I remember riding Upper Oil Can back in '98. A group of us set out on a typically dank spring morning, trying to ride off the hangovers and although I've never had a bad ride, this one rated way down there on the pleasure scale - slowly manoeuvring through a washed-out creek bed with absolutely no flow to it.

The late '90s were the dark days for North Shore trails. Digger was pretty much a one-man show on Fromme. DD and his posse were building stuff, but only 5 per cent of the populous could ride it, someone built Bogeyman over on Seymour ... and that was about it. I am sure there were others (sorry for any omissions), but not many. As well, the powers that be were firing up the chainsaws for the Cypress massacre. Big bikes with disc brakes were just hitting the Shore and the trails were pretty much trashed.

Since then we have seen such a quantum change in attitude that, despite the bikes getting bigger, the brakes getting stronger, and the hordes growing faster than you can poke a stick at, the trails are actually in the best shape they've ever been.

Old man Pete Morin was one of the first (other than the aforementioned, of course) to pick up the shovel and do something about it. He single-handedly took Upper Oil Can and transformed it into a joyous every-man trail that was the first I ever saw to have Saturday and Sunday morning groups lining up to get onto.

One of his best innovations was the alternate route. He built a way around every challenge so that different skill levels could ride the one trail. His rockwork and Roman road concepts set new standards and his ladders weren't going anywhere. The masses lapped it up. Around the same time a few visionaries decided to set up NSMBA. That group saw what the future held if nothing was done, and set a mandate to formally do something about it. These early steps spawned and encouraged a host of trail builders who have spent countless hours of tireless and often overlooked work. They are the unsung heroes of the Shore who have garnered us worldwide attention, and we should all tip our hats to them. To those builders, I say thank you. And I'd like to hear tales of other unsung heroes, from the old times (who is Ross Kirkford?) to now (like the bunch of kids who'd caught the Skytrain in from Surrey to build on Crippler) so send me an e-mail and share your recollections.

Riding a work of art created by men of great skill Rider: Ken Walton

The NSMBA works to ensure mountain bikers can enjoy the Shore - whether it's lobbying for parking on Mountain Highway or building trails on Seymour - and the organization deserves your support. A $20 membership adds your name to the list of people who want to preserve the best trails in the world, and every additional name means more clout with the powers that be. Join the NSMBA.