NWTA Bios – Daniel Stuart

Daniel has been volunteering his time & talents with NWTA since 2018. He is leading the project of revamping our website (finally!). He is our moderator for TrailForks, which means he’s the one that uploaded all of the trails at Rocky Point to the program, as well as providing all of our members access to them.

You can reach Daniel at [email protected].

How and when did you first get involved with NWTA (joined NWTA and became a board member)?

I love the access to nature that mountain biking allows. It’s easy to see so much more compared to alternative backcountry modes of travel. It’s also a I joined NWTA in 2018, and became a board member in Jan 2020.

Why did you join the NWTA board?

I wanted to play a more impactful role in the organization and help drive the build-out of Rocky Point. At the time I was also heavily involved with building out the new website.

What part of NWTA’s mission resonates with you? What are your plans to help move this forward?

Expanding access to mountain biking closer to where people live. The dream is to be able to ride to where you live.

When did you first start mountain biking/what was your first bike?

I started riding bikes as a kid with my family on the local fire roads. I always had a pretty low-end rigid bike, so my technical skills weren’t great. In college, I joined the mountain bike team. Racing with those guys is what pushed me to really learn to ride.   My first mountain bike was a mid 90’s purple and white Trek 820.  

What do you love about mountain biking?

It’s being out in nature like hiking, but being able to cover much more ground in a more efficient way. It’s also about getting in that flow state when you’re bombing downhill or crushing up a climb.

Favorite place to ride?

Probably Sedona. After riding loamy trails most of the year there’s something incredibly special about the desert environment out there. What helps Sedona beat out the other Southwest systems is that it has greenery in addition to red rock cliffs, single track instead of just following cairns on a giant slab and that it’s possible to ride to all of the trails from town.

Favorite tool to use on the trail?

A big rogue hoe with the axe handle. Anything else is just inferior for digging in loamy PNW dirt.

What do you do during the day (that pays your bills)?

Systems Engineer for a product design consulting company. It’s super challenging and engaging because we essentially have to become experts in a new industry every 6-12 months as new projects come our way.  

What song do you listen to to get pumped up (for a ride or for a dig day?)

Too many to choose from! Probably something indie/rock/electronic.

Anything else you want to share about yourself with our members? 

Just by being a member of NWTA, you help make trails in this region possible. It’s not only the financial contribution but also the addition to our roster. At the end of the day, bike advocacy is politics, and in politics a numbers game. The larger our organization is, the easier it is to secure meetings with public officials and successfully push for our interests. The huge growth of NWTA starting in 2020 is already starting to make a significant impact with groups like officials at Portland City Hall. Let’s keep this up!