2019 Workshops

PTBA offers workshops before and after the Sustainable Trails Conference. The workshops provide opportunity for in depth and hands-on exploration of specific topics. You can register for a workshop on its own or in conjunction with the Sustainable Trails Conference.

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Pre-Conference Workshops

Featured

Customized Trail Design Workshop (Pre-Conference)

Dates: Sunday, March 17 and Monday, March 18 (8 am - 5 pm)
Cost: $380
Instructor: Troy Scott Parker, Natureshape LLC (PTBA Member)

This hands-on, small group workshop is the next best thing to a custom trail design workshop on your own site. We'll be in the field for all of both days; NO classroom time. Emphasis is on identifying problems and generating context-appropriate solutions, optimizing trails and sites, learning to work with trails as seasoned trail experts do, i.e., intuitively, structurally, and aesthetically at the same time, and shaping lively, wonderful, fun, and sustainable natural surface trails for any type of use you want to work with (hike, bike, horse, accessible, OHV, etc.)

Final Trail Construction Alignment- Getting The Best Trail Possible

Dates: Monday, March 18
Cost: $200 (lunch included)
Instructors: Greg Mazu, Singletrack Trails (PTBA Member), Scott Linnenburger, Kay-Linn Enterprises (PTBA Member)

This workshop will walk attendees through decision points along that final part of the trail design process. We will work with established and approved corridor flag lines, discussing the elements of making an optimized final trail location that minimizes construction impacts and future maintenance/management issues and maximizes a durable, high quality trail experience.

GIS for Trails

Dates: Sunday, March 17 & Monday, March 18, 2019
Cost: $300
Instructor: Emilie Young Vigneault, Sentiers Boréals (PTBA Member)

Participants will be introduced to various GIS software, data collection from database and field data, basics of layout and trails assessments with hands-on experiments with QGIS.

Terrain Dynamics for Trail Folks

Dates: Sunday, March 17 & Monday, March 18, 2019 (lunch provided both days)
Cost: $300
Instructors: Michael Shields, Michael D. Shields Consulting, PTBA Member
Alex Man, PhD, PEng, Scatliff+Miller+Murray

A 2-day in-depth look at the variable nature and basic mechanics of the ground we build trails across, including the potential snares hidden within it.

Post-Conference Workshops

Featured

Flow Trail Maintenance: Assessing and Maintaining the Chi of your Flow

Dates: Thursday, March 21 (afternoon), Friday, March 22 (8 am - 5 pm)
Cost: $275
Instructor: James Flatten, Singletrack Trails,

Engage with a leader in the industry to mindfully, yet with intent, put the focus of the trail back on the roller into the berm. After this session, you will hop away a grasshopper that has the knowledge to focus on the longevity of flow.

Turns for the Better: An Introduction to Climbing Turns & Switchbacks

Dates: Thursday, March 21 (afternoon), Friday, March 22 (8 am - 5 pm), and Saturday, March 23 (morning)
Cost: $325
Instructors: Christine Byl and Gabe Travis, Interior Trails, PTBA Member

Have you ridden turns that just don't flow? Hiked boring stacked switchbacks? Built turns only to have them fail one season later? Learn how to layout and build the perfect turn on various side-slopes, using only your survey tools, geometry and a bit of instinct. Technical discussion, extensive field exercises, and lots of hand-on interactive instruction.

Customized Trail Design Workshop (Post-Conference)

Dates: Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 (8 am - 5 pm)
Cost: $380
Instructor: Troy Scott Parker, Natureshape, LLC, PTBA Member

This hands-on, small group workshop is the next best thing to a custom trail design workshop on your own site. We'll be in the field for all of both days; NO classroom time. Emphasis is on identifying problems and generating context-appropriate solutions, optimizing trails and sites, learning to work with trails as seasoned trail experts do, i.e., intuitively, structurally, and aesthetically at the same time, and shaping lively, wonderful, fun, and sustainable natural surface trails for any type of use you want to work with (hike, bike, horse, accessible, OHV, etc.)