with Rogue Trails
Rogers, Arkansas
At 10 years old, I walked down a trail with my mom, and it changed the way I felt and saw the world around me. Soon after I found cycling and was able to keep that sense of breaking free and exploration as I moved along the curvature of the land. Trails have invited me into landscapes and taken me to places that had seemed impenetrable without the gentle guide of the path before me. Though not always easy to navigate, they always rewarded me.
My deep love of the natural world and desire to understand the forces shaping and acting upon it combined with my passion for mountain biking and exploration, lead me down the path to begin my own trail building company, Rogue Trails, in 2016. I would say there were many paths that I followed that have helped me arrive here; I enjoyed mountain bike racing for 14 years; served as President of the Ozark Off-Road Cyclists for 8 years helping it to expand from a social club to a respected 501c3 that gave voice to the cycling community; my initial career as an environmental scientist/engineer gave me insight into regulations and working with many different land managers, stake holders, and governmental entities; and now the spearhead of a team of passionate, sustainable trail builders carving our own paths.
Trail building has been and continues to be a driving force in my life. I work vigorously to bring sustainable and memorable trails into communities around the region to encourage others to have that awakening I found on a trail. I have been fortunate to join the Professional Trail Builders Association and serve on the board as well as now find myself leading the next generation of trail builders and stewards as I start a turn as a professor. I am humbled to be a part of this impressive community of trail builders and part of something so much greater than my own journey.
595 views • posted 08/28/2023
