AMC's complete guide to trail building and maintenance : proven techniques, safety guidelines, equipment tips Cover Image

Book

AMC's complete guide to trail building and maintenance : proven techniques, safety guidelines, equipment tips / edited by Ryan Harvey.

Harvey, Ryan, (editor.). Appalachian Mountain Club., (publisher.).

Summary:

"Hiking trails don't simply spring up out of the ground. They're the result of planning, hard work, knowledge, and elbow grease. Fortunately, with proper instruction, anyone can learn to build and maintain safe, durable, and environmentally sound hiking trails that provide paths into nature for everyone. Completely revised by a professional forester, with the collaboration of AMC's trails staff, the fifth edition of this authoritative guide is rooted in AMC's 140 years of experience building and maintaining 1,800 miles of trails from Maine to Washington, D.C., including the most miles of the Appalachian Trail of any organization. Updated to reflect the latest thinking on trail resiliency in an age of climate change and the best practices in equitable, inclusive, accessible trail design and crew management, this new edition also provides expanded advice on planning, funding, design, construction, safety, and maintenance. Volunteer and professional trail crews, land trusts, outing clubs, and public agencies will find this trusted guide the essential reference for creating and maintaining recreational hiking and cross-country ski trails."--Amazon.com.

Record details

ISBN: 9781628421040
ISBN: 1628421045
Physical Description: xi, 251 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Edition: Fifth edition.
Publisher: Boston, Massachusetts : Appalachian Mountain Club Books, [2021]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Trail formats and anatomy : Trail formats ; Understanding trail anatomy -- Planning a trail project : Researching the envisioned location ; Trails on private lands ; Types of ownership ; Communication with landowners and stakeholders ; Legal forms of trail protection ; Concerns of private landowners -- Developing and using trail maintenance inventories : Objective and subjective assessments ; Trail condition reports ; Trail logs ; Trail project planning and prioritizing -- Trail layout and design : Trail layout -- Determining the costs of trail projects : How to estimate costs ; Sources of labor ; Resources for funding -- Safety, preparation, and tools : Personal protective equipment (PPE) ; Ticks and disease prevention ; Food and water ; Safety ; Managing your crew ; The right work plant and tools ; Measuring and mapping tools ; General purpose tools ; Cutting tools ; Wood tools ; Rock work tools ; Hoisting tools ; Power tools ; Don't lose your tools ; Tool sources -- Building materials for trail construction : Wood vs. rock ; Rock ; Wood ; Other materials ; Hoisting and rigging equipment ; Working in the alpine zone ; Cleanup -- Trail construction and maintenance : Trail construction ; Trail structures and reconstruction ; Erosion-control structures ; Drainages ; Stabilizers ; Hardeners ; Definers ; Switchbacks and climbing turns ; Cleanup ; When to relocated or repair a damaged trail ; trail maintenance ; Cleaning drainages ; Clearing blowdowns ; Brushing ; Trail-making systems ; Making trail signs ; Alpine trail maintenance -- Bridges : Is a bridge needed? ; Aesthetics ; Design and construction considerations ; Building single-span stringer bridges ; Other designs ; Special stream-crossing devices ; Planning for other uses ; Assistance ; Inspection and maintenance -- Ski trails : Planning and design ; Trail layout ; Specific layout considerations ; Construction ; Stream crossings and bridges ; Trail signs and marking -- Kiosks and user education : Kiosk design ; Construction and installation ; Education and information -- Accessibility and universal design trails : Planning and design ; Tread surface considerations ; Trail grade ; Other design features ; Maintenance -- Trail crew leadership : Equity, inclusion, and diversity ; Communication ; Expectations ; Creating a safe work environment ; Training ; Trail crew dynamics ; Leave no trace and trail work.