International Trails Summit - Thursday Recap
To say that today was amazing would be an understatement. Maybe it’s because we went outside and got to play in the dirt. Maybe all the food trucks awaiting our arrival at the Hidden Valley Regional Park had something to do with it. Was it the sunshine? Perfect weather? Or was it that breakfast burrito I had or the cortado?
Throughout the day, I chatted with countless people. All were in agreement; this was the best day. With 360-degree panoramic views of the mountains, it was an ideal setting.
Our offsite adventure was full of a wide variety of educational sessions. They ranged from learning how to use a clinometer to utilizing pack goats to carry tools, trail auditing using digital platforms, utilizing drones for trail assessment and planning, and so much more. I spent the morning bouncing around the different sessions, watching people learn new tools or skills and begin practicing them.
The mechanized trail building demo had people testing-driving all sorts of machinery. I talked with several people before and after their demos. It was helpful to try something new and have people there to train you to operate the different motorized equipment.
Another demo site featured a variety of adaptive trail bikes. Some people spun around in the dirt parking lot, whereas others took them off the road and onto the trail. I ventured out with a few riders. Watching people ride adaptive bikes for the first time was fascinating. There were a lot of “a-ha” moments, whether experiencing the benefits of these types of bicycles or realizing that most trails don’t adequately compensate for these wider bikes. I saw a few crashes as riders navigated narrow trails combined with being inexperienced with these types of bikes.
Did I mention food trucks? This was definitely one of the highlights of the day. There was something for everyone, whether one wanted tacos, coffee, smoothies, or more.
Today was a perfect day for the official ending of the summit. While the International Trails Summit is ending, numerous technical training workshops are taking place over the weekend. It’s been a great week. Everyone I talked to over the past few days agreed. Now the work begins, or should I say continues, once everyone gets home.
Safe travels.
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
