Trail Design and Construction

Understanding Sustainability and Building Better Trails

Creating a truly sustainable trail is dependent on integrating the environmental, social, and economic aspects of a trail’s design, construction, maintenance, and programming. Environmentally sustainability focuses on optimizing the minimization of construction and long-term resource impacts with the purpose of the trail. Economic sustainability relates to much more than maintenance inputs, as trails can be economic drivers, facilitate healthier lifestyles and lower health care costs, and become marketing agents for communities. Social sustainability is more far-reaching than who is allowed to access a trail, driven more by proactive education and programming around trails than in regulations. This workshop will explore the tools that are available in developing sustainable trail systems.

Presenter(s):

Kelly Bishop and Collins Bishop, IMBA Trail Care Crew

Funding Trail Design and Construction in North Carolina State Parks

Learn how North Carolina set up a unique program to fund the design, construction, and reconstruction of parks and trails. This session will feature agency personnel from the state level and park level. Trail contractor perspectives will also be provided.

Moderator:

Peter Jensen, Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC.

Delight vs. Drudgery in Trail Design

Optimizing Trail Grade, the key to developing a trail Worth Traveling to. Too often the default design ends up heavy on the drudgery but it is the trail's delight that will bring the people back. Lets face it, trails don't compete for use against other trails as much as they compete against, football games, Xbox and wii tennis. Trails therefore need to be designed for what I call the "WEE! Factor" to compete with wii tennis (wii is a computer game box). This session is to encourage the land manager to lengthen the trail to lower the Average grade while at the same time encouraging short sections Specific Grade (5-10 feet of vertical) to be as steep as the constraints will allow. Designing trails to maximize the delight and minimize the drudgery may be the best way the trail community can help solve one of America's most pressing challenges , our health. This delight factor is also what maximize the economic value of a trail by maximizing its use.

Speaker(s):

Randy Martin, Trailscape

Design, Development and Management of High Use Equestrian Trails

Compared with other non motorized user groups (hikers, trail runners and mountain bikes), horses have a significantly higher level of impact on trail tread surfaces. This is the result of a combination of factors including: weight of the horse, concentration of that weight into small contact areas (hooves), hardness of contact material (metal shoes), the physics of propulsion, and high compact and displacement forces. Due to higher relative impacts, trails used by equestrians should be treated somewhat differently than trails used by other non motorized uses and a more conservative approach is suggested. This session will explore best management practices for the design, construction and long term management for trails used by equestrians (single use and shared use with other user groups).

Speakers:

Mike Riter- President- Trail Design Specialist

Lee Reading- Outdoor Programs Manager- The Biltmore Estate

The Challenges and Opportunities of Trail and Trail Facility Construction and Maintenance in Federally Designated Wilderness

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail traverses seven designated Wilderness areas and one area managed as wilderness in GA, NC & TN, for over 134 miles. Included in these areas are 22 A.T. shelters. This presentation will cover Wilderness policy considerations on both USFS and NPS managed lands regarding trail and facility management. Challenges extend from routine maintenance requirements to facility maintenance to minimum tool considerations. This presentation will use the wealth of experience from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and partner trail clubs in the Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee region to provide a clear overview of wilderness trail building for conference attendees. Trail builders will leave this session with an overview of Wilderness distinctions regarding trail building, knowledge of print resources documenting wilderness restrictions and practical recommendations based on management of the Appalachian Trail.

Speaker(s):

Morgan Sommerville – ATC Regional Director for GA, NC & TN

Andrew Downs – Trail Resource Manager, Deep South

Building Wooden TTF's for Mountain Bike Trails

Has your local mountain bike club requested wooden "stunts," also known as technical trail features (TTFs?) Do they use terms like "skinnies," ladder bridges," and "teeter-totters?" Or are you a volunteer wanting to build such structures but unsure how and want to pitch it professionally to the land managers? This session will discuss structure location on the trail, fall zones, skill & risk levels of TTFs and in relation to the trail's rating, and construction materials & methods of several TTFs. You'll feel more confident in technical trail features after this class.

Speaker(s):

Dewayne Burratti, Talon Trails

Bike park design, construction and management in a mountain resort setting.

Case studies and insider information from Whistler Bike Park, Mammoth Mountain and 7 Springs Mountain Resort.

Speaker(s):

Judd DeVall, Alpine Bike Parks LLC

Chris Bernhardt, Alta Planning and Design

Gravity Logic

Wetland Structures

This session will discuss wetland structures such as boardwalks, bridges, and observation platforms. This session will include a discussion on permitting, types of materials, construction methods, and examples of completed projects. There will be 2 to 3 presenters on this session.

