One of the most rewarding things a mountain biker can do is work on a trail. Staying in one spot with a shovel is a wonderful change of pace, and changes a rider’s relationship with the trail.
Freerider Samantha Soriano recently finished up her first solo dig day in Utah. See her progress below.
Sam spent the day packing a landing and building a catch berm after a drop. It looks nice and scary, but very well built. We will leave it to the pros to ride it!
In Utah especially, biking culture revolves around building features as much as riding them. The experience of planning and digging a feature improves the rider’s understanding of the trail. One of the reasons Red Bull Rampage is so special is because riders design and ride their own lines.
That aspect was also a crucial part of Formation, the pioneering women’s freeride event in the Utah Desert. Soriano was one of the original riders at formation.
Building trail is one of the most cathartic things to do. The only downside is the sore body!