In 2018, Kyle rode the Oregon Timber Trail (OTT) from Oakridge to Hood River. He loved the rippin' singletrack, rugged remoteness, pristine wilderness, and epic scenery. But more importantly, he loved the accessibility for bicycles to travel this terrain, something that’s hard fought for and should not to be taken for granted.

Accessibility and stewardship come hand in hand, and the Oregon Timber Trail Association (OTTA) is an advocate for both. That's why we're investing in their mission and sharing it with others. Read on for an interview with OTTA founder Gabriel Amadeus.

Tell us a little bit about the history of the OTT. How was it created and when?

In 2015 Travel Oregon (our state's tourism agency) researched creating a mountain bike hut system like seen in New Zealand, Alps, British Columbia, and Colorado. While that's still a long-term goal, we realized at the time it would make more sense to create a route first, build a community around it, and then create a hut system if that community asked for it. We spent a long time looking at maps of old trails and routes and it went through a dozen or more iterations before our public launch in 2017. The exact alignment still changes slightly as new trail connections are built and the backcountry singletrack experience can be improved. After four short years we've seen interested riders download our route guide from over 30 countries worldwide. We estimate there are about 50 thru-riders each year, but they only represent roughly 10% of overall usage—many more people choose to do day rides or overnights on short sections of the trail.

How did you become involved with maintaining and preserving the trail? What does the trail mean to you personally?

Embarrassingly, I had never done a lick of trail stewardship until the OTT. During its development process we realized many sections were in major disrepair and the US Forest Service asked us to develop a maintenance strategy to address this. It's quickly become one of my favorite parts of the project after seeing so many willing trail users step forward and volunteer their time to make better experiences for everyone else. The personal relationships and community building that happen at these stewardship events are one of the most powerful outcomes we've seen from the project. Personally, I believe that experiences in wild places can have a profound impact on our personal growth. I like to think we can help orchestrate these life-changing experiences by continually crafting and refining these dirt ribbons that pass through the landscape. The land is our teacher, and the Oregon Timber Trail is just the chalkboard.

With COVID, it seems like being able to get outside and safely ride for a bit of fresh air feels more important than ever. Has the way you view the trail changed at all seeing how it provides a respite to people seeking safe and secluded day rides? Has it been more difficult to maintain?

COVID has certainly made everything more challenging, though we're still a small and scrappy nonprofit that's able to be flexible in our operations. I'm thrilled that so many more people are realizing the importance of getting outside, challenging themselves, and experiencing the unknown. Trail-based recreation uplifts struggling economies, improves community health, brings people together, and educates all of us. It's an extremely valuable asset to our communities here in Oregon and worldwide.

The fires of the last few years have devastated large parts of the OTT. What has the recovery and rehabilitation of those sections of the trail been like so far? Has it been challenging finding the resources and labor necessary to restore those sections?

The Watson Fire burned 60,000 acres in 2018, and the Brattain Fire burned 50,000 acres in the same area in 2020. Over the past 20 years this same area has experienced over a dozen wildfires. Extreme wildfire events are not an anomaly, they are becoming the new-normal due to the climate crisis and centuries of unregulated profit-driven industry. The Oregon Timber Trail Alliance (OTTA) is attempting to reestablish the trail in these areas, but as you can imagine, they are ecologically fragile and require extra effort to mitigate erosion and deadfall. Luckily we have an amazing network of volunteers, individual supporters, and brand partnerships (thank you Outer Shell!) that are supporting this work. Fire is a natural part of this landscape but is accelerating in frequency and intensity. I don't think the OTTA—or anyone—has the structures in place to keep pace with this new reality, but in the meantime we're doing what we can.

When someone is riding the OTT what are some things they can keep in mind to ensure they're being a responsible steward of the land and respectful of their fellow riders?

My favorite advice is pretty simple: "Say hi." Just by engaging in conversation with the few other trail users and people in Gateway Communities I guarantee you'll learn something and help establish the OTT as a positive institution that weaves through these places. In our year-end surveys we find that nearly all OTT users follow Leave No Trace guidelines—put out your campfire (or skip it all together), bury your poop, pick up your trash, etc. Basic respect: leave places better than you found them.

What are some things you're proudest to have been able to accomplish with the help of volunteers? How can people get involved if they want to lend a hand?

Our volunteers are awesome. On our first Stewardship Campout one crew logged out over 500 fallen trees in *one mile* of the trail. In a following year we cleared over 100 miles of the trail during a 5 day event. We have a very efficient trail stewardship model (also developed by volunteers) and we get a lot done. We work hard and (COVID allowing) we like to reward volunteers with giant pans of paella or pad thai and coffee or beer. Our tentative event calendar is up on oregontimbertrail.org, and registration will open in mid-March. No experience needed, we love showing new folks how trails are made and maintained!

How has the support of cycling brands helped maintain the trail? Do you think partnerships with like-minded brands have had a big impact on maintaining and preserving the OTT?

I think that cycling brands overall have been slow to recognize their role in sustaining the recreation opportunities that are the reason they exist. But that's changing: in the four short years of our existence we've seen a huge increase in brands supporting our work. For the 2021 season we've brought on 24 brands from all facets of the industry that recognize the importance of trails and the organizations that cultivate them. This is a promising trend that will not only grow their overall customer base, but also ensure that there are quality recreation experiences for generations to come. When we all work together, we can create what we want to see in the world instead of just reacting to the challenges right in front of us.

Access and Stewardship in the Oregon Cascades