Welcome to Trail Crew Stories.

A project to document the culture, techniques, and history of trail work.

People

People
Places

Places
Methods

Methods
Art + Essays

Art + Essays

  • “The laying of a trail…becomes not only a pleasure in itself, but an inducement to plan a better way of life, to construct worthwhile things, or to weave a better product in the loom of our being.”

    Earle Amos Brooks, A Handbook of the Outdoors (1925)

Not long ago I went to a wedding in Dallas and had to explain to an incredulous Texan that, yes, San Francisco is surrounded by National Parks and; no, the Bay Area is not a sprawling megalopolis and that; yes, by "National Parks" I mean li
"Trail workers are total freaks. It’s just a fun area of life. I was in the service industry for a long time before I started trail work, and that's another area of freakazoids. There's some pessimists. I love them, but there's some pessi
UPDATE: SOLD OUT! Damn, that was fast! I will restock in the New Year. If I already replied to your message, not to worry— I've set aside enough to fulfill your order. Need a stocking stuffer for the journeyperson in your life? New special
If you were watching closely in that last video, you might have spotted this nice little section on the Devil's Playground Trail.  Roots can be a real pain to deal with, but they can also add an organic, whimsical touch. It almost looks as if t