Day 1: Trail design and layout. Course instructor Mike Riter stresses the importance of knowing the area first, both on foot and by studying topographic maps, which he calls "the trail designer's best friend." A good trail requires little maintenance because it is designed right. Flowing water, which accelerates the process of erosion, is the enemy of a trail. Proper design can avoid situations whereby the trail becomes a river during rainstorms. In the afternoon, participants learned how to use clinometers to assess the slopes around them in a scientific fashion.

Day 2: Trail construction. Attendees learn how to pick the proper tool for the job, when to use power tools, and how to cut trails into a slope. Riter also talks about how to build bridges and boardwalks, and when to incorporate switchbacks into a trail and how to do it right. He includes safety procedures for tool use, and teaches the best way to swing a shovel and not throw out your back. Very important!

Day 3: Trail maintenance. Although a well-designed trail is easy to maintain, most trails that trail workers will be dealing with have been laid out in a less than ideal way. If you canot reroute them, you will have to fix and maintain them, battling wind, water, and gravity.

Day 4: Crew leadership and graduation. The final day is where all that you have learned is pulled together in an outdoor session. The attendees each role-play "Crew Leader," using the language, tools, safety issues and teamwork with your class on the trail. At the end, certificates for those that completed the course will be issued.

Trail Master Course Graduates

If you need assistance with planning, repairing, or maintaining trails in your area, contact one of the course graduates below. If you have difficulty contacting a Trail Master graduate for your area, contact Monica Chapman at 913-471-4840 or monicachapman1987@gmail.com.

Arizona

• Marilyn McCoy, ruther8445@aol.com
• Carrie Miracle-Jordan, miraclec@worldnet.att.net
• Mark Williams, 520-455-4606

Arkansas

• Lydia Cassilly, cassilly@eritter.net
• Bill Huettemann, bill.huettermann@falconjet.com

California

• Carey Brock, cbrock@ceres.k12.ca.us
• Michael Elliott, elliiott1952@gmail.com
• Anita Fiondella, reck@goldrush.com
• Holly Foiles, thfoiles@earthlink.net
• Andrew Gerhard, a_gerhard7@hotmail.com
• Judy Hall, michiganbluff@foothill.net
• Steve Hallmark, SteveHallmark@zetabb.com
• Jeff Harter, harterfam5@msn.com
• Greg Kimler, echovalley@foothill.net
• Cynthia Lusk, clusk@fs.fed.us
• James Mather, mathershoeing@yahoo.com
• Michelle Montgomery, mlacem@sbclobal.net
• Morris Older, morrisolder@earthlink.et
• Dr. Philip Ottinger, dr_o_dds@hotmail.com
• Kathie Perry, kdpbioscan@aol.com
• Robert Ribley, rribley@wildblue.net
• Mike Shackelford, captshack@yahoo.com
• Robert Sydnor, rhsydnor@aol.com
• Diane Trefethen, tref@wakerobinranch.com

Colorado

• Linda Browneller, 719-488-0319
• Judi Page, 303-663-7816

Florida

• Leslie Feroglia, frogsweat@earthlink.net
• Craig Fletcher, fletch2ya@yahoo.com
• Truman Prevatt, tprevatt@mindspring.com
• Douglas Shearer, DVM, liveoak@mfi.net
• Kathy Thompson, tprevatt@mindspring.com

Georgia

• Sarah Engsberg, sarah.engsberg@mindspring.com
• Jim Holland, lanconn@tds.net
• Donald Jackson, 770-725-0719
• Joe Schoech, jschoech@bellsouth.net

Idaho

• Cini Baumhoff, cinibaumhoff@yahoo.com
• Sonny Hornbaker, lonepineranch@mci.net

Illinois

• Lucy Bagot, lucy@acesetsthepace.com
• Susan Milam, milam@agtelco.com
• Genie Stewart-Spears, geniess@accessus.net

Indiana

• Michael Caudill, enduroride@aol.com
• Christine Eickleberry, eickle@localnet.com
• Jerry Fruth, jerryfruth@us-etc.org
• Edie Keesee, keeseefarms@aol.com
• Ken Keesee, keeseefarms@aol.com

Kansas

• Monica Chapman, LM-farms@ckt.net
• Patti Crawford, PattiSamKS@everestkc.net
• Mary Heberling, rmheberling@yahoo.com
• Susan Keil, DVM, susankeil@yahoo.com
• Laura Marshall, tofinish@gmail.com
• Betsy O'Shea, osheabetsy@yahoo.com
• Belinda Hope Skiles, 620-382-2760

Kentucky

• Sandra Akins, 1rowe@msn.com
• Mike Chadwell, chadwell@ycnx.com
• Greg Jones, Giltmead@Hughes.net

