Written by Nancy Stone, Education & Sustainability Director ([email protected])
After a cold foggy morning, we were treated to a brilliantly clear day in the gorge as we launched yet another session of our NWTA TSI instruction at the Easy Climb trails in Cascade Locks. With a smaller than usual class size of six but our full complement of five instructors, we had an enviable student/teacher ratio. We even had generously provided pour-over coffee compliments of Sean Benesh while we waited to get started!
Starting with a round of introductions and a quick history of the site, we discussed safety information, tool identification & uses, and trail anatomy & drainage.
Splitting into two groups, we put the new info to practical use as we cleared downed limbs and cleared out a few problem drains to prevent mud puddles/ruts. After a short break for lunch (and enjoying a rare waterfront trail view), we got back to work. The work parties linked up on the Easy Climb Loop, then hiked back to the sunny trailhead for invasive species spread mitigation and a group recap.
“I really enjoyed Trail School, I have done other trail building/dig days with other trail alliances and my experience was, ‘here is a shovel, start digging in the dirt,’ without any clear explanation of what exactly we were doing. It is nice that the Northwest Trail Alliance has a dedicated Trail School to teach us exactly how to build trails, so when I attend a dig day I will be more effective at trail building. The instructors were very well informed about the anatomy of building a sustainable trail and were able to effectively communicate that to me and the other new volunteers. Overall, I highly recommend it!” — Joel Gonzalez
Join us for our next Trail School at Gateway Green on March 27th. Sign-ups will be available soon!