Blueprint Trail Comes to Life in Cumberland, BC – Video

From Mark Matthews: Blueprint started with a simple idea – to show sections of trail come to life before the viewer’s eyes. Once we broke ground here in Cumberland, BC, the abundance of good dirt was the ultimate inspiration to challenge ourselves to build something that pushed our creativity further than we had planned. The corners were just asking to get stacked bigger, faster, and smoother! We visualized, developed, and pushed the limits to create something special for all riders to enjoy: a hand-built, blue square level flow trail you’ll want to lap all day long.

I’ve been building one-off features and short freeride lines for more than a decade, but I’ve never built a full length trail before, let alone something that’s inclusive and equally enjoyable for all skill levels. In order to pull this off, Scott Bell and I needed a trusted, seasoned crew. Trail builder, Chris Snodgrass of the Ridgeline Crew was our main man, and photographer Jarrett Lindal was on board to capture the still photography. Everyone brought their own unique skill sets to the table, and at the end of the project, we all became trail builders. Blueprint became so much more than a video idea, the entire journey was an unforgettable series of events that led to a new, sanctioned trail for our community. It took one year to take an idea on paper and turn it into a trail in the forest.

I hope our story inspires you to get creative, contribute to your mountain bike community, and have fun with it! For trail builders the trophy is so much more than the trail, it’s an extremely rewarding process. When you have a good crew to share those moments with, it adds a whole new layer of passion to it. We owe many thanks to Shimano, the United Riders of Cumberland, and Mosaic Forest Management for making this project possible.

Supported by: Shimano
Directors: Scott Bell and Mark Matthews
Cinematography and Post Production: Scott Bell
Photography: Jarrett Lindal
Trail Building: Mark Matthews, Chris Snodgrass, James Walter, Scott Bell, Jarrett Lindal, Arne Newman
Special Thanks: United Riders of Cumberland and Mosaic Forest Management

Disclaimer: Always build trails legally. Blueprint was built with the support of the landowners through the United Riders of Cumberland’s trail application process. These private lands are managed by Mosaic Forest Management for which the United Riders of Cumberland has an agreement to build, maintain, and use trails. Please reach out to your local trail association or visit IMBA.com when building a new trail.