filed under: tools & tool use
Cutting edge machinery for building recreational trails.
by Tony Boone, COO, Timberline TrailCraft, Zachi Anderson
Innovative, cutting edge machinery for building recreational trails has revolutionized the trail industry over the past 30 years, from specialized trail dozers and miniature excavators to crawler carriers and ATV/AWD moto harrows. The advantages of small earthmovers are unrivaled, allowing significantly faster rates of construction, increasing profit and productivity by requiring less hand work by laborers or volunteers, and sculpting a more consistent tread and compaction.
Tony is a Master of Outdoor Education in Outdoor Recreation with the Professional TrailBuilders Association, Chief Operating Officer with Timberline TrailCraft, LLC, and Principal with Tony Boone Trails, Inc. Tony is a pioneer in the evolution and art of planning and creating sustainable, machine-built trails for mountain bikers, hikers, runners and equestrians. His accomplishments include: the first official mountain bike patrol in Colorado in 1989, training eight International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Trail Care Crews (1997-2011), inspiring and conducting mechanized training for the IMBA Trail Solutions (2001), and contributing to three IMBA books: Trail Solutions: IMBA’s Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack, Managing Mountain Bikes: IMBA’s Guide to Providing Great Riding and Bike Parks: IMBA’s Guide to New School Trails. Tony has taught over 3,000 students worldwide in the art of sustainable trail design, construction, and management. View Tony’s full bio including notable works here.
Contact: [email protected]
Zachi Anderson has been a builder for many years and a lover of trails. Besides building a variety of surface and design types, he is a mason and woodworker and introduces character features like stone arched bridges to his projects when possible.
Contact: [email protected]
Tools for Trails: Measuring and Surveying Tools
Before trail builders start digging, they first have to lay the trail, flag the line, and more to ensure a grade that not only matches the terrain but also is well throughout to prevent erosion.
Let’s talk about grubbing and raking tools! You might have heard the term grubbing before, but if you’re new to trail building, it may be unfamiliar. Grubbing is when you are removing earth and topsoil. Basically digging into the first while removing vegetation in the process. Trail builders may also call this process hogging.
There are a few options for striking tools that you may see out on a project. Some like the sledge hammer will be seen more, while others may only be pulled out for special projects.
Choosing the Right Tools for Building Trails
Tools for Trails discusses the importance of the right tools for every job.
