About TrailRide Advisor

Our Mission

TrailRide Advisor is dedicated to connecting mountain bikers to the restorative power of nature by providing trail information that enhances physical wellness, clarity, and creative inspiration. Our goal is to help grow a community of environmentally aware riders who appreciate and respect the landscapes they explore, informed by reliable data on trail conditions and weather.

My Story

Ever since I was a kid, mountain biking has been more than just a sport. It's been my sanctuary and my playground. Riding through forests, navigating desert washes, and weaving among cacti doesn't just challenge my physical abilities. It invigorates my mind and allows me space to reflect and recharge. The joy I find in negotiating technical terrain is like solving a puzzle, each trail a new challenge. Inspired by my personal connection with Tucson’s trails and my educational experiences in this course, I set out to create TrailRide Advisor.

Like many, I face barriers to engaging with nature. Particularly balancing demanding coursework, the desire to spend time outdoors. My hope is that TrailRide Advisor will help reduce barriers for others, encouraging more people to experience the great benefits that engagement with nature provides.

Insights

Research consistently demonstrates that engaging with nature significantly enhances our happiness and overall wellness. Florence Williams highlights this in The Nature Fix, emphasizing how nature exposure dramatically elevates mood and well-being compared to urban environments (Williams, 2017). Similarly, Emerson describes nature’s medicinal quality, its ability to heal and ground the human spirit, asserting that it provides "plain pleasures, kindly and native to us" (Emerson, 1844). Additionally, John Muir talks about the transformative and sustaining power of America’s forests, highlighting their critical role in nurturing both ecological and human communities (Muir, n.d.).

TrailRide Advisor aims to embody these principles by offering \ trail insights that enable riders to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings.