DIRT, as in soil, is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and mechanical processes that include weathering and erosion.
A TRAIL is a path with a rough beaten, dirt or stone surface used for travel.
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Trail Building at Ringwood State Park:
We are trail builders. I guess you could say: “We dig dirt”, like working in the dirt. We often wish we could find more dirt, but at Ringwood State Park, finding dirt is not as easy as you would think. You may think you see dirt on the ground, but if you start to dig, you will hit rock 9 times out of 10. So although dirt covers some of the ground, dirt is not an unlimited resource. We use it sparingly, and savor it in those special places.
The story of trail building at Ringwood usually has something to do with rocks. There are many rocks, and even if you think you have struck gold with finding dirt, the rocks come back to greet you later on. They are just a part of the land, and what many mountain bikers come to experience at Ringwood. Every autumn, the leaves will fall and decompose, mixing in with rocks making the surface new again. ... an ongoing cycle of perfection that we mountain bikers get to experience each year.
The Mission:
Whether we are riding or working on a trail, there is a mental and spiritual connection between the earth and our quest for flow. We are builders that do not just look to build a trail between two objects, but visionaries that try to find a way to blend the textures of the forest into the ride experience. All this needs to be done while the trail takes a path that water does not want to take first. This is how we see sustainable trail building.
Art and Ellen
