Portrait Gallery

Portraits of trail workers. All photos by Joe Gibson.

“It's similar to how I do it with my art. If it's brushing or rock work or building something, I can picture it and think 'okay, this is how it needs to be done.' I figure out the process and then just go about it. I like to call myself a trail painter.”

- Matthew Franco-Gonzalez, Golden Gate Trail Crew, 2023

“Going into the backcountry program, I learned more about having a strong community because it was the first time that I had mentors or people I could rely on and actually trust and not feel like I had to be the superhero immigrant story. For once, I just had people that could help me out and I could be really good friends with. It was really nice to experience that.”

- Jessica Ramirez, Kings Canyon Trail Crew 2023

Malcolm Hemm, Golden Gate Trail Crew, 2023

“I just find that people that work trails are some of the hardest working, down to earth, honest, real, good people. This lifestyle appeals to a certain kind of people that are not afraid of hard work, not afraid of community.”

- Laurie Aldrich, Kings Canyon Trail Crew, 2023. Read the full interview.

“The moment I realized I wanted to stick with trails was on a lunch break in Lake Eleanor, my first week in the frontcountry.  I think my view during lunch set it in stone. I was just sitting on a trail, looking at the earth in different shapes and forms and I realized I could live out here and I could make money doing it. I did a lot of jumping around from EMS to Arborist  and this is where I’ve ended up for the time being and I'm happy about it.”

- Josiah Gonzales, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2024.

“Swinging a pick all day is hard for all of us when we first do it. And it would be hard for you too, and then you would be good at it, probably. People are capable of more things than they think they are. Especially physically, a lot of people.”

- Amber Winsor, Kings Canyon Trail Crew, 2022. Read the full interview.

“Working with the very muddy soils in Vermont is going to teach you nothing about working with the very sandy soils in Kings. You'd have to come to Kings to learn how to build here. There is a vernacular. But there's still something interesting about that larger shared language.”

- Sam Walters, Kings Canyon Trail Crew, 2023. Read the full interview.

“There's comfort in being surrounded by a diverse group, whether it's people of color or women or trans folks. It’s harder to find that in trails, and when you do find it, it makes a difference.”

- Luz Lara, Golden Gate Trail Crew, 2023. Read the full interview.

“I think the mental aspect is a lot more important than people realize. This job is hard enough as it is. To have environments that people feel they can't succeed in doing this hard of a job, it's not realistic. That’s going to burn people out. That's how we lose trail crew members. That’s why they leave and go do other jobs. Our community gets smaller, and the workload is more.”

- Hannah Huscher, Lassen Volcanic Trail Crew, 2023. Read the full interview.

“Coming back to look at it afterwards, after nature is taken over and everything, seeing how it still stands and thinking that it'll be there for a good while, that's my favorite aspect of trail work." 

- Joseluis Blaza, California State Parks Bay Area Trail Crew, 2023

“Every person is different. Every crew is different. Every project is different. It's really hard. It teaches you a lot about yourself.”

- Otzma-Bie Paz, Rocky Mountain Field Institute, 2023. Read the full interview.

“The hardest part about stonework is having mental stamina to see the project through. People give up pretty easily. You just have to see it through. People give up and get the Fuck-Its and just put whatever in. But I always try to take my time.”

- Gabino Lopez, Kings Canyon Trail Crew, 2022. Read the full interview.

“You gotta pay your dues and you're not really doing it for the money. You're not gonna get rich doing this type of work.”

- Monte Cervantes, Golden Gate Trail Crew, 2023

“It’s interesting because trail crew mostly does not want you to know that we exist, and if we’re doing a good job you never know we’re here. But it’s not really helping us. It’s a hard line, because most of us like to stay hidden.”

- Christina Morse, Kings Canyon Trail Crew, 2022. Read the full interview.

“I enjoy making something that allows people to access the wilderness or wild areas. Hopefully people will have an experience that will help them understand why it's important that those areas exist and why they need to be preserved.”

- Justin Broadway, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2023

“These mountains have challenged me and they have loved me. They, without judgment, have seen me at my best and at my worst. They’ve shaped me into the person I am today. Giving thanks in the form of trail work is the best I can do with the fleeting timeline of my life. I can’t think of a better way to spend it.”

- Arlo Lynn, Rocky Mountain Field Institute, 2023. Read the full interview.

“A couple years ago, I wrote a letter to a friend while I was working in Sequoia National Park. I told her we were working on this rock project and I explained rock work to her, she was like, ‘holy shit, thanks for telling me. I had no idea. It’s crazy out there, doing what you're doing.’”

- Daniel Menjivar, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2023

"I think it's really beautiful that there isn't instant gratification in any of the work that we do. It all takes time and it's usually in pretty bad conditions, and I think that puts a lot of heart into everything that we do.”

- Edison Martel, California State Parks Bay Area Trail Crew, 2023

“I really love trail work just for what it is. I think it's a super special profession. It’s really hard and challenging, not always the funnest time, but it always feels very rewarding.

It’s super special to be giving back to the land in such a unique way that not a lot of people get to do. It's such a wild experience. 

Some days are easy and kind of like, ‘oh, we out here.’ And then other days it's like, ‘why am I out here?’I really like the duality of that. It creates a nice balance.”

- Olivia Nolan, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2024

Arturo Gonzalez, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2022

“A lot of people like to just look down their nose and, like, ‘oh, those poor animals.’ But I sympathize with animals that are stuck in a stall. Our animals work, but they're cared for. I love them and give them attention and try to make them as comfortable as I can and don't overload them.

There's a morale amongst them. Mules have an insane amount of character. More than most people understand at first glance. I think it's a spiritual experience for some, if not most.”

- Woody White, Kings Canyon National Park, 2023. Read the full interview.

“I think trail workers are really awesome. I love their lifestyle. I really like how almost nomadic they are. I'm glad that's something that's still happening.” 

- Laura Gonzalez, Golden Gate Trail Crew 2023

“I’m done with the packing. Done with cleaning up houses every 6 months. Moving all my stuff. I used to spend so much time putting them in a storage unit, getting a place for the winter, moving out of that place, then moving back again in the spring. There was always uncertainty of the park housing each season, too.”

- Mike Snyder, Golden Gate Trail Crew, 2022. Read the full interview.