Common Mistakes In Improved Surface Trails Surface Material Choices

 Wood Chips

 Decomposed Granite

 Road Base

 Milled Asphalt

 Crushed Stone/Concrete Type: Wood Chips

Problems: Floats away!

•Hampers drainage

•Not user friendly

•Promotes plant growth Decomposed Granite

Angular Rock Theoretically locks together

Will not stick on more than 5% slopes

Can’t withstand shear forces

Expensive but looks pretty

Much more stable with binder Road Base

Compacts Very Well

Not as pretty a material

Handles loads and shear forces well

Relatively inexpensive

Milled Asphalt

 Already Contains Binding Agents  Compaction is easy  May not be inert  Can be used on steeper slopes. Crushed Stone/Concrete Design

What Elements from natural surface trail design apply?

What Elements Differ?

Similar

Must keep the Half Rule

Grade Reversals are necessary

Water is your biggest enemy

Different

Slopes should remain as shallow as possible

5% is about Maximum

Raised Causeway with a crowned tread can give the best results

Lets Talk Compaction!

 Compaction is a must  Mechanical Compaction is superior  Moisture is critical  Binders such as Soil Lock or Gorilla Snot Weed Barriers? Classroom instruction, Field Application Prevents Binding of materials between layers

Shows through quickly if design aspects violated

Can act as an accelerant for water

S&S Trail Services, L.L.C.

Professional Trail Building Consultation Construction Education

512 Eberhart Lane #1303 Austin, TX 78745 713.446.6610 www.sstrails.com [email protected] Outdoor Supervision Only Large Build Projects Bidding!

Determine: •Trail dimensions •Construction technique •Time and cost •Labor pool •Structures needed Educated Trail Workers vs. Non

Step 1: Plan for Safety Benefits

 Stake Holder Buy In  Empowering Volunteers  Spreading Trail Building Knowledge  Lower Cost for Manager

Weekends

 Land Manager may or may not be working  Trail Professionals Need Weekends!  EVERY WEEKEND IS TAKEN!!!!!!  Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

Promises, Promises!  What happened to our volunteers?  How to combat/plan for no shows  How to plan workdays Work Quality

 Volunteers may take short cuts  May not uphold standards as readily  May Not be as concerned with liability  May not take all safety precautions  Some volunteers do great work, but not all have a high level of experience More Work!! End Result Questions?

S&S Trail Services, L.L.C. www.sstrails.com Staff: Ryan 713.446.6610 [email protected]

Susan 713.448.0161 [email protected]

Advocacy Scientifically Proven Benefits of Exercise

•Longevity •Cardiovascular health •Cholesterol lowering effect •Prevention and control of diabetes •Reduced risk of stroke •Muscle strength •Bone strength •Lowering of blood pressure •Weight control •New brain cell development, improved cognition, and memory •Better night sleep •Exercise is a powerful antidepressant

S&S Trails Staff

25+ combined years of experience

Susan Stormer

Ryan Spates Background

 Trail user  Trail Builder Background

 Trail user  Trail builder Cognitive and neurological benefits of exercise

 Physical exercise leads to significant improvements in: – Memory ability – Critical thinking skills – Balanced mood – Increased learning potential – Finding is more pronounced in people over age 60  Contact with nature can – decrease mental fatigue and accidents – enhance mood, concentration and problem solving  Exposure to wildlife, horseback riding, hiking, camping and farms can be therapeutic for a variety of health conditions in adults and children  An entire movement has begun to connect kids with the healing power of nature – No Child Left Inside legislation (2008)  Experts emphasize that you don’t have to trek to wilderness preserves to enjoy nature’s benefits– simply strolling in a city park or tending a rooftop garden can make a difference Step 3: Determine The Trail Users

TRAIL RUNNERS EQUESTRIANS

MOUNTAIN BIKES HIKERS Step 4: Sustainable Trails

•Handle high traffic and designated use

•Withstand erosion

•Mitigate potential user conflict through good design

•Long term management plan

Trail erosion is caused by a combination of trail users, water and gravity.

Water has the potential to do more damage than any other trail user. What can go wrong?

Fall Line: The steepest route of descent down a slope. Water flowing down a hillside will travel along the fall line.

Rolling Contour Trail

•Built on the sideslope •Sustainable grades •Incorporates grade reversals

•Outsloped trail tread •Facilitates sheet flow The Contour Trail

•Erosion resistant and low maintenance •Keeps users on the trail •Keeps water off the trail •Sustainable yet fun trails are the best way to achieve the balance between resource protection and user recreation Don’t Rush!