Trail Builder Magazine

09/04/2026

You know the feeling.

You roll up to a trail system you’ve never ridden before, look at the map, and start trying to decipher what the colors actually mean.

How hard is that blue? Is that black comparable to the black trails you ride at home? And how much confidence should you really put in that little colored symbol?

Trail ratings are supposed to help riders understand what lies ahead. But when those ratings vary from one trail system, region, or country to another, things get complicated.

That’s the problem the International Trail Rating System, or ITRS, is trying to solve.

For our latest Trail Builder Mag article, we spoke with ITRS architects Mischa Crumbach and Edoardo Melchiori about their effort to create a common language for mountain bike trails.

Can mountain bike trail ratings mean the same thing everywhere? ITRS founders Mischa Crumbach and Edoardo Melchiori explain their push for a global trail rating system.

09/03/2026

One more question about trail ratings before we share our next article (about this topic).

Would love to hear about a time when you hopped on a trail that wasn't rated correctly. What happened?

09/01/2026

Is a blue a blue?
Is a black a black?

Ride enough trail systems, and you quickly realize that difficulty ratings can mean very different things depending on where you are.

A blue trail in one place might feel like a black somewhere else. And a black diamond somewhere else might barely raise an eyebrow.

So here’s the question: Should mountain biking have a more universal trail rating system?

08/31/2026

WHO IS YOUR TRAIL HERO?

You know who we’re talking about.
The person who is always out there digging.

The volunteer who gives up weekends to clear deadfall, repair drainage, reshape corners, move rocks, or keep the local trails running.

The person whose work thousands of riders might enjoy without ever knowing their name.

We want to know who they are.

Our Trail Heroes series exists to celebrate the volunteer trail builders doing incredible work in communities around the world. We’ve featured builders from Arizona to Austria to Sweden, and we’re looking for more people whose stories deserve to be told.

So, nominate a Trail Hero.

Tag them in the comments and tell us a little about why they deserve some recognition.

We’d love to reach out and interview them for an upcoming Trail Builder Mag feature.

08/26/2026

Some people ride trails. Others shape what a mountain bike community becomes.

For Drew Steusse, trail building started with backyard jumps and projects in the woods around Bellingham.

The trails Drew builds with his friends have created friendships, inspired other builders, strengthened a community, and, in the case of JZ’s, become a way to carry forward the memory of a close friend.

What makes Drew’s story especially compelling is the way he talks about the work.

Digging is art. It’s expression. It’s purpose. And while it would be easy to look at the hours he spends building in the rain, darkness, and cold and call it grit, Drew sees it differently.

As he puts it: “It’s not grit … it’s joy.”

Meet Bellingham trail builder Drew Steusse and discover how friendship, loss, community, and a love for digging shaped his approach to building trails.

08/25/2026

Trail builders deserve their flowers.

One of the reasons we created Trail Builder Magazine was simple: to celebrate the people who build, maintain, and advocate for the trails we love.

And so many of those people are volunteers.

They’re giving up Saturday mornings. Showing up after work. Hauling tools into the woods. Clearing drains after storms. Cutting back overgrowth. Fixing what hundreds or thousands of riders will eventually enjoy.

So today, we want to hear about them.

Shout out a local trail builder who deserves some recognition.

08/24/2026

Mountain biking has no shortage of attention for the people riding trails.

But what about the people building them?

That question was one of the ideas behind starting Trail Builder Magazine in the first place.

08/19/2026

Small trail orgs are already stretched thin.

Volunteers. Trails. Land managers. Grants. Events. Advocacy.

Oh yeah, and someone is supposed to keep Instagram updated.

For many nonprofits, there is no communications person. Social media becomes one more job for an ED, board member, or volunteer.

Better social media doesn’t necessarily start with a bigger budget. It starts with a better system.

Our latest article shares practical tools and workflows to help.

One of the biggest misconceptions about social media is that creating better content requires a bigger budget. We always think we need more cameras, more expensive software, more staff, and more equipment. I know I do too ... Yet, for small nonprofit trail orgs, that can make communications feel o

08/17/2026

Small trail orgs: what tools are you using to make social media and communications easier?

I’ve been talking with a lot of smaller trail organizations lately, and a common challenge keeps coming up: social media and communications.

For many volunteer-led organizations, there isn’t a communications person.

It’s the executive director. Or a board member. Or the volunteer who happens to know Instagram. Or whoever remembered to take a few photos at Saturday’s work party.

And when you’re already organizing volunteers, coordinating with land managers, maintaining trails, applying for grants, and planning the next project, social media can easily slide down the list.

So I’m curious ... What tools are actually helping your organization?

08/13/2026

Social media tip for trail organizations: Show people that they belong.

If you want more people involved in trail work, take a look at what you’re showing them on social media.

Who appears in your photos and videos?

Are you showing experienced builders AND first-time volunteers? Younger and older volunteers? Women and men? Families? Different riding groups? People digging, brushing, hauling, learning, leading, and simply having fun together?

Your social media helps people decide whether a work party feels like a place for them.