Learning the Art and Science of Trail Building on the Forgotten Trails

The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA)’s Trail Care Crew visited the backcountry trails of the Forgotten Trails Association out of South River, Ontario in September.  The two-person crew provided an intense and engaging two-day, hands-on workshop during which an enthusiastic group of trail volunteers learned and put into practice a variety of sustainable trailbuilding techniques.

After an assessment of the recreational trails in the Forgotten Trails network, the Trail Care Crew focused their attention on Moose Mountain Trail, a 2.5km loop trail on Crown property that takes hikers up a steady incline to a highpoint view of the surrounding landscape.  Common to many trails in the region, erosion was occurring on many areas of the trail and contributing to a trail surface that was not easy to negotiate and required ongoing maintenance.  “Sustainable trailbuilding techniques” produce paths that withstand erosion, provide designated users with their desired experiences, and minimize user conflict.  The rational behind a “sustainable trail” is that a poorly designed trail requires constant maintenance which can be a steady drain on professional and volunteer resources and often leads to discouragement and loss of volunteers.

Discovery Routes Trails Organization was instrumental in bringing the Crew to the region recognizing the benefit that such knowledge would provide to land managers and volunteer groups to develop and support better trail experiences.  Building a constituency for outdoor recreation is vital to ensuring the future of the trails network.  The workshop attracted participants from across the region including a number of volunteers from the Forgotten Trails Association, South River, Powassan, East Ferris and North Bay.

The result of the efforts of the participants of the workshop is the Moose Mountain Trail will become a signature trail in the Discovery Routes network.  

Information on IMBA Canada is available at www.imbacanada.com.

A slideshow of photos taken throughout the weekend is posted on flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/discoveryroutes/6166221529/in/set-72157627589953463