7 Reasons to Start Doing Trail Work

The singletrack trails that we all know and love didn't get there by accident, and they don't remain in rideable condition by accident. There are dedicated volunteers all across this nation that put in countless hours to keep our trails open. If you aren't already involved in trail work, here are 7 good reasons to start contributing man hours to your local trail system:

1. If you don't, I'll take my hacksaw to your neck and leave you for dead.
2. Give back. Nobody likes a "friend" that is always asking for favors and is a constant "taker" and never contributes anything to the friendship.  Its the same way with the sport of mountain biking: don't just be a "taker" and use phrases like: "they should really fix this" or "someone needs to cut this tree out of the way. Be the "they" and the "someone" and give back to the community that has given us all so much
3. It's a good workout. Many of us mountain bikers could really use more time in the weight room working on our upper bodies to balance out our massive quads.  If you're like me, you hate being inside working out when the weather's beautiful.  Instead of hitting the gym, get out and do some trail work to give your arms, shoulders, and back some work.  Sawing up and moving a down tree, digging in a reroute, and building a berm or a jump are all work that require you to utilize muscle groups that don't get much attention during those endless hours on the bike.
4. You can do trail work when the trails are too wet to ride. Do you want to get outside in the forest, but the singletrack is too muddy to ride on?  Consider going out and doing trail work instead!  If there's a reroute that needs to be done or a berm that needs to built, I imagine (although not 100% sure on this) that the ground would be much easier to work when it's soft... especially if you've got hard clay like we do here in Georgia!
5. You'll develop an appreciation for the trails you already have. I know that I personally tend to wrongly take my home trails for granted.  I ride them so often that they seem common place, and I often approach the next ride with a very ho-hum attitude, wishing I was driving to ride somewhere new instead.  But once you start getting involved and get a taste of the amount of work that it takes just to maintain your current trails, not to mention build new ones, you'll appreciate what you already have so much more!
6. You'll take ownership of the trails. This is slightly related to #5, but also is an important point to note.  Instead of the trail just being another stretch of singletrack, you'll be able to point out where you cleared that down tree, where you helped bench in that reroute, and maybe eventually you'll be riding a trail that you helped build from the ground up. These trails no longer just happen to lie near your town, they are now your trails!
7. It's easier to get involved than you might think.  Stay tuned for my next post on Wednesday about how to easily start getting involved in trail work. (Click Here.)

Your Turn: If you already spend time working on your local trails, what are your reasons for doing so?  If you don't yet, what's holding you back?  Please feel free to share your thoughts below!