose rocks off the trail or raking out some bad ruts from a recent rain or careless mud riders occasionally.


There is something very satisfying about riding a trail and knowing that you helped build a feature, pull a tree out, or even just that you brushed it and made it more fun for a season. Seeing other people riding and enjoying it makes it even better.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

Ogre said:


> There is something very satisfying about riding a trail and knowing that you helped build a feature


it's also addicting. i spend easily way more time behind the business end of a shovel than actually riding. but if we don't build what we want, it's certainly not going to just appear out of thin air...


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

Scott O said:


> I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle.


i was so confused i looked back and forth several times to see who was talking about a bat. then i broke out the google...


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Ogre said:


> There is something very satisfying about riding a trail and knowing that you helped build. Seeing other people riding and enjoying it makes it even better.





.WestCoastHucker. said:


> it's also addicting.


Oh absolutely. We had a 5 mile trail approved by the FS, NEPA in hand, flagged out and no money to build several years ago so we got permission to start work on it with 100% volunteer labor. After about the first mile interest sagged but I just kept riding out to the end of the trail where my tools were stashed almost every day. Sometimes working for 20-30 minutes sometimes losing track of time and spending most of the day. My wife would text after 5-6 hours wondering if I was alive. She called the trail my mistress, ha ha. Sometimes the only way I knew it was time to quit is when I physically couldn't lift the McCleod any longer. I had to set a timer on my pre-work sessions I was so unaware of the passage of time.

Anyway, FIVE years later we completed it and it's still one of my favorite trails.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

.WestCoastHucker. said:


> but if we don't build what we want, it's certainly not going to just appear out of thin air...


Unlike those people who regularly seem to pop up out of nowhere and start telling you what you SHOULD be doing with the build. I love those people, specially the look on their faces when you toss them a tool and tell them to put up or shut up.


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## raisingarizona (Feb 3, 2009)

I work 8 on, 6 off and get in around 5 to 10 volunteer days a season. It's my job tho so&#8230;


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## form49b (Jul 1, 2013)

I said 3-4 times a year since that is what I've actually done this year. Trailwork days were mostly shut down for COVID and started again seriously in the past few months, but still under fairly strict controls and limits. I've done three events with Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship at Pogonip and DeLaveaga and a couple on a private trail in a friend's yard. I'm trying to gear up on this. I have chronic lower back issues and hesitated to do trailwork for years. I had ramped up my donations to compensate but this year I decided I just needed to start doing the work. In the end I found the work didn't rile up my back any more than if I took a longish hike. 

SCMTS is really good about teaching how to do things, for example upthread there's a post about people cutting off trees and branches and leaving spears beside the trail. In the intro to trailwork class I took, that was one of the things they spent some time on, showing us the proper way to deal with any potentially dangerous branches. They reinforced this when we did trail brushing at another event. The people are really cool too. I have seen none of the attitudes mentioned in some of the posts above.


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