2025 Trail Skills Training–Water Management | Southern Cohort

A collaboration between Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance and Vermont trail builder businesses.

Dates: Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Location: 5 Village Lodge Rd, Stratton Mountain, VT 05155

Description: Are you a prospective or current paid staff member of a Vermont organization, business, or municipality who works on the maintenance or construction of natural surface trails in the state?

This free 2-day training is designed for those entering or currently employed in trail jobs involving trail construction and/or maintenance in Vermont. The training will develop skills in reading the landscape to determine drainage patterns and how to accommodate them to create or maintain sustainable natural surface trails. In a mixture of classroom and field time, participants will learn and apply skills in identifying and assessing drainage patterns and learn best practices for how to plan and accomodate for adequate drainage using a variety of methods and structures.

The training curriculum is anchored in Professional Trail Builders Association’s (PTBA) skills competencies and the applicable multi-use Best Management Practices (BMPs) from Vermont Mountain Bike Association’s BMPs for Maintenance and Construction. Instruction will be provided by veteran professional trail builders from Sinuosity, LLC.

With increasing frequency and severity of climate-related hydrological events in Vermont, designing and maintaining trails with adequate drainge structures is key to the resiliency of our trail networks and communities. Professionalize and prepare your crew and self to meet this challenge head on by learning the necessary skills through this free training.

PTBA Trail Skills and Competencies:

Construction:

• Demonstrate understanding of basic natural and stormwater induced drainage effects on trails

Maintenance:

• Demonstrate understanding of natural and stormwater induced drainage effects on trails
• Identify locations and the appropriate drainage feature with supervision

Sustainability:

• Demonstrate understanding of trail sustainability as it relates to physical durability, resource conservation, user expectations and experience, and ongoing management

The training is organized by the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance and funded by an Economic Development Administration – Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grant through the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. The curriculum is designed and instructed by a collaborative group of Vermont-based professional trail builder businesses.

Other Details:

• Maximum class size is 10. There will be 2 instructors.

• Apply by 12pm April 28, 2025.
• Confirmation of acceptance will be emailed May 1 by 12pm EST.
• Please do not register if you cannot commit to full participation.
• $99 overnight lodging at Stratton Mountain Resort is available for those traveling across the state. Please inquire in the application.
• At the end of each day, around 3pm, there will be plenty of time to ride. Bring your bike!

Eligibility:

• Priority will be given to those currently working as paid trail staff by a VT employer but registration is open to other current or prospective trail workers.
• Priority will be given to under-represented communities in the occupation in Vermont (women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, New Americans, persons of all abilities, etc.)

If you have any questions, please email Brian or Kelly at blamoureux@gmscllc.com or kelly@vermontoutdoorbusinessalliance.com.