Rain and Trailwork

Much of the art of building a trail that will still be a trail in a year or a decade is based on an understanding of water and how it moves.

In general, a trail wants to drain, but in such a way as not in the process to carry away material from its surface. It should flow off as sheet wash and at a low velocity. So, we avoid long uninterrupted downhill runs, and we slope the tread ten degrees or so to the side so the water leaves in a slow and orderly fashion. Nothing to see here, ma'am, just keep moving, please.

Most trail work is performed in halfway decent conditions, but it helps to get out on a day when the rain is slatting and you can actually see how the water is moving on the surface, where it wants to puddle and where it wants to channel and erode. A touch of the McLeod here and there makes an immediate and visible difference in what's going on and will stick with you the next time you're working in dry weather.