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Support from the Federal Highways Administration's Recreational Trails Program

enables us to host a great conference for minimum fees
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The Art & Science of Trails

Woody Keen – Trail Dynamics LLC
Sunday, March 9, 9 AM - 5 PM and Monday, March 10, 9 AM - 1 PM
Indoor workshop
Location: Atlantis, The Cove Room (2nd floor conference area)

While good trail design involves a range of sciences to provide for a sustainable route, great trail design involves the art of interpreting the landscape to maximize its exceptional features thereby enhancing the user experience.

The ultimate goals of trail design are:		 Freshly built trail contouring thru ravine

Freshly built trail contouring through a ravine.

Bridge with banked curves

Curved bog bridge of native locust with banked curves for mountain bikes.

Curved bridge

Curved bridge under construction.

Trail in misty forest

Completed forest trail.
trails that are sustainable and have little long term impacts on their surrounding resources;
trails that gracefully flow though their landscape so well that they blend and enhance the natural features; and
trails that are fun and interesting for all users.
This comprehensive 2 day (indoor) workshop will cover many aspects of trail development and lay the groundwork needed to improve your skills as a trail manager.

Highlights include:
Trail planning (understanding trail user motivations, determining the desired trail experiences etc.)
Designing for sustainability
Enhancing the user experience
Trail construction (hand build vs. machine build)
Trail structures (steps, bridges, switchbacks, etc)
Trail Maintenance
Trail Management (trail use designations, trail configurations, system management etc.)
Trailhead facilities (parking, picnic tables, restrooms, kiosks)
Trailside amenities (rest benches, bike racks, view-sheds)
Signage and interpretive information
And much more...


Schedule
Sunday, March 9, 2008, 9 AM - 5 PM (lunch provided)
Monday, March 10, 2008, 9 AM - 1 PM

Workshop presenter
Woody Keen is the president of Trail Dynamics LLC and serves as President for the Professional Trailbuilders Association. He earned BS degrees in Outdoor Recreation Management and Outdoor Education and has over 30 years working in those fields. He is considered by many to be a master educator and first earned this reputation during his 5 year tenure with the Outward Bound School.

Woody has over 15 years experience working on trails and has been an avid trail user all his life.

Trail Dynamics is a leading southeastern trail contractor located in North Carolina. Services provided by Trail Dynamics include: Trail Feasibility Studies, Trail Master Plans, trail design and layout, trail construction, trail structure design and build (bridges, switchbacks, steps etc.), trail maintenance and re-construction, volunteer crew leadership and training and trail education.

Woody combines many lifetime experiences to maximize the learning process including background as an outdoor educator, extensive experience designing and building new trails, creating solutions for problems on existing trails, and extensive travel studying many great trail systems. The photo library used in PowerPoint presentations comes from not only trails produced by Trail Dynamics, but also many great trails (and some really bad ones) throughout the US in a range of different eco-systems (from arid desert to rain forest).

This workshop promises to be educational, inspirational and fun. Isn’t that what trails are suppose to be all about? We invite you to join us and learn how to provide better trails for your users.

Fee
$195 early registration (through Feb. 22), $220 late registration (after Feb. 22). Includes lunch on Sunday.

Attendance limit: 40
This has become a popular workshop. To make sure that exercises can work, a decision has been made to cap enrollment at 40. Check current availability

 For more information, contact Woody Keen at (828) 862-5613 or


Biltmore trail, during const.

During: Building new trail at the Biltmore Inn with SWECO trail dozer.
Biltmore trail, after const.
After: Trail after vegetation has regrown.

Main conference info Workshop info Conference registration and fees Hotel, airport, ground transportation FAQs, area attractions, vendor info, weather info

Pre-conference:
Post-conference:
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