Back-sloping and Flagging
Dear Reader,
My name is Dani, and I am a teenager from Bergen County, New Jersey, who is passionate about the outdoors as well as climate- and social justice-related advocacy. I also happen to be a Palisades MTB intern this summer. As part of my internship, I am participating in Palisades MTB’s twice weekly Get Stuff Done trail digging sessions, and last week was my first week attending both the Tuesday and Thursday digs. Aside from spending quality time with my dad, Shepard Grinker, and his baby-boomer friends (they call me an “old soul” after all), I was looking forward to being immersed in the beauty of Sterling Forest State Park and contributing to the community. However, I found myself unexpectedly appreciating certain elements of these experiences despite some setbacks. Mostly, it was the weather that got in the way. Tuesday was, to put it lightly, a scorcher (when did June become July?), and by the end of the dig, our sweat-soaked clothing was testament to both our hard work and the adverse conditions. More important to me, though, was the solid presence of dedicated volunteers on such a day. As I mastered the art of back-sloping (the process of trimming roots and smoothing out the edges of the trail), I was surrounded by a community of people who, united by their love of trails, can be trusted to show up and do the work even when the temperature soars.
Later that week, on Thursday, I tagged along with my dad as well as with his friend and local legend Art White while they flagged new trails in the park. Although I can sometimes get frustrated with my dad over how much he talks about trails (hint: a whole lot), this experience opened my eyes to the wisdom that he and his fellow trail nerds possess. It amazes me that these people can look at the woods and say “Hey! I think we should cut our trail here. This path will be the most sustainable and durable option for decades to come. Anybody want a sandwich?” All I see is awesome plants and mushrooms and a nice place to pretend to be Henry David Thoreau (I am partial to the transcendentalists), but I hope that this summer, I too will learn to recognize the path of least resistance.
Best,
Dani G
