Trans Cascadia: A Model for Supporting Trails While Having a Good Time in the Forest [Podcast #228]

Alex Gardner, Nick Gibson, and Tommy Magrath started the Trans Cascadia 4-day enduro race five years ago as a way to allow riders to experience forgotten trails and incredible riding in the Pacific Northwest. Over the years they've forged relationships with other trail user groups and have used the race as a way to give back to the trails.

By Jeff Barber
December 2, 2019 Last Updated: January 20, 2021

4 comments

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Alex Gardner, Nick Gibson, and Tommy Magrath started the Trans Cascadia 4-day enduro race five years ago as a way to allow riders to experience forgotten trails and incredible riding in the Pacific Northwest. Over the years they’ve forged relationships with the Forest Service and other trail user groups like the Backcountry Horsemen and have used the race as a way to give back to the trails.

Despite the steep entry fee, Trans Cascadia routinely sells out from year to year as riders have come to appreciate the incredible trails, delicious meals, and a party-like atmosphere in between racing. Alex, Nick, and Tommy share their tips for bike selection and preparation for a multi-day enduro race and talk about how their model for giving back and putting on a great event could work for other locations.

Editor’s note: The audio quality isn’t great for portions of this episode, but it’s definitely worth the listen! The guys were gracious enough to make time to record while in Wenatchee, Washington following a meeting with the Forest Service.

For more information, go to trans-cascadia.com

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4 Comments

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RichardDavies Washington // 2006
Dec 6, 2019

Perhaps that's the case, but if so, it's a poor excuse. They usually post a couple of post-event recaps and stories on their site to draw attention and highlight the success of the event. You know they've got to have maps and trail names already at hand from the race. So it would be super easy to include them in their post-event articles.

Since the last couple of races have been in my figurative back yard and I'm always on the lookout for new trails to ride, I find this frustrating that they're not more open about their work, especially since they like to brag about how they're helping the community.

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Jeff Barber Georgia // 1998
Dec 6, 2019

That's a good question and I don't know the answer. My guess is once the race is over, the priority is planning the next one rather than publishing info about the completed event. Perhaps this is something that could be improved, or maybe even some of the racers could take it upon themselves to share about the trails post-race?

There's one thing I have yet to understand about Trans Cascadia... They like to tout all of the work they do to restore forgotten trails in the name of benefiting the biking community and other backcountry user groups, but they never publish what trails they work and race on. I understand the need to keep it secret until after the race is over, but why not publish the trail names and/or a map after the event so that others can go enjoy them too?

Sam James British Columbia // 2018
Dec 7, 2019

Yeah that is a bit of a weird one. You can figure it out pretty easily though just from looking at some of the participants' strava rides.

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