Trails School - Rock Work for Trails, Water Fords and Stepping Stones
This is an Intermediate Level course.
May 2nd - May 3rd, 2025
2 Day class (16 hrs total)
Friday & Saturday (8 am-5 pm)
Description
Ever wonder how fords are created? Ever been frustrated by small or improperly placed stepping stones that always wobble or get your feet wet? Come work to repair part of Heartbreak Ridge Trail that was damaged by Hurricane Helene. We'll move very large stones and set them in the creek bed to provide an MTB ford and hiker crossing. Rock is a durable material resulting in very long lasting trail structures if used properly. Set improperly, rock will provide a lasting testament to the inexperience of the builder. Erosion issues may persist, trail tread crumbles or becomes difficult to navigate, and even dangerous retaining walls can collapse over time. Water always wins.
Proper building technique addresses the following: water movement, trail problem analysis, types of rock structures, tools for rock work, safely moving heavy loads, locating rock, rock selection, building sound foundations, proper and stable placement, and finish work. Many trail builders and maintainers have a fascination with building with stone, yet just don't know where to start. This class will serve as a primer to all future advanced rock work classes. Along with proper building technique, the instructors will set up and demonstrate proper use of drag line, safe stone harvesting, sledge hammers, rock bars, rock hammers, and other specialty tools.
Consider this class as an exploration of many techniques. You will have the opportunity to work on a water feature and learn how to safely move and work with stone. Trail School will offer advanced rock work and rigging classes in the future.
Project Summary: Trail tread was washed away during Hurricane Helene and large rocks from upstream deposited in the old tread way. Move existing rocks to form anchor for trail tread and create solid stepping stones for hikers while providing a smooth ford for MTB riders.
Scope: Move large rock (circled foreground) and spin to anchor against right side existing large rock to create crib wall for back fill. Move smaller, yet still large rocks (arrows) to secure settings for hiking stepping stones allowing for usual summer water flow at crossing of 8-12".
Class Objectives: Considerations for stone stream crossing, Stone crib wall and back fill technique, Moving large rock safely with dragline (winch) and rock bars, Secure setting stone in moving water, Stepping stone considerations, Quarry and crush backfill for trail tread, Considerations for MTB fords Join Fred Lashley in a wide-ranging exploration of rock work for trails culminating in a series of small projects on the Newberry Creek Trail in Pisgah National Forest near Old Fort, NC.
Fred has been moving stone by hand, rock bar, winch and excavator ever since first volunteering with the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) in 1988. With a rich and varied history in trail building and outdoor education, she has dedicated decades to enhancing the accessibility and beauty of America's natural landscapes. For over a decade, she owned her own stone construction business, specializing in dry-stack stone techniques and trail construction. In the early 2000s, as a member of the Professional Trailbuilders Association (PTBA), she contracted with North Carolina State Parks, NC State Forests, and the USFS to build trails across North Carolina's mountains and Piedmont regions, including notable sites like Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock, Stone Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Panthertown and Dupont. When she's not in the woods teaching the next generation of trail stewards she applies her skills with Hammerhead Stoneworks, crafting beautiful stone structures in and around Asheville, NC and WNC.
Pre-requisites: This class is a foundational class in using rock for many types of trail structures. It is listed as Intermediate because the class presupposes some knowledge of trail basics, trail user types, and sustainability.
Our Class: Basic Trail Construction & Sustainability provides an excellent foundation and is offered several times a year. There is no prerequisite, however prior trail construction or volunteer maintenance experience will help students place rock work in the larger context of how trails are built and why. If you take this class before Basic or other experience, we recommend that you come back and take a basic class at a later time so you understand how this technique fits in the big picture.
Instructors: Fred Lashley; Jeremy Poore, McDowell Tech Trail
Day 1 (8 am - 5 pm): Day 1 will consist of part classroom and part field work. The instructor will present overviews of the various techniques that will be used in fieldwork during the remainder of the class. Participants will then be transported to the nearby work site for practical application and instruction.
Day 2 (8 am - 5 pm): Day 2 will be held in the field and consist of practical exercises and projects utilizing rock-building techniques. (Star Gap West Trail Heartbreak Ridge near Old Fort, NC).
Tools and Equipment: All tools will be provided. A variety of tools will be used in this course including: winches, wire rope, griphoist, slings, shackles, port-a-wrap, carabiners, masdam, rock bar, mattock, Pulaski, hammer drill, feather and wedge, sledge hammer, shovels, buckets, and more
Safety: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for this class includes: gloves, eye protection, long pants and long sleeve shirts, leather boots, 6-point or climbing helmet and hearing protection. A limited amount of helmets can be borrowed from the school. Rubber boots are highly recommended!! We'll be in and around water all day both days.
Participants will need to bring sufficient water (3 liters minimum), lunch, and snacks as well as clothing to deal with changing temperatures and weather conditions.
Books & Supplies Required: Lightly on the Land: The Sca Trail Building And Maintenance Manual 2nd Edition (ISBN 13: 978-0898868487). It's available on Amazon for around $30.
Location:
Day 1 Morning is at McDowell Tech Workforce Development Center (Old Fort campus): 49 E Main Street, Old Fort, NC
Day 2 will take place in a semi-remote location in Pisgah Forest near Old Fort, NC.
Dates of Class: May 2nd - May 3rd, 2025
Days and Times: Friday & Saturday, 8 am – 5 pm
Length of Class: 2 Day class (16 hrs total)
Total Cost: $71.30 Tuition
Location: McDowell Tech Workforce Development Center (Old Fort campus): 49 E Main Street, Old Fort, NC
Click the link below to register:
https://mcdowelltechconed.com/registration.php