on the cover
THOMAS BECKER
The Trailblazer of SLO County BY SIMONE SMITH PHOTOS BY SIMONE SMITH, RICK EVAN, AND THOMAS BECKER
T
imes can certainly get crazy, but right now, you’re out there, on the trail. No meetings, bills, traffic jams, housework, or business to attend to. You have unplugged from the digital world, and as you follow the bend around the hillside, you begin to take notice of the quiet. The hush and feel of the breeze whispering through the pine trees, the cry of an eagle gliding off in the distance, the rustle of a cottontail darting into the underbrush, and the fragrance of sagebrush as the trail starts to climb. Whether you’re enjoying this time from atop the swaying back of a horse taking in the view over perked up ears, feeling the roller-coaster-like exhilaration of the climb, dips, and bends by bike, getting into the synchronized state of footfall and breath during a run or just out on a pleasurable hike, you can feel the tension in your body begin to relax as your mind starts to clear.
Since the beginning, Tom has enjoyed his contracting business, landscaping homes and businesses locally and from Newport Beach to Pebble Beach, but says that what he “really loves” is doing trail work and being out in the middle of nowhere, enjoying the peace and solitude. Tom says that if he’s not working on a landscaping job, he is out either riding or working on trails and that he has been avidly doing trail building and maintenance since the late ‘80s. If you have hiked, biked, run, or ridden just about anywhere in San Luis Obispo County, you no doubt have been on one of the many trails that Tom Becker has either built or helped to maintain.
Much has been said about the mental and physical health benefits of unplugging and getting out into nature. No matter what studies say, the feeling of relaxation is undeniable. Trails are often taken for granted, they’re there, and we use them without a second thought. But thanks for these experiences should go out to the unsung and often never seen folks who create and maintain the trails, keeping them free of fallen trees, overgrowth, gullies, and ruts. Here, in San Luis Obispo County, one man’s passion has made a big difference in creating and upkeep of many public and After a three-year process involving memprivate trails, which have been enjoyed over bers of the CCCMB (Central Coast Conthe years by thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, cerned Mountain Bikers) to design and layout both locals, and visitors alike. the new trails for the Pismo Preserve, Tom was hired by the Land Conservancy of SLO Thomas Becker, resident and Santa Mar- to build the 11 miles of new trails. That’s in garita Beautiful’s 2019 Citizen of the Year, addition to the work he has done over the years originally came to San Luis Obispo in 1978 on trails at Santa Margarita Lake, Lopez Lake, to study at Cal Poly. After graduating with Montana de Oro State Park, and in the Los a degree in ornamental horticulture in 1981, Padres National Forest. Most recently, Tom has Tom continued his studies to obtain a master’s worked at Santa Margarita Lake on Rockies degree in business by 1984. It was during these Trail with a crew of about 20 volunteers from years at Cal Poly that Tom’s passion for trails CCCMB and has worked to repair the constarted to develop. He became more familiar ditions of Grey Pine Trail and work on trails with the area’s outdoor spaces by running track for private residents of the Ranchita Estates and cross-country, racing bikes, and riding near Lake Lopez. mountain bikes. Limited by weather and rainfall, trail work After receiving his master’s, Tom began can only take place when conditions are right, working for local landscape companies until generally from around mid-fall to early spring, starting his own, Becker Landscaping, in 1988. when the soil is not too dry, hard, or powdery 20 | april 2022
and is wet enough from rain to work with. Tom says the main focus of building and maintenance is to prevent erosion and make sure that the trails slope to the side to keep water from causing ruts down the middle or creating other hazardous conditions. Hundreds of hours are put in each year by paid or volunteer workers to keep our local trails open and safe to use. Many of the best volunteers are mountain bikers, such as Tom. They pay the most attention to trail details and are often quick to remedy a dangerous situation by bringing out hand tools to fill in ruts or holes, remove obstacles, or do some minor grading. CCCMB organizes Trail Work Days throughout the county when conditions are right in fall and early spring. The biggest workday is their annual Super Bowl Sunday Trail Work Day at the beginning of February to repair trails at Montãna de Oro State Park. This annual event has drawn up to 250 volunteers who abandon their homes and TVs to enjoy the camaraderie and hard work outdoors to make trails friendly for future users. After winter rains, needed repairs often include both hand and machine work to bring trails back to safe and usable conditions. Handwork on trails often includes shovels, rakes, and hoes or a McLeod for small to medium situations and cutting back and clearing brush. For machine work, Tom Becker can help out with his mini-excavator and compactor on the larger multi-use trails or on those areas that have been damaged by heavy use or where heavy water runoff has created deep ruts or unsafe conditions. Tom says one of the best ways to preserve the condition of a trail is to stay off when conditions are wet and muddy after rain. Deep ruts or hoof prints in mud can harden into an unsafe situation for future hikers, bikers, or riders. Next time you’re out on a trail, give thanks to those who have made or maintained those enjoyable paths, and if you love our county’s trails and would like to help out, you too can get involved by donating to or volunteering for one of CCCMB’s Volunteer Trail Work Days. For info, go to cccmb.org. Central Coast Journal
