It really all comes down to one thing… Passion. Whether the trails are built legally or not, the quality of work going into the trails is influenced by the building crew’s drive and creativity. If builders don’t get their hands dirty and create the sustainable trails that we need, safety and reliability then becomes a concern and the reputation of the mountain bike community is put into jeopardy. If you’ve ever ridden a poorly crafted and unmaintained trail, you know that there are dangers all over. Rusty nails to catch you or your bike on, small or unstable berms on corners that really matter, or jumps that are pointed at trees. I personally don’t want a rusty nail going through my hand again. These hazards all contribute to how people view the mountain bike scene in your area, but trail quality isn’t the only problem either. We need to keep our trails clean. We need to be the example that doesn’t leave energy bar wrappers or empty PBR cans lying around. If we can do just that, I feel a lot of opportunities will start showing up out of nowhere for more trails to be constructed, which in the end equals to more fun to be had. Soon enough, there will be epic trails everywhere for all ages and styles. contiued...