Written by Nancy Stone ([email protected])
The participants ranged from experienced trail stewards looking to expand their knowledge to folks who were new to trail work and looking to give back to the trails and the sport. Fortunately, Trail School has something for everyone, no matter their experience level.
Using the outdoors as a dynamic classroom, we took a deep dive into the most commonly used trail tools and their uses and how to be safe while working with those tools in the woods. Once on the trail, we broke down the anatomy of the trail into the individual parts that make up the trail and the area surrounding it.
After soaking up all of this information, the trail stewards took this new knowledge and put it to work on Lower Hide and Seek. Considering how much rain we receive in the PNW, everyone paid special attention to drainage and slope to ensure that water flows off the trail quickly with little impact to the tread or the environment. Although plenty of work was to be done, much time was given to conversations about the aspects of the trail functioning well and aspects of the trail that could be improved. Trail School instructors prioritize these conversations and encourage questions because we believe that this is how we all learn and grow.
“I really appreciate the time and effort put into making trail school a safe space for people who may otherwise feel a little intimidated! I really feel like I learned a ton.” -Stacy S.
If you are interested in learning more, you can join us for our upcoming Trail School in the Tillamook State Forest on December 12th. Sign up HERE.