Portrait Gallery
Full gallery of portraits, with links to full interviews.
Zachi Anderson: “Make trails more than a dotted line.”
“Money has gotten us greed. Money has gotten us famine. Money has gotten us global pollution and warming. Money is a handy tool, but it's not a healthy obsession. The things that bring us the most meaning is helping, is being a gift, is showing up and being valued, making a difference, really feeling like you belong.”
Tracy McClelland: “Trails is the best therapist we have”
“I truly believe that trails are the best therapy for the people of our country. People would do better if they took a heavy backpack with all the shit that they believe they need in the world and walk out and deal with themselves.”
Woody White: Not Done Yet
“I'd work with the same animals year after year. I'd have more continuity with the animals, more of a connection with them than I did some of the trail crew members. 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.”
Hannah Huscher: Building Back Better
“We were in it together. Our season there was pretty rough. We woke up in the morning and it was like 10 degrees. It was negative 16 degrees overnight. We're waking up thinking, ‘this sucks, but we're in it together.’ That's what made me want to stay.”
Laurie Aldrich: Hardass to Badass
“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.”
Sam Walters is pursuing a “liberal arts education in trails.”
“There's a firstness about manual labor in the woods that keeps trail work so regional. There is a vernacular. But there's still something interesting about that larger shared language.”
Maddi Bacon: Illustrating Impact
I wanted desperately to do work that would really make an impact in a real and tangible way. And trail work gave that to me. It felt immensely impactful. All of the sudden, I had interesting things to make art about again.
Arlo Lynne: Embracing the Improbable
“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.”
Luz Lara: What Makes a Difference
“That first spike was like, ‘Shit, this is hard, but fuck, this is beautiful.’”
Jonathan Baxter: Globetrotter
“We were flying by the seat of our pants, trying to figure it out as we went. But it was amazing. The people there were just like some of the most larger-than-life people I've ever met.”
Trevor Taylor: Trails to Community
“There's a cultural shift happening in the outdoor and conservation world. We need to shift and start talking about things as community-focused. If we lose sight of who's using the trails or who can use the trails, then I think the work we do becomes a moot point.”
Christina Morse: Feeding Others, and Being Fed Upon
“We need cooks. Packers too. We need help. It’s getting harder to find people. The wages of these jobs are not really keeping up with what’s going on in the world. A lot of people are leaving because of it. That’s the real and sad truth.”
Otzma-Bie Paz: On Ego and Ethics
“Crew leading really teaches you so much about people and leadership in general. Every person is different. Every crew is different. Every project is different. It's really hard. It teaches you a lot about yourself.”
Gabino Lopez: Passion for Stone
“As long as you lay strong, it could work. Anything works. And that's the beauty about stonework. You can make something out of your hands, and if you build it right, then it's everlasting.”
Amber Winsor: Freedom Beyond the Cubicle
“I remember feeling like my soul was getting sucked out through the computer and my entire essence was turning the beige of my cubicle. And I was like, I gotta fucking get outta here.”
Mike Snyder: 28 Years and Counting
“If I could, I would do this for a lot longer. It’s been about 28 years of doing trail work. Happy, happy life.”