# Trail building



## Greg (May 8, 2009)

Anyone ever do it? I wish I had enough free time to consider building a trail network nearby.


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## JD (May 8, 2009)

Should be part of everyone's adjenda.  If you ride, you should help maintain.  Everyone shouldn't go out and start building trail at their local park.  Get  involved with your local club, visit the IMBA website, read about well designed trail...and if you do partake in less-than-legal trail development....be very selective about where...most MTB trails in the east were developed in this way, but in this day and age..you can jepardize access with illegal building...also, don't remove or alter difficult sections of trail.  One man's pain is another man's pleasure.  Other then that, building trail is very rewarding and is a great motivator to get out and ride after buffing out some trail on a rainy day...


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## Grassi21 (May 8, 2009)

NEMBA is another great source of info.  They post up trail maintenance days and offer clinics on how to do it properly.  I have tried to get out to Waldo to help out but have been tied up on the days they set to meet.


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## sLoPeS (May 9, 2009)

i have yet to make a "trail" but i maintain the stuff in the Rez.  it definitely is rewarding and that next ride is sooo awesome.  plus, once u get the trails cleaned and all, you can really let it rip.  i think its a cool part about mtn biking.


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## Greg (May 10, 2009)

I see some of this in my future...........


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## bvibert (May 10, 2009)

Greg said:


> I see some of this in my future...........



Got an excess of free time all the sudden??


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## Greg (May 10, 2009)

bvibert said:


> Got an excess of free time all the sudden??



Not exactly, but the potential of a future uber convenient trial network has me inspired....


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## BigJay (May 11, 2009)

As Dave sais, every rider should take part in at least trail maintenance. Trailbuilding takes a lot of time and effort. Sometimes you have to give up a few hours every week to build a trail that will take only a few minutes to ride... but it is very rewarding.

Join your local bike club. Maintain a good line of communication with your trail advocacy group and you'll be set. I know that i enjoy building trails as much as i like riding!

This weekend, it was raining a lot up here... So we made a loop on our land. It's not that big of a loop yet... but my 3 neighbours mountain bike... and we'll be adding stuff every week... Hopefully getting a 2-3 mile loop on property. Right now i think i have only half a mile... not even... but there are two log rides... lots of berms... few pumping sections... It's just a fun loop out in the backyard that a crew of 12 from the local club helped build over the weekend


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## RENO (May 11, 2009)

I did the same thing with my neighbors this weekend down here in Joysey! We set out to create some sweat singletrack. When we were done we were exhausted, but we created 1 of the greatest 50 foot singletrack loops ever! Rocks, dirt, roots, a few logs, 1ft vert climb and downhill, etc... Even a possible bunny hop over a 3 ft fence and a scenic overlook. Gonna try it today...     ;-)


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## Gremf (May 11, 2009)

Speaking of trail building, if you want to learn from the best trail builders in New England, NEMBA is running a one day Trail School at Huntington SP this Saturday, 5/16.

Registration is $45 which includes lunch and IMBA's Trail Solutions Book ($35 value).

Go to NEMBA.com and call Philip Keyes:  800-576-3622

I took the course last year and if it wasn't for the course, my trail at Upper Paugussett would be really lame.  Instead it really rocks based on everything that learned.


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## JD (May 11, 2009)

Very worth while for anyone thinking about making trail from scratch.  Avoid making a bunch of trail that rides like crap like every one does their first few times..
I'm really stoked with what I have here in Northfield. A good network of double track all over town and the ski area with a bunch of DH trails on it.  I have been working to make some nice XCish single tracks that ties into the top of the skie area.  It's really a gem of a spot with great big views.  By the end of this year we should have a couple quality loops.  The soil here is clay with gravel/shale in it.  It packs fast and resists errosion.  There is also a slate quarry so material is available.  Today my bridges were all dry and solid, the water was flowing under them, and the surrounding trail was nice and firm. The trail was totally ridable despite a bunch of rain Saturday night.   Spring is popping up here.
This years work...


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## marcski (May 11, 2009)

That sounds interesting Gremf, I wish I had time to take that class.

My buddy does most of the building.  For our local trails we got a good lay of the land. Looked for good large slick rocks and boulders that we could ride on as well as noted areas that tended to be low-lying, near streams and those that stayed wet to stay away from.  Used all of the natural features to be found, old logs became log rolls, looked for natural rock gardens...we added some ladders, built a few ramps up rocks and boulder.  My buddy was great at keeping the single track turny and flowy, follow the contours of the land.   Our local trails...the single track, does not get used by that many people. If we didn't rake them 2x a year, they'd disappear.  Very little if any impact.

Some cool info on here, Greg:  http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/


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## JD (May 11, 2009)

marcski said:


> That sounds interesting Gremf, I wish I had time to take that class.
> 
> My buddy does most of the building.  For our local trails we got a good lay of the land. Looked for good large slick rocks and boulders that we could ride on as well as noted areas that tended to be low-lying, near streams and those that stayed wet to stay away from.  Used all of the natural features to be found, old logs became log rolls, looked for natural rock gardens...we added some ladders, built a few ramps up rocks and boulder.  My buddy was great at keeping the single track turny and flowy, follow the contours of the land.   Our local trails...the single track, does not get used by that many people. If we didn't rake them 2x a year, they'd disappear.  Very little if any impact.
> 
> Some cool info on here, Greg:  http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/



I agree.  The argument that MTBs rip up the trail any more then any other nonmotorized user group is a bunch of crap.  Even well used trails after a few years of foilage are basically gone.


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## bvibert (May 11, 2009)

JD said:


> Very worth while for anyone thinking about making trail from scratch.  Avoid making a bunch of trail that rides like crap like every one does their first few times..
> I'm really stoked with what I have here in Northfield. A good network of double track all over town and the ski area with a bunch of DH trails on it.  I have been working to make some nice XCish single tracks that ties into the top of the skie area.  It's really a gem of a spot with great big views.  By the end of this year we should have a couple quality loops.  The soil here is clay with gravel/shale in it.  It packs fast and resists errosion.  There is also a slate quarry so material is available.  Today my bridges were all dry and solid, the water was flowing under them, and the surrounding trail was nice and firm. The trail was totally ridable despite a bunch of rain Saturday night.   Spring is popping up here.
> This years work...



Nice work!  I like the bridges. :beer:


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## RootDKJ (May 12, 2009)

I've  wanted to get involved in trail maintenance because I think its important to take care of the areas that are still legal to ride at. JORBA publishes a schedule of when & where the sanctioned TM's will take 
place. 

I've always had something to do when this happens, but the work done is amazing.


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