Speaker(s):

Peter Jensen, Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC

Walking On Water

As trail managers in a coastal Alaskan rain forest that receives over 14 feet of precipitation annually, we are constantly on the lookout for new or different technologies, materials or methods of providing safe and sustainable trails. We will explain how and why we have chosen the methods and/ or materials used in the construction or re-construction of our trails and hope that acts as a catalyst for the audience to do the same.

Speaker(s):

Dixon Sherman and Dave Zastrow, Cordova Ranger District in Cordova Alaska

"Trail Spice" - Enhancing the Mountain Biking Experience

The sport of mountain biking is undergoing rapid change and development all the time. Advances in mountain bike technology, and growing skill levels among many riders, puts new challenges to trail builders and land managers around the world. This session will describe how the sport of mountain biking has pushed the art of trail building into new territory, expanding its boundaries with no limit in site. I will show the evolution of trail spice, and how it is possible to blend together natural and constructed features to bring excitement, challenge and fun into any trail project.

Speaker(s):

Ed Sutton, Trail Dynamics

Trail Development and Improvements at Historic and Archaeologically Sensitive Sites

Trail Construction at Historic Sites presents unique challenges to builders and designers. Two contractors share their experiences on new trail construction projects and reconstruction projects at Revolutionary War Historic Sites. Case studies will be presented that involve special approaches to route alignments, minimal impact construction techniques, trail character considerations, as well as trail structure and material selection.

Speaker(s):

Eddie Walsh, Tahawus Trails LLC
Peter Jensen, Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC

Design Considerations for Adventure Recreation

When we think about design for parks and open space trails and facilities we traditionally consider users such as hikers and runners, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Over the past two decades adventure sports such as climbing, whitewater kayaking, and backcountry skiing have become more mainstream. Many parks and open space areas throughout the country now serve these recreation interests, as well as other adventure sports. These user groups have use patterns and specialized equipment that typically are not well served by existing trails and facilities, which can result in extensive networks of illicit trails and natural resource damage. This session will examine the use patterns for some of these adventure sports and explore design considerations to better serve users and help protect natural resources.

Speaker(s):

Jason Himick, Landscape Architect, Boulder County Parks and Open Space

Land Management and Trail Planning

Planning for Winter and Summer Trails in Mammoth Lakes

The design and operational needs of winter trails and summer trails are different, yet they often share the same land. How can both be accommodated to decrease natural resource impacts, improve the user experience, and maximize administration efficiency? Chris Bernhardt of Alta Planning +Design will present on recent planning efforts in the Inyo National Forest outside Mammoth Lakes, California, to create a coherent, enjoyable, and sustainable trails system in an area that sees significant four-season recreation.

Speaker(s):

Chris Bernhardt, Alta Planning and Design

Trail Maintenance 101

This session will introduce best management practices for maintaining current trails. Trail maintenance can be broken down to simple tasks: get the water off the trail while keeping the user on the trail. This session will not only cover these basic ideas, but go much further and look at the following: trail assessment process, good corridor maintenance tips, knicks and rolling grade dips to shed water, rock armoring, tread hardening, tread elevation techniques such as puncheon and causeways and more.

Speaker(s):

Woody Keen, Trail Dynamics

Road to Trail Conversions

Many trails in the southeast and other parts of the country are not purpose built trails (PBT) but instead adopted old roads. When these old extractions (troads) routes came into being, long term sustainable recreation use was not considered and therefore many of them are failing badly and having a negative impact on natural resources such as water quality. This session will explore how to best locate a trail within an old road matrix to accomplish many trail management objectives: improve long term sustainability though better water management, enhance the user experience by making the corridor more interesting, and reduce user conflict by calming the speeds of faster user groups.

Speaker(s):

Woody Keen and Valerie Naylor, Trail Dynamics

Recreation Ecology Primer: The Science Behind Sustainable Recreation

This talk presents an overview of Recreation Ecology: an applied field of study that seeks to investigates recreational activities and their associated impacts to the natural environment. Discussion highlights key findings from the field, particularly those which apply to multi use trail design and construction. Empirical data from scientific studies are presented and the implications for trail design and management are discussed. The current research hot spots as well as potential research opportunities are highlighted.

