The following article by Jim Holland will give you an idea as to what takes place during one of our AERC Trail Master training courses. The course conducted at Land Between the Lakes (LBL) was the second class sponsored by the AERC. The next class will be late October in Tennessee, the week before the Skymont Ride. It is costing the AERC between $400 and $500 per participant for training -- an investment the AERC board is making to promote the proper development of trails across the United States.

We are now considering four classes for the 2006 ride year. Classes will take place in the Northwest, Southern California, Utah, and Northern California. If you have any interest in attending any of these classes just send me a post. We believe that the investment in trails of the dollars that you pay into the AERC is a worthwhile endeavor. Sustainable trails for the future -- that is our goal. Without sustainable trails, our sport will be dead on arrival. I'd like to thank all of you for your support, continued interest and especially the hands-on work you do on our trails. Remember, all you need is a horse and a trail. -Jerry Fruth

In the vernacular of the horse world, horses that are extremely durable and require little special attention to stay fit and healthy are called "easy keepers." Durability and low maintenance are also desirable traits for a trail. In August, Mike Riter of Trail Design Specialists demonstrated in a four-day AERC Trail Masters class at Land Between the Lakes in Golden Pond, Kentucky, that trails can be "easy keepers." It is possible to design and build a sustainable trail. Sixteen students, including three members of the U.S. Forest Service, listened attentively as each morning Mike took us through trail design and layout, trail construction, and trail maintenance. We shared our past trail maintenance problems and discussed resolving "user impacts" and "natural impacts" on a trail.

Our vocabulary grew extensively and we began to communicate in the language of trails using terms such as rolling grade dip, tread hardening, full bench cut, trail slope, duff, and mineral soil. We were surprised to learn that switchbacks and water bars are undesirable structures in a trail.

The class was not without levity. Mike noted that tread creep does not mean the worst guy on a trail crew, and when routing a trail around trees, it's important to get to the "root" of the problem!

Each afternoon we enthusiastically battled the heat, insects, and poison ivy putting our knowledge to the test. On the first day we squinted through our clinometers and tediously laid out a contour trail that complied with the grade rules. Each day, a safety lecture emphasized trail safety, proper personal gear, and the safe use of tools.

On day two, we were divided into teams and actually built a small section of contour trail. Mike demonstrated the proper use of trail tools such as the digital level, McLeod, Pulaski, and fire rake.

On day three, we rehabilitated a section of existing trail, building grade dips and adjusting the tread slope for proper runoff in a technique known as deberming. That night it rained heavily and many of us detoured by the trail on the way to class to see how it held up. The section we had rehabilitated was dry and firm while an adjacent section that had not been repaired was eroded and heavily silted! We started our last day elated with our success and confident in our skills.

Day four was devoted to leading a trail crew. Role playing and a trail project in the afternoon allowed us to practice safety procedures, supervise trail work, and hone our interpersonal skills.

The U.S. Forest Service attendees were greatly appreciated because they provided input as land managers and were a valuable source of information regarding policies and procedures when working on public lands managed by the federal government.

On behalf of the entire class, I would like to express a special thanks to Land Between the Lakes Facilities Manager Randall Mitchell. In addition to providing locations for our projects on short notice, he arranged for the restaurant to be open each day so we would have a place for lunch.

The Trail Master classes provide training that is important to insure continued access to trails. Each attendee learns the skills required to work with land managers and take on trail projects at the local level. AERC members are encouraged to sign up and attend.