If you’re gearing up for Iceman this year, you’ve probably already logged some serious saddle time. Your intervals are dialed in, your gear is humming, and your calendar probably revolves around those Tuesday night rides and long weekend grinds. And yeah—none of that is wasted. The fitness matters. You don’t fake your way through 30 miles of Northern Michigan dirt in November.
But there’s a side of preparation that gets overlooked, even though it’s just as important as your VO2 max: getting involved with your local trail crew.
Now, I don’t mean that in a vague, “support your trails” kind of way. I mean showing up. Hands in the dirt. Feet in the leaves. Tools in hand.
For me, that place is Oakdale—our local trail system in Lapeer, Michigan. It’s where I train, where I unwind, and where I first understood that riding trails and building them aren’t two separate things. They’re the same journey.
A Different Kind of Line Choice
The first time I showed up for trail work at Oakdale, I was expecting a few hours of raking or maybe dragging some branches. What I got instead was an education—on dirt, drainage, and the invisible hands that keep a trail rideable long after we head home.
I remember clearing out a tight section in a low valley—some roots had turned it into a slip-n-slide after any rain. We reshaped the approach, added some runoff channels, and gave it a little more flow. The next time I rode it? Completely different feel.
It clicked: when you help shape the trail, you see it differently. You ride it smarter. You anticipate. You appreciate.
And that awareness? It’s a huge advantage when it comes to Iceman.
You begin to look at every twist of the course through the eyes of someone who knows how a trail is built—not just how to ride it.
Trail Work Builds More Than Trails
Out at Oakdale, the people I’ve met doing trail work are the same people I see out riding. They’re racers, yes—but also teachers, parents, retirees, and high school kids earning community hours. And just like on race day, everyone brings their strengths.
Trail days are a reminder that this sport isn’t just about personal bests—it’s about shared responsibility. Someone built the trail you just rode. Someone patched that bridge before your tires hit it. Someone’s planning the next section for a better line next spring.
Being part of that “someone” is powerful. You stop thinking of trails as just natural features—they become collective efforts. You feel connected, and that connection adds a new kind of pride to every ride and every race.
From Oakdale to Iceman: Why It Matters
Here’s the thing: when I line up in Kalkaska, I carry Oakdale with me.
Oakdale’s not some cushy, flow-filled playground—it’s hardpack and clay, baked dry by mid-summer and peppered with gravel that turns corners into slippery puzzles. Some days, it feels more like riding on marbles than dirt. But learning to handle those unpredictable corners? Learning to read the trail and commit to a line even when the traction feels like it’s betraying you?
That’s exactly the kind of skillset Iceman demands.
It doesn’t matter that Iceman is 200 miles away. The trail-building and riding experience at home prepares your mind and body in ways that training alone can’t. It teaches you how terrain changes through the seasons, how surface affects speed, and how important trail maintenance is in keeping things rideable and safe.
So when the trail throws something unexpected at you in November—slick leaves, deep sand, ruts from the night’s freeze—you don’t panic. You recognize the conditions, and you adapt.
Because you’ve seen it before. Because you’ve ridden it. Because you’ve built it.
Make It a Weekend: Trail Work at Vasa
If you really want to get the full picture, here’s an idea: take a weekend this summer or fall and drive up for a trail work day on the Vasa.
First off, it gives you a real feel for the terrain you’ll be racing on. You see the dirt, the rocks, the grades—up close and in slow motion. You also get to meet some of the folks who shape the Iceman course. Their insight is gold. You’ll learn which sections flood early, which roots get exposed after the first frost, and how many gallons of sweat go into making those trails race-ready.
Plus, it’s a great excuse to explore more of Traverse City before the chaos of race weekend. You’ll come back with a deeper understanding of the course—and probably some new trail buddies too.
Trail Work Is Mental Training, Too
We all talk about how mental Iceman is. The bottlenecks. The unpredictable weather. The burn that starts around mile 23 and doesn’t stop until Timber Ridge.
Turns out, trail work is perfect training for that.
It teaches you patience. Problem-solving. Long-game thinking. When you’re on a build crew and the tool you brought isn’t working or the section you’re fixing turns out to be twice as bad as expected, you don’t quit. You adjust. You adapt. You try something different.
That mindset translates directly to race day. You don’t panic when things go sideways—you figure it out and keep rolling.
Leave a Legacy
The trails we ride are borrowed from the past—and built for the future.
At Oakdale, I see that every time I ride a section that’s been improved, reshaped, or protected. And when I look at the young riders in our community—kids just getting their first taste of singletrack—I want those trails to be better for them than they were for me.
Trail work is a way to give back and pay it forward at the same time.
Even if you can only make one work day a year, it matters. Your sweat becomes part of the story. Your fingerprints are on the next generation’s first ride.
Make It Personal
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already thinking about it—maybe even guilty about skipping the last few work days. I get it. Life gets busy. But if you love riding—and if you love Iceman—then helping build the trails we ride is one of the most personal things you can do.
You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t need fancy tools. Just show up. Ask questions. Listen. Learn. Work.
And then ride with a little more heart.
How to Get Started
- Check your local trail org. If you’re near Lapeer, follow Oakdale Trails on social or look for events through MMBA chapters.
- Connect with your crew leads. There’s always a need—sometimes it’s building, sometimes cleanup, sometimes just being an extra set of hands.
- Make it social. Bring a buddy. Turn it into part of your weekend ride routine.
- Plan a trail-cation. Pick a weekend to head up north and jump into a work day at Vasa. It’s an amazing way to connect and preview the terrain you’ll race in November.
- Stay flexible. Weather shifts plans, and not every day is glamorous. But every bit helps.
Final Thoughts
Riding Iceman is a milestone. But building trails—at Oakdale, at Vasa, wherever you ride—that’s a legacy.
So this year, train your legs, sure. But train your hands and heart, too.
Lend some time. Learn the land. Give back to the community that makes your rides possible.
Because when we build the trail, we build the rider. And Iceman? It’s just the celebration.
Thank you Gerald Gaecke @g_dubs83_ for being our May guest blogger. You may recognize Gerald as he was one of our 2024 Iceman Ambassadors (Trailblazer)!