New England Trail Builders School

NEMBA & IMBA

 Carrabassett Valley, Maine

May 21-22, 2011

Registration is Full  ~ We are Accepting no New Applications.

Join NEMBA and the International Mountain Bicycling Association for a weekend focused on learning the latest techniques for designing, constructing and maintaining natural surface trails. The weekend course will provide an in depth look at the science and theory of trails as well as hands on clinics that teach both the basics and advanced aspects of trail design and construction.  We will also offer advanced clinics in rock work.

The school will begin promptly at 8:30am, Saturday, May 21th and continue until Sunday at 4pm.  Primitive camping is available free of charge beginning Friday, May 21st after 4pm, and there will be bike rides and hikes offered both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, depending upon weather conditions.

The $95 registration fee includes all educational materials, including IMBA Trail Solutions book, as well as all meals and snacks. Minors are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Space is limited on a first come / first serve basis, so please register early.

Below is a tentative schedule, subject to change:

Saturday

8:30 - 9:00am      Check In / Coffee and Bagels

9:00 - 12:00         Building and Caring for Trails

An indoor presentation about the science and theory of trail design, assessment, construction and trail maintenance.  The knowledge presented here will be the foundation for the hands-on afternoon sessions.

12:05 – 12:45      LUNCH

1:00 - 5:00          CLINICS (Each person should choose one clinic for the afternoon)

Clinic 1 - Trail Assessment & Rehabilitation

Trails are dynamic and change over time. Assessing trail problems and troubleshooting solutions is critical to anyone interested in creating trails and caring for existing ones. This clinic will focus on the causes and solutions for common trail problems. The first part of the clinic treats assessment and the second part will teach trail maintenance techniques through hands on learning. 

Clinic 2 - Designing & Construction of New Trails

Designing sustainable singletrack that meets user needs is key to preventing trail damage in the future. The first part of the clinic will concentrate on the design of a new trail or re-route.  Participants will work with the instructors to determine the appropriate alignment for a new section of trail.  The second part of the clinic will focus on the techniques needed to construct the new trail.  The intended goal of this clinic is to design and construct a section of new trail.

Clinic 3 – Working with Rock

Rock armoring trails is a perfect solution for preventing or repairing trails that are experiencing excessive erosion due to steep grades.  Using rock is also good for creating Technical Trail Features that some user enjoy, while still allowing for general usage. This clinic will focus on the techniques needed while working with rock.

5:30 – 7:30          Mountain Bike Rides / Hikes      

8:00pm                 DINNER & SOCIAL

Sunday

7:30 - 8:15           BREAKFAST

8:30 – 9:30          Working with Volunteers and Executing Trail Projects.

9:30 - 1:30           CLINICS (Each person should choose one clinic for the morning)

Clinic 4 - Trail Assessment & Rehabilitation

Trails are dynamic and change over time. Assessing trail problems and troubleshooting solutions is critical to anyone interested in creating trails and caring for existing ones. This clinic will focus on the causes and solutions for common trail problems. The first part of the clinic treats assessment and the second part will teach trail maintenance techniques through hands on learning. 

Clinic 5 - Designing New Trails & Construction

Designing sustainable singletrack that meets user needs is key to preventing trail damage in the future. The first part of the clinic will concentrate on the design of a new trail or re-route.  Participants will work with the instructors to determine the appropriate alignment for a new section of trail.  The second part of the clinic will focus on the techniques needed to construct the new trail.  The intended goal of this clinic is to design and construct a section of new trail.

Clinic 6 - Working with Rock

Rock armoring trails is a perfect solution for preventing or repairing trails that are experiencing excessive erosion due to steep grades.  Using rock is also good for creating Technical Trail Features that some user enjoy, while still allowing for general usage. This clinic will focus on the techniques needed while working with rock.

1:30 - 2:15           LUNCH

3:15 pm - ??        Mountain Bike Rides / Hikes