Speaker(s):

Jeremy Wimpey, Patuxent Wildlife Research

Understanding the Dynamics of Youth Corps Crews: Training, Funding, Expectations, and Production

This session will touch upon some of the unique challenges and opportunities of youth corps organizations such as the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Maine Conservation Corps, Minnesota Conservation Corps, and the SCA. Drawing from their experiences as crew leaders and technical trainers, the presenters will then discuss factors that shape corps programs such as training, agency support, overall project goals, funding, on-site supervision, and the nature of the work. This presentation will help inform agencies, trail advocacy groups, and corps program coordinators about the dynamics of youth corps in order to appropriately match crews to work projects.

Speaker(s):

Jed Talbot, Erin Amadon, and Willie Bittner, Peter S. Jensen and Associates

Josh Ryan, Timber and Stone LLC

Informal (Visitor-Created) Trail Impacts: Management Concerns, Monitoring, Visitor Education, and Site Management

Formal trail systems never provide access to all locations required by visitors to protected natural areas. Thus, some informal (visitor-created) trails are necessary, though managers frequently consider extensive networks or severely degraded informal trails to be unacceptable. This session reviews the resource impacts associated with informal trails and presents some easy methods to monitor their number, lineal extent, and condition. Results from some studies designed to discourage off-trail hiking are presented to illustrate the efficacy of alternative site management and visitor education actions.

Speaker(s):

Jeff Marion Field Station Leader USGS: Patuxent Wildlife Research

The Picture Rock Posse: An In-Depth Look at Developing a Self-Sufficient Volunteer Trail Crew

In this session, we will follow Boulder County Parks and Open Space (POS) and their effort to create a select group of volunteers for the purpose of constructing a new trail with multiple advanced rock features. This crew was made up of experienced volunteers whose trail acumen was needed to insure a safe and professional result within a challenging trail corridor. The goal was to get them trained to POS standards with only minimal input, so that full-time staff could focus their efforts on bigger projects. POS and the local mountain bike and horse associations sponsored the candidatesÕ certification in Volunteer Crew Leader Training through the Outdoor Stewardship Initiative (a division of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado) to insure continuity due to the diverse backgrounds everyone shared. Upon completion of training, the goal was to have trail staff mentor crew leaders on-site until they were deemed competent enough to work unsupervised. The program succeeded beyond expectations with only a few bumps along the way. POS is now looking at retaining the ÒPosseÓ for future maintenance and construction projects while developing their skills to be even more self-sufficient. Come learn how Boulder County conceptualized this plan and how it came to fruition using a minimum of financial resources and the help of the business and volunteer community.

Speaker(s):

Michael Rutter, Trail Technician II Boulder County Parks & Open Space

Private Trails - Evaluating Return on Investment

This session will present a case study of the privately-owned Biltmore Estate located in Asheville, NC. Over 1.2 million guests visit the 8,000 acre destination annually. We will look at the comprehensive trail system on the property. Some trails are over 100 years old, others have been designed and built in the past few years for specific user groups. We will examine trail construction costs as well as the revenue streams being generated from these trails. A part of the discussion will explore risk management issues, signage and maps associated with these projects.

Speaker(s):

Lee Reading, Director of Outdoor Programs for The Biltmore Company

Pocket Bike Parks

With the inclusion of trail systems in the urban environment comes the reality that previously developed areas have special restrictions. Properties of only a couple hundred square feet to a couple of acres can seem like wastelands better sold off to development than used as active community recreation areas. But, the bicycle and Pocket Bike Parks present a solution to optimizing these small spaces. By creating a technically intense area, only a couple hundred square feet can form a community of people that are able to enjoy a physical outdoor activity. The next step in conservation infilling is Pocket Bike Parks.

Speaker(s):

Ben Blitch, B4 Consulting and Construction

Electronic Systems to Speed up the Trail Inventory and Management Process

Collecting objective information about your trail system is important for mapping, maintenance, management and providing access to hikers of all abilities to meet the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Detailed trail assessments provide the data needed to create an ADA transition plan. Providing access includes the provision of signage with objective information about grade, cross-slope, tread width and obstructions so they can make informed choices on what trails and shared-use paths to use. You will learn about the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) that uses a sensor box on a roll-a-wheel, jogging stroller, ATV or OHV to speed up the data collection process. Reports can be generated to assist land managers in identifying exactly where and how much of the trail tread exceeds the design or access standards they are trying to maintain. This information can be used to establish budgets for trail maintenance or reconstruction.

Speaker(s):

Peter Axelson and Jeremy Vlcan, Beneficial Designs, Inc.

Tools and Technology for Accessible Trails

Learn how to inventory and create trail information that will help trail users make informed and safe decisions about where they want to hike. We will review the latest design guidelines and equipment for providing detailed trail information including grades, cross slopes and distances. You will learn how to create different signs and maps for displaying this information at trailheads, web sites and information centers. We will also review proven techniques for trail maintenance, surfacing improvements, construction practices and new trail design that will provide better trail access and reduce maintenance concerns. Tips for obtaining trail improvement funding will be shared.

