The day began with a classroom session at Evergreen’s North Bend office, where participants delved into the fundamentals of sustainable trail design, drainage, and environmental stewardship. Discussions also focused on the unique experiences of engaging in trail-building as a person of color, fostering a deeper sense of community and inclusivity.

After lunch, the group headed to the Tennant Trailhead for the field portion. Guided by Warpaint and Evergreen’s professional trail staff, participants practiced essential skills like brushing, clearing, and drainage maintenance, all while emphasizing safety and proper tool usage.

This empowering event combined education with action, leaving attendees with new skills, connections, and a shared commitment to building and maintaining trails for all to enjoy. 

Huge thank you to everyone involved! Stay tuned for more opportunities like this in the future. 

A note from Warpaint founder Ruandy “Roo” Albisurez: 

We were thrilled to be part of the BIPOC-Led Trail School class hosted by Evergreen MTB Alliance! Huge thanks to Miranda for spearheading this idea and to both Miranda and Jarrett for inviting us into the planning process. Including people of color in planning and decision-making is such a critical step toward creating truly inclusive outdoor spaces, where only about 20% of participants identify as people of color, despite making up over 40% of the U.S. population. This disparity highlights the need for more intentional efforts to amplify underrepresented voices in outdoor recreation, and it was fantastic to be involved. Hopefully, this is the first of many events like this!

Luis and I had an amazing time at the BIPOC Meet and Greet ride on Saturday at Duthie Hill Bike Park. The weather may not have cooperated, but we’re so grateful to Shannon, Jasmine and  Brandon for braving the rain and joining us! It was also wonderful to connect with all the inspiring folks who came out for the trail school.

Spending a weekend meeting new BIPOC riders was a highlight for us! Warpaint is definitely planning more BIPOC rides in the area, and it’s exciting to see the strong interest and need for these spaces. Research has shown that BIPOC communities face barriers to accessing outdoor recreation, from lack of representation in leadership roles to fewer local outdoor programs that reflect their cultural identities. We’ve been here in outdoor sports like mountain biking, and it’s clear that there’s more work to be done in fostering inclusivity. The outdoors belong to all of us. Let’s keep the momentum going! -Roo

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Photos by Holly Roa