Technical Training
Workshops

This five day, 40-hour course will cover all aspects of the SUTTER & SWECO trail dozer including safety, equipment operation, maintenance and trail building. provided by experienced trail operators and factory trained staff and includes the topics of safety, job hazard analysis, propulsion and hydraulic systems, maintenance, trail construction/maintenance techniques, and operation. This 40-hour instructional course can be used towards the 100 hours required by Federal agencies to be certified. 

Cost: $1500

Stonework is not for everyone. However, for those with patience, attention to detail, a hard work ethic, and a general love for puzzles, stonework can be one of the most rewarding forms of trail work because of its longevity and aesthetic. This two day workshop will explore the ideal rock size and shapes for structures, safe transportation methods, and construction techniques for stone structures.

Cost: $800

This two-day workshop offers an introduction to mechanized equipment, focusing on mini-excavators and trail dozers. It combines classroom learning with field instruction, emphasizing hands-on experience and skill-building. With small student-to-instructor ratios, participants will have plenty of time to practice and refine their techniques on the machines.

Cost: $800

Leading professionals from Pathfinder Trailbuilding and Kay-Linn Enterprises will provide participants with a literallly top-to-bottom, hands-on demonstration of one of the most challenging mountain bike trail development challenges - a progressive, beginner-friendly flow trail.

Cost: $800

This is a 2-day (LITE) version of Trail Design Specialists’ Trail Master Certification Class (typically 4 days).  This workshop will touch on the latest advances in trail design, construction and maintenance with a focus on long-term sustainability and ease of maintenance. 

Cost: $800

This two day course will focus on safely using chainsaws for removing blowdowns on trails. The curriculum will cover safety, chainsaw handling, basic saw maintenance, and field cutting. Each participant will receive hands on experience using cutting site evaluation criteria, cutting techniques designed to keep sawyers safe, as well as communication skills for sawyers. This course is designed for beginner to intermediate sawyers who are interested in learning state of the art chainsaw skills.

Cost: $550

This workshop provides an overview of the nature and mechanics of the ground we build trails across. Discussions will focus on the ground as a dynamic structure and covers slope stability, soil mechanics, surface and subsurface hydrology, the roles of bedrock and vegetation, all these factors in combination, and surface indicators of subsurface phenomena.

Cost: $350

This two-day classroom workshop is designed to teach the basics of user experience (UX) with the goal of integrating it into the global thinking of trail building, from planning to execution.

Cost: $700

A two-day Trail Crew Leader Workshop that provides participants with the skills and knowledge to lead effective, safe, and productive trail work teams. The workshop covers “soft skills” topics like communication techniques, risk management strategies, group dynamics, conflict resolution, leadership styles, and teaching methods.

Cost: $700

This workshop will discuss the benefits of objective information, the application of UTAP, HETAP, and METAP in diverse environments, how to disseminate Trail Access Information (TAI), and how that dissemination meets the requirements of the new federal accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas.

Cost: $200

This 1/2 day workshop features on the trail education focused on the basics of trail assessment including erosion and user-created problems.

Cost: $250

This interactive workshop explores a PTBA member-designed trail reroute proposed for a popular trail near the conference center. The 1.2-mile Woodland Trail traverses oak woodland and rolling prairie terrain at Governor Nelson State Park. Topics addressed include trail assessment, trail layout, and the architecture of trail management strategies.

Cost: $350

This workshop will provide an overview of the Visitor Use Management (VUM) Framework developed by the federal Interagency Visitor Use Management Council and how it supports managing for high quality trail experiences. It will also discuss application of the VUM Framework at various scales including federal and non-federal lands, site-specific and landscape or regional. Finally, participants will have a chance to visit a nearby trail and practice identifying desired conditions and selecting management strategies in small groups.

Cost: $140