Speaker(s):

Peter Axelson, Beneficial Designs, Inc.

Jeremy Vlcan, Beneficial Designs, Inc.

Trail Contracting

Development and Management of a Successful Trail Contract

Trail volunteers are a great asset and most land managers are comfortable and familiar with working relationships with this "free" labor pool. Many projects are however far out of the reach of trail volunteers and the services of professional trail contractors will need to be purchased. Procurement officers and project managers for land managing agencies are often very inexperienced in contracting with trail professionals and this can lead to less than successful trail projects. This session will unravel some of the mysteries of trail contracting and provide a practical outline and specific advice for developing and managing successful trail contracts.

Speaker(s):

Woody Keen, Trail Dynamics

The Bear Mountain Appalachian Trail Relocation Project:
Using a Hybrid Model to Perform Technical Stonework

The session will focus on the relocation of the AT in New York's Bear Mountain State Park (less than an hour's drive of New York City) where intense CCC-style stonework is being accomplished through a hybrid approach to trail construction. The session will examine how the project's multiple goals of technical trail construction are balanced with the involvement and training of new volunteers for local trail organizations. The project focuses on the utilization of traditional techniques as well innovative rigging and stone cutting methods to build a front country trail over steep mountainside with thin soils and abundant bedrock to accommodate trail users with limited or no hiking experience. This project is entering its fourth year of construction and when complete will include over 1,000 three to five foot wide stone steps, all cut from the site. In addition, several hundred volunteers have participated to date contributing over 15,000 hours and have been involved in every aspect of the construction.

Speaker(s):

Eddie Walsh, Tahawus Trails LLC
Bob Sickley, Appalachian Trail Conservancy (not yet confirmed)
Edward Goodell, New York - New Jersey Trail Conference

Design/Build Contracting in the Public Sector

While many private industry trail projects are now implemented on a Design/Build basis, few public projects use this approach. This session will provide an introductory overview of the process. The benefits of this format include 1. Projects can become “shovel ready” much more quickly 2. It can maximize utilization of available private sector resources & expertise 3. Contractors can be selected based on work quality and expertise and not just price. This session is designed to give guidance on how agencies with limited time or expertise can find and hire consultant/contractor teams with needed skills. It will explore issues related to writing the initial RFP so that a "level playing field" is created and potential bidders have appropriate project information and an adequate selection criteria is developed in the RFP so the most appropriate contract team is selected. There are some significant benefits and challenges in public sector D/B for contractors that will be discussed.

Speaker(s):

Gerry Wilbour, Northwest Trails, PTBA Board Member has written and administered over 100 Private and Public Design/Build contracts in the past 25 years

Forks Area Trail System - From Concept to Completion

This session tells the success story of an idea that developed into a partnership of public/private interest that led to the design and construction of 35 miles of multi-use trail on the Long Cane Ranger District of Sumter National Forest. The USFS, South Carolina PRT, the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association and PTBA members Long Cane Trails, LLC, Trail Design Specialists and IMBA Trail Solutions teamed to raise over $300,000, 2,500 volunteer hours and to complete the design and construction of the FATS. The session shares ideas about trail advocacy at the club level, RTP Grant writing, and touches on the hybrid contracting methods of using contractors and volunteers to complete a large project.

Speaker(s):

Todd Branham and Bill Victor, Long Cane Trails

Rigging for Trail Work - Working Smarter, Not Stronger

Lester C. Kenway of Trail Services LLC has been working with rigging for nearly 30 years. While initially these techniques were utilized by trail crews in Maine, they have assisted or been adopted by trail crews throughout the United States. This presentation will explore rigging equipment and it’s many applications in trail building. Via slides and narration, information regarding the safe use of rigging will be presented. Griphoist winches and specialty tools with be described. Applications from simple pulling/dragging situations to overhead systems hundreds of feet long will be illustrated.

Speaker(s):

Lester "the Winch Guy" Kenway, Trail Services LLC

Meet a Trailbuilder - Tips and Tricks from the Professionals

Description TBA.

Speaker(s):

Peter Jensen, Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC, and 3 other PTBA Members.

Trail Advocacy

Opportunities For Trails & Green Infrastructure in the Economic Stimulus Package

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has provided at least the potential for much needed dramatic increases in funding for trails on public land and in our communities. This is a very welcome relief from the declining budgets that have been experienced over the past decade and more; however, the sudden surge in funding provides considerable challenges in creating successful projects and programs.

