INDEPENDENT STORYTELLING PLATFORM DOCUMENTING GRASSROOTS RACE CULTURE AND THE COMMUNITIES BEHIND IT
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Reflections
There’s something about backcountry trail work. Out of cell service, away from the crowds, and rough and raw trails that see very little use. That was what the Orogenesis Klickitat Sisters Stewardship Campout was all about. Two days of trail work on the remote Kilckitat Trail. What’s the goal? To piece together the longest mountain bike trail in the world. That is the vision of Gabe Tiller and Orogenesis.
Welcome to the Summer issue of LOAM Zine!
Developing this little zine has become a fun and creative project. I’m debating whether to turn it in to print. Maybe someday. Until then, it’s a unique free gift to give away. So what can you expect in this latest quarterly issue?
Riding the Sync’r the past couple of weeks reminded me that bikes don’t make me happy, but getting out and riding does. Sure, I know there’s a difference between a $750 bike and a $9,000. But since I’m not clearing 30-foot gaps or racing on the EWS circuit, why do I think I need some hot commodity of a high-end bike? It certainly won’t make me happier, nor mean I enjoy riding more. No, this is not some anti-consumerism rant. Instead, it’s a reminder of the fun we can have out on the trail regardless of what kind of bike we have … even if it’s a budget bike.
Every now and then, I receive questions about Loam Coffee as to who we are and what we’re about. Just yesterday, I met up with a couple of graphic designers, and I was sharing a bit about Loam Coffee. More than that, I mentioned that as a brand, I see ourselves more in the bike or outdoor industry than coffee which is probably odd to admit. Meaning, I see Loam Coffee as a lifestyle coffee brand within the bike industry.
The best part by far of taking Loam Coffee back over has been reconnecting with many of you. I continue to receive emails and DMs from many customers and ambassadors whom I’ve not chatted with in several years. There’s a lot of excitement again about Loam Coffee. At the same time, I understand I have a long road ahead to rebuild or renew trust …
At Loam Coffee, we’ve always supported trail building in small ways behind the scenes. Most of the time, that involved sending coffee to work parties for trail builders to enjoy. Other times we’d send bags of coffee to be raffled off for fundraisers for trail projects. We also support a small non-profit trail building organization monthly. But now that Loam Coffee and Trail Builder Magazine are figuratively under the same roof, we’re leaning into this more.
