International Mountain Bicycling Association

Trail Care Schools

THOR hosts IMBA-supported Trail Care Schools to provide learning and skill development opportunities for THOR staff and volunteers, community organizations, and land managers to enhance the quality of our local trail systems and strengthen partnerships.

Experienced IMBA and THOR staff will guide daily classroom and field sessions to teach trail foundations, sustainable building and maintenance practices, and how to deliver quality trail experiences accessible to trail users of all types and levels.

2024 Trail Care Schools

THOR typically offers IMBA Trail Care Schools once or twice a year.

Use the links below to register for upcoming Trail School dates.

Dates Coming Soon!

Typical Schedule & Agenda

8 AM - 12 PM Classroom

  • Introductions

  • Foundational trail knowledge and sustainability

  • User experience

  • BMPs - grade, contour, meander, positive/negative control points

  • Existing trail triage - terms, vegetation clearing, erosion control, risk management

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM: Lunch

1 PM - 5 PM: Field Exercises

  • Tool and field safety

  • Assessing existing trails for maintenance and upgrades

  • Hands-on trail maintenance and construction techniques

  • End-of-day input, critique, thoughts, and close down.

FAQs

  • 1) THOR volunteers that have completed at least one Official THOR Trail Day in the past year.
    2) Community organization volunteers and staff supporting developing and maintaining natural surface trails and outdoor recreation.
    3) Land Managers (Parks Directors, Planners, and Maintenance Staff)
    4) Professionals in community or recreational planning and development.
    5) Professionals in outdoor retail and recreation.

  • 1) A willingness to learn.
    2) A notebook and writing utensils.
    3) Clothes appropriate for the weather and working outdoors.
    4) Closed-toe shoes, ideally a hiking or work boot.
    5) Water

  • The Field Exercises will be hands-on manual labor outdoors using shovels, rakes, picks, and other tools often used in lawn care and landscaping. Experience using these types of tools is preferred.

    If you cannot lift 25 lbs, comfortably work outside for several hours, or have other serious health conditions, a Trail Care School is probably not for you.

  • No, attendees must attend both the Classroom and Field Exercise portions of the Trail Care School.

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