This item is password protected and available to members of The Geocoin Club only. If you are a member of The Geocoin Club, you will receive the month's password in club newsletter email.
September 2022 - The Trail Builders
Design notes from the artist: Chris Mackey
After reading an article in February, 2021's Backpacker magazine about trail building, it's been on my mind a lot lately. We love to hike a great trail, we love to cache on great trails, we go way out of our way to CITO cleanup our trail systems to keep them beautiful. How often do we think about what it takes to build a great trail though? We've all been on rough trails, too. Trails that are unstable, with eroding soil, loose rocks, sketchy creek crossings, and worse are out there and have often just become trails due to animals and people following the path of least resistance. Trails that have stable footing, are wide enough for the occasional biker, have great views and feel like they just belong are usually man-made. They take an enormous amount of blood, sweat, tears, engineering and artistic vision to bring about. Some are paid for and expert trail builders spend countless hours working in teams to complete. Often, though, they're purely the work of volunteers who have a love for the outdoors and are willing to share the vision of a great trail with other enthusiasts. Designing for sustainability is the primary goal: "Designing a trail that fits into the landscape that doesn’t impede the natural experience in any way." - Erin Amadon
So the next time you're on the trail, pause to give a little thanks for the incredible amount of work that went into building it. Better yet, if you see a trail-building project in your area and have the ability to volunteer a bit, go and see just what goes into making it all possible. Bring this coin and along and share it with them. They know how hard the work is, but it's always nice to know that hikers and cachers recognize it and appreciate it, too!
|
Log In