Telegraph Trail in Richfield Utah

#followcamfriday sampling Telegraph Trail in Richfield, Utah with James Weingarten. 

Telegraph is another masterpiece of desert riding, tucked into the vast trail system in Richfield, Utah. James and I enjoyed Spinal Tap, and were advised to check this one out as well. The quality of construction and passion that has gone into this one is highly evident. Kudos again to the builders. 

Aren't we lucky in this day and age to have these public lands at our disposal. We are so privileged to have these amazing places to recreate whenever we see fit, and this is something that I have never taken for granted. I received a handful of negative messages and comments over the past week, accusing me of ruining this spot. This is a narrative that needs to die. Public, sanctioned trails are public property and meant to be shared and enjoyed by all. That is the point. We didn't see a single other mountain biker while we were riding Telegraph or Spinal Tap. If anything, this place could use some more tire tracks. 

I am guessing that the people showing me negativity don't even live in Richfield, but maybe ride there once in a while and think that it is "their" big secret. I am sorry to burst your bubble, but these are public lands. Secret, private and unsanctioned trails are different. They do not go on the internet. Public trails are public knowledge. The increased awareness and usage of these public areas gives the local trails association leverage with the land managers to build more trail and maintain the existing trail system, demonstrating an economic benefit to the area. These are positive things if you build trail or enjoy mountain biking. The narrative of keeping these places secret is selfish and short sighted. 

A huge part of mountain bike culture is digging and creating trails. This is not obvious initially when entering the sport, but after participating in our wonderful sport for a few years, it becomes very evident that these trails don't just build themselves. These places take thousands of hours of work, digging, advocating and promoting to become a reality. I would encourage anyone who enjoys these public places to attend a dig day or donate money to a local trail organization. This is the less glamorous side of the sport that you don't see on Instagram or YouTube, but is the beating pulse of this activity. Please consider a donation to The Richfield Trails Committee HERE

After riding here, I learned that there are 2 more sections above Spinal Tap that are nearing completion. This will make for an absolutely epic descent when completed. It is very refreshing to see some progress and trail building going on at a high level in a relatively unknown area like Richfield. Again, huge kudos to everyone pushing for, building, and maintaining this amazing trail system. If you catch someone being negative about highlighting and publicizing this public area, put a shovel in their hands and tell them to make a donation. At least make them buy the builders a beer or two.