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Accessible Trails
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Workshops at Crotched Mountain teach building sustainable trails that comply with the trail accessibility guidelines without changing the setting or outdoor experience.
Download a brochure and registration information for the 2012 Sustainable Trails For All Workshops at Crotched Mountain (pdf 1.2 mb)
A model for accessibility: learning on Crotched Mountain trails
By Peter S. Jensen, Trail Planner/Builder, Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC
At Crotched Mountain in Greenfield, New Hampshire, sustainable trails are also accessible trails. The Crotched Mountain Foundation’s new trail system was designed and built to the proposed federal trail accessibility guidelines and was official opened in June 2011.
The trail system is fully accessible, ranging from a wetland loop at the lowest point to a stunning vista at the summit of a knoll 300 feet above. The entire trail is perched on the southerly side of Crotched Mountain with views of Mt. Monadnock.
The trail system provides a total of 3.6 miles of pedestrian recreation through lowbush blueberry fields, pine forests, dense hardwoods, meadows, and wetlands. It provides a thorough visual explanation of the morphology of this part of southwestern New Hampshire.
Construction of these trails was accomplished over a four-year period using native materials for the stone trail structures and the trail surfacing. Bridges and boardwalks were constructed of imported materials.
Knoll Summit Platform provides an accessible overlook
The majority of the trail system is a 5 foot wide treadway. Other sections are 4 feet wide and 3 foot wide. A combination of machine built and hand built trail exists on the property.
This sustainable trail system has become the focal point for training workshops on trail development using the proposed federal trail accessibility guidelines. Two workshops are planned this year at Crotched Mountain:
• June 19-20, 2012
• October 10-11, 2012
Additional workshops will be scheduled for 2013. A combination of classroom and extensive field work, these two day training sessions provide attendees with the information that they need to return to their sites to plan out and implement their projects. Topics include an overview of the accessibility guidelines and how to implement them, assessing trails for accessibility, field evaluation of accessible trail features, and field layout of trails meeting the proposed federal guidelines.
Incorporating natural features into trail alignments
Janet Zeller, one of the instructors at the 2011 courses, provided a report on her experience:
"After having spent 3/4 of the workshop on the ground on a trail which is in a mountainous area and therefore covers a very significant elevation change, and yet blends completely into the setting while 93 to 95% of the trail has grades of less than 8.33%, all the participants were convinced these guidelines simply result in an excellent sustainable trail serving all.
"The rotation of the participants between the three specialists in addition to the sessions where we all were together for open Q and A was a great mix. By popular demand we also had a session on the DOJ OPDMD rule with an excellent discussion. This group has bonded into a support and updating network which they look forward to expanding with the alumni of the future annual Sustainable / Accessible Trails workshops at Crotched Mountain."
For more information:
Details of the Accessible Trails workshops in 2012 are available on the online American Trails Training Calendar.
For more information on the trails at Crotched Mountain please visit www.crotchedmountain.org. You can email SustainableTrailsWorkshops@gmail.com if you have questions.
Download a brochure and registration information for the 2012 Sustainable Trails For All Workshops at Crotched Mountain (pdf 1.2 mb)
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