trail Services

From terrain evaluation to online promotion, each step is approached with practical, on-the-ground experience. When specialist expertise is required, trusted professionals are brought in to ensure strong technical standards and proper local compliance.

The only gaps are the ones built into the trails.

WHAT I DO

  • Hand-built new trail construction

  • Reroutes and improvements on existing trails

  • Shape jump lines and flow trails

  • Trail armoring, drainage and rock work

  • Independent review and quality control

  • Lead build teams

  • Pre-build concept input and planning

  • Connect planning and build teams

  • Support MTB destination marketing

WHAT I DON’T DO

  • Only trim vegetation on a hiking trail and call it new trail construction

  • Operate as a civil engineering firm

  • Provide legal or regulatory consulting

  • Sign engineering plans

  • Serve as primary contractor on large projects

  • Full-time heavy machinery operation

WHAT I DO WITH OTHERS

  • Machine corridor cutting and clearing

  • Engineering and compliance sign-off

  • Permitting and documentation

  • Heavy machinery operation

  • Formal public contract management

Fixing an unsustainable, braided trail segment while banking the turn to improve the ride experience. Water management is critical here, as always.

planning for success

Trail building is a multi-faceted profession. Every project is different, from the project size to the landscape and culture. Even the soil type can change completely in mere meters. The most important aspect is to start with the “why”. Is it to build trails for the local community? Or to revitalize a rural area? Or maybe it is to correct years of mismanaged, unsustainable trails? In any case, having a measurable objective to start aligns all stakeholders and defines success.

  • Many trail projects never get the funding for proper engineering documents and construction due to the inability to explain what a trail center is or what trails bring to a community. Early conceptual maps, renderings, project planning, and community outreach are crucial. Equally as critical is the post-build promotion, via online marketing and in-person with appropriate signage.

  • Don’t want to haul an excavator into the forest? Or do you prefer the ride experience of hand-cut singletrack? Either way, I’d be delighted to assist in designing and building your next trail.

  • From purpose-built mountain bike trails in need of annual maintenance to forgotten hiking trails that you hope to optimize for bikes, improvements to existing trails are often overlooked.

    Note: What may be a more affordable immediate gain can end up being expensive. Before any improvement, I will assess and communicate the longevity of a trail before working on it. Sometimes it is better to start from scratch.

  • Are you thinking of building an entire trail center or bike park with a variety of trail experiences? While I can’t do everything myself, I can connect stakeholders, designers, and builders to set up the project for success.

Past Project

Bachtl trail, austria

2.5km | 300m vertical drop | Blue flow trail

A team of three completed this build in three and a half months. The primary contractor was MG Trail Design, who was also the main excavator operator. I was subcontracted as secondary machine operator and shaper, mostly using a 1.5 ton auto loading dumper. We covered about half the trail mileage with import material to meet the grade requirements of a blue flow trail in a steep zone with lots of bed rock.

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