Wednesday, October 20, 2010

JRPS & Richmond-MORE Trail Building Class, Sat., Oct. 23rd, 2010

Greetings Fellow Mountain Bikers and Trail Enthusiasts,

The James River Park System and RA-MORE will be conducting a trail building and maintenance class on Saturday, October 23rd starting at 9:00am. The morning session of the class will be held at the Stone House in Forest Hill Park. Following a short break for lunch, the class will then continue to a section of the North Bank Trail which is slated for a re-route. The afternoon session will end around 4:00pm.

Topics covered in this class will include the following:

* Sustainable trail design
* Basic Construction
* Turns, drainage, and bridges
* Trail re-routes
* Trail reclamation
* Rock Work
* Mechanized trail building vs. manual trail building
* Effective use of signage
* Political environment

The class will be taught by Nathan Burrell and Mike Burton of the James River Park System.

Nathan, the James River Park System trails manager, brings a wealth of knowledge to urban trail building and has lectured at the state and national level on sustainable trail building in an urban environment.

Mike, a principal in Long Cane Trails LLC, is a professional trail builder who just relocated to the Richmond area and is now on the staff of the James River Park System. Mike has extensive experience in urban trail building and mechanized trail building in particular. Go to Mike's website at http://www.longcanet.../portfolio.html to see examples of his work.

This class is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the rationale behind the methodologies and techniques we use to design and maintain the trails in the James River Park System. Participation in this class will greatly enhance your appreciation and evaluation of the local trail system.

Class participation will be limited to 25 participants. The class is free and open to the public. Food and beverage will be provided by RA-MORE.

For registration information, contact Clark Jones at C.Jones0679@comcast.net.

Where: The Stone House in Forest Hill Park. Located across the street from Crossroads Coffee Shop.

When: Saturday, October 23rd, 9:00am to 4:00pm

Length: 1 Day

Cost: Free, Class limited to 25 participants

Bring: Water, work gloves, sturdy shoes, and an open mind