For mountain bikers in Whatcom County, the advent of the rainy season each autumn means fewer bike events and muddy, cold riding conditions. But those wet days provide the perfect opportunity to maintain and improve the trails that see considerable traffic every summer from visitors and locals.
Flynn Mogan works for the nonprofit Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition as a seasonal trail builder. Part of his job entails leading volunteer trail days, and on Saturday, Nov. 16, he’ll offer a free introduction to trail building for riders interested in helping with the never-ending task of trail maintenance.
During the workshop, Mogan will show volunteers how to repair braking bumps and berms, improve drainage and differentiate soil types.
“I hope to inspire those who come out by giving them a foundational understanding of tool usage and general trail maintenance,” he said. “You don’t need to be an expert to join the various WMBC trail days throughout the season. If I can give people the confidence to show up and build on what they learn, that would be great.”
Gerry Creighton doesn’t get paid to work on trails, but he’s one of the many Whatcom County residents who do it anyway. He just wrapped up work on new Galbraith trail Larry’s Pizza, a twisty bench-cut ribbon of singletrack that passes by old-growth stumps and fern-filled ravines.
“There’s nothing quite like building and maintaining mountain bike trails,” Creighton said. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to shape the path where others and myself find adventure, challenge and peace. Each bridge and berm gives back to the trails that give us so much joy. Every bit of effort and teamwork put in is worth it when you see riders enjoying them.”
Mogan agreed. “Since moving to Bellingham, many of my friends have come into my life through trail building. This passion has brought me so much joy and happiness, and when everything else fades, I know I still have my shovel and my bike.”
In the summer, dry dirt is hard to shape or compact, but once it starts raining, trail work becomes more feasible. Mogan has already taken advantage of the moist dirt to start reshaping trails that have been impacted by recent logging, like Mullet on Galbraith.
If it rains too much, however, water can degrade and erode the trail tread, which is why drainage work is an essential facet of maintenance, Creighton explained.
The rainy season does come with one major proviso: trail builders who are working within the Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish and Lake Padden watersheds must abide by the strict county regulations that protect the lakes from soil run-off: clearing activities that expose more than 500 square feet of soil are prohibited from Oct. 1 through May 31.
Registration is required for the trail building workshop. Volunteers will meet at the Galbraith south side parking lot at 9 a.m. or meet at the top of Atomic Dog at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 16. Lunch is provided. For the full list of volunteer opportunities with WMBC, visit wmbcmtb.org.
Non-mountain bikers are welcome to participate in work days with WMBC, or find events organized through other entities. The Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program holds work parties on city parks and trails on Saturdays through fall, winter and spring — find the work party schedule at cob.org. Whatcom Land Trust regularly has work parties on land that it stewards, giving volunteers the chance to help restore and enhance wildlife and fish habitat, or remove invasive species. The Washington Trail Association hosts frequent trail maintenance work days across the state.
Note: The trail day was rescheduled from Nov. 10 to Nov. 16. This story was updated on Nov. 8 to reflect the change.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
