Event Registration - San Diego Mountain Biking Association
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Trail Crew Leader Training - Daley Ranch
1/25/2020 - 1/26/2020
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Event Description

This FREE class designed for current SDMBA trail liaisons and other core volunteers.  Curriculum will include class room presentation and discussion as well as practical application in the field at Daley Ranch in Escondido.   SDMBA will provide a full lunch, snacks and extra water/hydration for refills. Saturday will be a classroom session (exact location TBD) and Sunday will be a field work day. 

Objectives of the course:  

  • Standardize the trail building knowledge base of SDMBA volunteers

  • Provide SDMBA volunteers a forum to share their knowledge and hone their craft

  • Impart insight on technical mountain bike trail construction to SDMBA trail crew leaders

  • Show San Diego County land managers that SDMBA is dedicated to adhering to best practices when providing volunteer trail work

  • Foster a mentality of sustainable trail construction and design in our members

  • Support the SDMBA mission of improving trail access for mountain biking in San Diego County. 

What to bring: 

Cooperative/collaborative attitude, eye protection, work gloves, sturdy shoes, clothes suitable for work and weather, water bottle/hydration pack, sunscreen, hat, snacks, note taking materials, and whatever else you need for a safe and comfortable day. 

Class component:

  • Trail terminology/anatomy

  • Trail design features

  • Drainage 101 - why drainage, proper water flow, intro to hydrology, overview of gravity.

  • Creating drainage, where in the trail, incorporating drainage into microtopography

  • Examples of common drainage features and how to create them

  • Volunteer management, and teaching

  • Organizing the day and managing volunteers during the work time

    • Identify your people who have higher/specific skillsets

    • Breaking the group into smaller work units

    • Managing lots of people digging tread

    • Assigning projects and assessing complexity/need for oversight 

Field component:

  • Observe and apply previously created features focused on tread construction basics, particularly drainage (knicks, grade reversals and drain dips) while working on a section of trail at Daley Ranch.

Class Structure:

Saturday -  Classroom session at Daley House

Sunday - Field work session on Crest Trail