My earliest experiences in trail maintenance and stewardship began around 15-16 years ago. I wasn’t part of any local trail advocacy group nor even knew of any. A local chapter might have existed but I had no connection. Instead, the trail network that I used regularly was my focal point. Every now and then myself with another mountain biking guide would go out and trim back branches and work on trails that were being washed out by the rain. The trails we rode and used were not built by mountain bikers, instead they were trails first cut by cattle and horseback riders. Erosion was a constant but I didn’t know any different as we worked to maintain the trails.