Maryland

• Pat Oliva, patolivatigger@aol.com
• John Proudman, miles-to-go@prodigy.net

Massachussetts

• Bob Burgess, RBurgess@tufts-nemc.org

Michigan

• Cookie Thatcher, 305-360-2796

Missouri

• Nancy Mueller, nancymu5@yahoo.com

New Jersey

• Ainsley Smith, rollsmith@netsync.net
• Sandy Terp, sterp@earthlink.net

New Mexico

• Bob Bulcock, debbie.bulcock@wvmb.com
• Boyd Carson, spurc@earthlink.net
• Dave Finley, dfinley@zianet.com
• Dayle Hosek, dahosek@netzero.net
• Deirdre Monroe, deirdre@swcp.com
• Lisa Oberteuffer, voltanets.com
• Roger Taylor, roger_sue@prodigy.net
• Jeff Trinkle, jasper@signalpeak.net

New York

• Laura Hayes, mark@madbbs.com

North Carolina

• Mary Britt, MaryWildFillie@aol.com
• Jerry Brown, 828-883-2847
• Mike Everett, mikeeverett@charter.net
• Ruth Ann Everett, 828-781-4979
• Elizabeth Galloway, galloways@richmountainstablesandcottages.com
• Laura Horst, ride4fun@bellsouth.net
• Stagg Newman, endurance@pisgahvu.com
• Nancy Sluys, minglewood@surry.net

Ohio

• Kellie A Moore, lu2enduranceride@yahoo.com
• Patricia Reisch, patricia.reisch@exactsoftware.com

Oklahoma

• Ann M. McFarland, mcfarland_ann@yahoo.com

Oregon

• Charlene Farrell, csharkef@aol.com
• Dennis Grow
• Paul Latiolais, latiolp@cascadeaccess.com
• Carol Crawford Myers, oregonreins@yahoo.com
• Gary Pegg, eraggep@msn.com
• Janelle Wilde, jwilde@wildevents.info

South Carolina

• Vance Stine, vstine@sifford-stine.com
• Vickie Stine, vstine@sifford-stine.com

Tennessee

• James Barnett, 931-857-3317
• Patty Bass, p_bass@bellsouth.net
• Jackie Caudill, jacaudill@hotmail.com
• Angie Fura, trailsend@hughes.net
• David Fura, trailsend@hughes.net
• Dick Gould, destryky@hotmail.com
• Susan Kasemeyer, NdurN@aol.com
• Debra LaComette, n2theblu@earthlink.net
• Terry Silver, turquoisehorses@aol.com

Texas

• Debbie Allen, nobs_4u@yahoo.com
• Doug Blashill, d.blashill@clearwire.net
• Heather Blashill, d.blashill@clearwire.net
• Thomas Booth, tbooth000@gmail.com
• Dianne Campbell, dcampbell1@hot.rr.com
• Michael Campbell, dcampbell1@hott.rr.com
• Dawn Carrie, rdcarrie@gmail.com
• Terry De Armond, jed@xit.net
• Brenda DeWitt, brenda.dewitt@hughes.net
• Mark Dial, cowboy_crew@hotmail.com
• Amanda Fant, sfant@possumwalkfarm.com
• Sylvia Fant, sfant@possumwalkfarm.com
• Kristen Fisher, fisher_ka@yahoo.com
• Alanna Frank, iron.vikings@yahoo.com
• Gunner Frank, iron.vikings@yahoo.com
• Scott Godwin, aggiendurancerider@gmail.com
• Glen Herring, ghammer1441@sbcglobal.net
• Mary Herring, ghammer1441@sbcglobal.net
• Sue Jones, srigneyjones@earthlink.net
• Danielle Lewis, danielle.lewis@us.army.mil
• Mike Maul, mmaul@flash.net
• Shirley Nobles, nobles.shirley@yahoo.com
• Kenneth Parrish, bop@valornet.com
• Linda Parrish, lindapparab@valornet.com
• Laura Petrie, llpetrie@consolidated.net
• Al Prescott, quinnwood@hal-pc.com
• Vicky Rogers, vicky@critterfixer.com
• Sylvia Sazama, sasazama@yahoo.com
• Sue Stacey, mstacey@consolidated.net
• Mechelle Taylor, neyzhar@wildblue.net
• John Ticer, nlticer@yahoo.com
• Suzy Ticer, nlticer@yahoo.com
• Lorie Van Ongevalle, voarabians@aol.com
• Donna Wakefield, dvmoonbird@myway.com

Virginia

• John Crandell, crandell3@yahoo.com
• Gina Hagis, whiterose@wiredog.com
• Tom Sites, goearth@shentel.net

Washington

• Karen Bailey
• Jim Beidle, jbeidle@comcast.net
• Jennifer LeBlanc, jensgoneriding@mindspring.com
• Joan Fleming, joanfleming@q.com
• Joyce Kellenberger, kelhie2@aol.com
• Kathryn Lewandowsky, kkmoonshadowranch@msn.com
• Beverly Ryan, bvryan9@aol.com
• Aarene Storms, aarenex@comcast.net
• Gail Williams, hadablondemoment@gmail.com
• Ryan Williams, rodgerbw@hotmail.com

West Virginia

• Amanda Stewart, amanda.stewart@glenville.edu

Wisconsin

• Tom Gower, stgower@wisc.edu
• Dawn Haas, jehaas@centurytel.net
• Eileen Kirsch, ekirsch@usgs.gov
• Ramona Radtke, ridediva@sbcglobal.net