Dates: April 11 - April 12
Cost: $400
Level: Foundational
Maximum Size: 24 students
Schedule:
Saturday, April 11: 9 am-12 pm Classroom session, 12-1 pm lunch, 1-5 pm Classroom session, Hampton Inn and Suites, Payette Room
Sunday, April 12: 9 am-5 pm Field Session (sack lunches in morning for attendees to take in the field).
Instructors:
Michael Shields, Michael D. Shields Consulting, PTBA Member Company
Alan McClain, Outdoor Recreation Trails Specialist, Mat-Su Borough, Alaska
Description
This workshop provides an overview of the ground systems we build trails across, treating terrain as a dynamic and interconnected structure. Topics include slope stability, soil mechanics, surface and subsurface hydrology, and the roles of bedrock and vegetation—along with how these elements interact. Participants will learn to recognize surface indicators of subsurface conditions and apply this understanding to select trail alignments, structures, and drainage solutions that work with natural ground stability rather than against it.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the ground as a complex dynamic structure having ultimate control over results.
2. Awareness of surface indicators, from topographic shapes to vegetation, of subsurface conditions and processes; how to take and analyze soil samples in the field.
3. Understand the need for trail routing/design to retain or enhance the ground's natural stability if it's to be called "sustainable".
Instructors
Michael Shields, Michael D. Shields Consulting, PTBA Member Company
Mike Shields started working on trails in 1960 at Olympic National Park, in the days of axes, misery-whips, and 90-lb loads in a Trapper Nelson pack. A graduate of the University of Idaho, in his NPS career he’s been a Trail Laborer, Crew Leader, Ranger, Roads Foreman, Maintenance Mechanic, Trails Foreman, and Facility Manager, but primarily and always a trailman, and has worked trails in Olympic, Big Bend, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, North Cascades, Kings Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Denali. He became adept at timber felling, log and rock construction, mule and burro packing, rigging, using explosives as a precision tool, disposing of unstable explosives, trail design and layout, terrain assessment, suspension bridge and tram design, and contract management. Since his retirement in late 1996 he has been a small contractor providing training, trail design & layout, and technical consulting services in 16 states from Alaska to West Texas and California to West Virginia. In 1996 he received the Dept of Interior "Distinguished Service Award", in 2010 the American Trails “State Trail Worker Award” (Alaska) for his efforts at mentoring younger folks, and in 2015 the PTBA “R.H. Bell Lifetime Achievement Award” for excellence in trail design and construction.
Alan McClain, Outdoor Recreation Trails Specialist, Mat-Su Borough, Alaska
Alan has been working with the Mat-Su Borough Trail Crew since 2016 and has been the Outdoor Recreation Trail Specialist since 2017. In the summer, he oversees a Crew of 12 hardworking people as they build and maintain trails managed by the Mat-Su Borough. In the winter he helps to snowplow the trailheads, grooms trails, removes downed trees, and plans for the summer season. Alan has lived in Alaska since 1998. In addition to working for the Mat-Su Borough, he has been the Program Director for an indoor climbing gym in Wasilla, served on the Mat Su Ski Club Jr. Nordic Advisory Committee, and oversaw the Recreation and Student Leadership Development programs at the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer. He also worked in outdoor retail, construction, and commercial fishing on Kodiak Island. In addition to working in various capacities in Alaska, Alan has guided juvenile felons in a wilderness therapy program in Southern Utah, and led trips for “at risk” youth in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Colorado. He also worked as a Surveyors Assistant, Summer Camp Counselor, canoe guide, and industrial construction worker in Indiana. Alan has a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University in Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management, where he specialized in Adventure Education. He has maintained his Wilderness First Responder certification since 2002 and has his S-212 Wildland Fires Chain Saw certification. Alan was the 2024 recipient of the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation Pathfinder Award. When not at work, Alan enjoys spending time with his family exploring the outdoors and experiencing all that Alaska has to offer.