Reviewing the Old
Preparing new trails and maintaining existing ones requires a phased approach which begins before the snow melts and continues until long after the last deer hunter has left the forest and the first few inches of snow have fallen. But fall is not too late to refurbish and improve exisiting trails, so this column begins with a review of older trail maintenance.
Looking at existing trails to see where improvements are needed is a two-part study covering trails that were new the previous season and those which have been in use for some time. Year-old trails come in for special scrutiny, because during the first season you can determine what changes have to be made to make it more skiable and where it has to be adapted to make grooming earsier.
Typical older trail problems include curves that are too narrow, trail intersections and corners that need widening, overhanging evergreen boughs that need to be cut back, boggy trail sections that have to be filled, and sidehill lies that have to be levelled. Each problem can be solved by adjustments or re-routing.
When a trail is re-routed, the terrain should be walked over several times and inspected for the best route. If the touring center is in the East, there are generally landowner signatures required for permission to cross sections of private land. In the West and Midwest, a new trail might require review and approval by the U.S. Forest Service.
A key element in old trail work is checking the trail markings. If markings are inadequate, new spots for makers and signs should be identified. Ideally a skier will be able to see from one trail marker to the next. This is extremely important in blizzard conditions. And, while the signs should be highly visible, they should not interfere with the esthetics of the trail.
Warning signs for steep downhills and intersections of trails should be placed well in advance of the problem. Trail map containers should be placed at strategic intersections. It’s best to plan trail markings in the summer, but wait until fall to put up the actual signs.
A final trail check is made in late fall. Each trail should be walked to look for undergrowth and overhead branches. This is best done after deer season, because any moving creature in the woods may become a hunter’s target. Trail markers and maps also make excellent trargets for frustrated hunters, so set them out after deer season.
Trail clearing equipment is non-specialized and may even come from the arsenals of logging companies and road builders. One innovative idea came to me from Bert Kleerup, owner of the Eagle River Nordic Center, Wisconsin. In search of a faster way to brush his trails, Kleerup mentioned the problem to his brother-in-law a long-time farmer. He in turn suggested a rotary farm mower attached to a tractor.
Kleerup tried it and now swears by his “brush hog.” The mower hangs off either a 2-or-3 pin hitch on a standard farm tractor and runs off the tractors’ power take off. It will cut anything a tractor can push over. As an example, an eight foot sapling can be cut 1¼ inches from the ground with this mower. The blades can be raised or lowered hydraulically depending on the terrain and obstacles present on the trail. The mower is a M5-4 rotary model made by Woods, a division of Hesstons Corp., in Oregon, Ill.
Trail Construction Reading
USSA Trail Construction Handbook by the USSA Touring Trails Committee.
United States Ski Association, 1726 Champa St., Suite 300, Denver, Co 80202. $4.50
AMC Field Guide To Trail Building and Maintenance, by Robert D. Proudman. Appalachian Mountain Club, 5 Joy St, Boston, Ma $4.95
Wisconsin Cross-Country Ski Trail Development Guidelines, by Department of Natural Resources. Division of Tourism State of Wisconsin, P.O. Box 7606 Madison, WI 53707.
