photo by Daniel Sharp

Written by Rob Knoth

My wife, Dawn Rae, and I had ridden with Max, our 11-year-old son, on many family bikepacking trips which took in sections of the Oregon Timber Trail in the past and we are constantly impressed by and grateful for what is required to keep trail networks usable and accessible. While we’ve volunteered our time with our local trail organization at afternoon or morning events, this was our first multi-day weekend of volunteering. Heading into our Friday afternoon departure, both Dawn Rae and I were already stressed from work and life commitments, and with very little trail maintenance experience, nerves were high about not fitting in.

photos by Daniel Sharp

Rolling into the camp in an old gravel quarry, on a spectacular ridge with prime views of Seekseekqua (Mt. Jefferson), our nerves began to calm. We found a few familiar faces in camp and were greeted by volunteer Tori Bortman who gave us a very welcoming guided tour. We made our home for the weekend, and joined the ever-growing crowd of volunteers for a delicious grilled sausage dinner grilled up by the new executive director of the OTTA - Matt Ruddy. Max and Matt’s dog, Nala, would become fast friends over the weekend. The setting sun turned Seekseekqua into a pastel canvas, with layers of darkening mountains around its flanks. A campfire was kindled, stories were shared, and as the stars came out we turned in for the night - excited for the coming day. 

Saturday morning, we awoke to the low hum of generators and smooth jazz of Stan Getz and Tim Coghlan from Rapha, the weekend’s title sponsor, was pulling hot espressos. After a round of introductions, a safety briefing, and outline of the work plan ahead from former board member Adam Craig and current Operations Lead Mike Vanderberg, we split into groups and headed out for the day.

Without Mike’s leadership and rock-star work ethic, none of the OTTA stewardship events like this one would have been possible. Behind the scenes and with little fanfare, he quietly whittled away at the unending minutia (permits, permissions, scouting, logistics, volunteer coordination and communication, trailer wrangling, and endless road miles) required to make this event come to fruition.

photos by Daniel Sharp

Adam Craig’s wealth of experience in trail building and working with teams stood out immediately. His simple, direct, and kind instruction made each person - no matter how much or little experience - feel useful and able to contribute. Our family joined a group that was headed up to Scar Mountain for brushing and benching the stretch along the summit. The other group began working in the opposite direction on Trappers Butte toward Daly Lake.

After a strenuous mile hike up to our work site, we set to benching the trail. “Benching” is the process of widening the trail by removing the dirt and rocks which fell from the hillside to restore a wide and flat surface that’s especially important for mountain biking and equestrians. Having a space for handlebars and the ability to navigate an obstacle at speed makes a big difference in confidence, enjoyment, and safety. 

The hot sun and hard work quickly tired Max out. He wisely took the breaks he needed and spent a lot of time giving moral support to Matt’s dog, Nala who was nervous around any of the powered saws being used. After reaching the summit of Scar Mountain - a thin rocky hand pointed at the sky - the work got markedly easier entering shady and more loamy terrain.

Friendships were cemented through sweat and shared accomplishments. After a brisk swim at Daly Lake, we regrouped at camp. Salad and pasta dinner from Grassa, with drinks from sponsor Public Coast were very welcome after the day’s labor– of course, followed up with marshmallows roasted over the group campfire. 

photos by Dawn Rae Knoth

Sunday arrived with a misty low cloud shrouding the neighboring peaks– a welcome surprise for a July morning after the grip of catastrophic wildfires the past years. We returned to where we left off the previous day. I spent the morning slowly walking up the trail with a pair of loppers, trimming back the rhododendron to a “10-year” growth corridor for the trail. It was sublimely meditative - walking alone, paying attention to each tree and bush, visualizing riding the area and fast-forwarding the years to what could grow into a problem.

Eventually, I rejoined the group and switched back to benching. Max was swinging his Travis tool like an expert, the shade and consistency of dirt being much more to his liking. Being by far the youngest at the event we were really impressed by how much the whole team made Max feel welcomed. Without exception, everyone engaged, joked, and worked with him throughout the weekend making clear he was an equal part of the crew. He left the weekend with a new feeling of strength, belonging, and pride.

Getting back to camp, others were preparing to ride and enjoy the trail we had all been working on the past few days. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for another time for our family. We packed our car, said heartfelt goodbyes to our new friends, and headed back home. No doubt in our minds, this would not be our last stewardship event for the OTTA. Big thanks to the OTTA leaders for their gentle and effective guidance. 

Reflecting on the event, I’m really struck by how much more powerful it was than I expected. I found it surprising how much, after just one weekend together, we all had learned and grown. It was a weekend of friendship - sparked by a common interest, forged in work on the trail, fueled and nurtured by meals and conversation around the campfire.

Trails connect places- that’s their job. With events like these, you realize how much they connect people, both to the land and to one another. A stewardship event for the OTT draws a diverse set of attendees from a wide variety of backgrounds, passions, experiences, and skills– each unique and brilliant in what they contributed to the event, to the trail, and to the community. I’m excited to be a part of the community that is connected by the OTT, look forward to more involvement and where the trail leads!

photos by Daniel Sharp