Roger Bell will provide an overview of the importance green infrastructure to our 21st century communities and how great projects can be accomplished using hybrid models that team contractors and youth programs. Pam Gluck of American Trails will discuss the various contributions of trail advocacy groups that went into getting this effort to this point and some of the political challenges that lie ahead for trails funding.

Representatives from the various federal agencies that manage extensive trail systems or provide significant funding for trails will discuss the programs that have been proposed for their agencies. While many of the important decisions regarding these programs may have been made, we recognize that this is a work in progress, and hope that by providing this forum, we can create a dialogue on how the various industry partners can help make this program a major success in creating family wage jobs and great trails.

Speaker(s):

Gerry Wilbour, Introduction, Northwest Trails Inc, PTBA Board Member

Roger Bell, Bellfree Contractors Inc, PTBA & American Trails Board Member

Pam Gluck, Executive Director, American Trails

Rick Potts, Chief, Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Division, National Park Service

Jonathan Stephens, National Program Manager for Trails, USDA Forest Service

Nathan Caldwell, Trails, Byways and Alternative Transportation Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Jeff McCusker, Eastern States Recreation and Trails Program, Bureau of Land Management

Army Corps of Engineers (invited)

Christopher Douwes, Trails and Enhancements Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration

The Impact of Recreational Trails on Public Health

Recent policy initiatives, such as the National Recreation and Park Association's: Step Up to Health-it Starts in the Parks and Trust for Public LandÕs: The Health Benefits of Parks were developed as an effort to encourage and promote regular physical activity in public recreational facilities such as parks and trails. Recreational trails support a variety of physical activities (i.e., walking, running, biking, etc.), however there is a limited understanding of how the varying terrains of a trail (i.e., natural surface vs. paved) impact oneÕs decision to use a trail. Although the development of recreational trails remains an emerging strategy to intervene on the inactivity and obesity epidemics plaguing the US, studying the multitude of trail user behaviors continues to be difficult due to the lack of objective measures. This session examines a) the impact of varying trail terrains on the physical activity patterns of trail-users and b) how objective methods for measuring trail-use can be used to the identify how varying trail terrains are linked to one's decision to use or not use a trail..

Speaker(s):

Julian A. Reed, Ed.D., MPH
Associate Professor
Health and Exercise Science
Furman University

Promoting Natural Surface Trails to Developers

Learn how-to promote trails to developers in a language they understand: Value. Trails enhance sales rates, sales prices and create positive community relations. Sports and building industry experts have studies and research that prove that trails don't just serve a limited target market Ð they serve a mass market with money to spend. Randy has financial projections that will demonstrate how a trail can positively impact the bottom line of a planned development. For over 20 years Randy Martin has been in the residential construction and development business and has worked with Del Webb, Shea Homes, Lennar, and John Laing Homes. His company is Trailscape, Inc.

Speaker(s):

Randy Martin, Trailscape

Twenty Six Years of Triumphant, Transcendent, Trailbuilding and Counting

Not so much aimed at providing new information but a retrospective of 26 years of trailbuilding on the world’s most famous footpath, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Our presentation will include a slideshow highlighting the history of ATC’s trail crew program, its roots and beginnings, our successes, trials and tribulations and where we’re at now! Additionally, we’ll have some new and old hands along to offer some personal accounts of their time on the Trail.

Speaker(s):

Bob Proudman - Director of Conservation Operations

Morgan Sommerville – Regional Director for Deep South

Kerry Wood – Regional Trail Resources Manager for Central & Southwestern Virginia

Andrew Downs – Trail Resource Manager, Deep South

Leave No Child Indoors: Making Trails Interesting for Kids

In the US today, we are seeing significant increases in childhood obesity, diabetes, and Nature Deficit Disorder. The answer is easy, unstructured play for kids of all ages. Trails certainly provide great opportunities for un-structured play and good physical activity, but how do we make trails fun and interesting for children? This session will explore some trail projects that all had a "kid friendly" component to them. Some are simple additions to trail structures to better accommodate children , while others are entire trail experiences that are specifically designed and built for kids.

Speaker(s):

Woody Keen, Trail Dynamics, PTBA Board President

Current Trends in Public Bicycle Recreation Programming

Case studies and insider information from valmont park - boulder CO, Santos park - ocala FL, highbridge park - new York city NY and king range conservation area - Arcata CA.

Speaker(s):

Judd DeVall, Alpine Bike Parks LLC

Chris Bernhardt, Alta Planning and Design

Gravity Logic