North Cascades Trail Skills College

This introductory sampler class is for people new to trail work who want an overview. One quarter of the class covers “how trails work,” i.e. basic trail design concepts; one quarter covers trail work safety protocols; one quarter covers hands-on brushing and hand-saw clearing; and one quarter covers hands-on drainage cleaning. This sampler class does not prepare students to work independently. Instead, students will understand a range of trail work tasks and have a good idea of what they want to do under a crew leader, or what class they want to take next.

Intended for those new to trail work who want to learn how to cut brush and small logs to help clear a trail to proper specifications. After discussion of general safety protocols, students learn about safe and effective use of hand saws and loppers. This class also includes how to complete an early-season trail survey to identify and report major problems, especially blown down logs – their numbers, locations, and sizes.

Are you interested in helping certified sawyers to clear trails, but don’t have much experience working with or around saws? Regardless of if you aim to become a certified sawyer yourself, learning to be a safety-conscience saw crew member is an important place to start. This class provides field experience with crosscut saws and axes, but most of the principles are also applicable to chainsaws. Therefore, this class is the place to start, no matter what trail clearing tools you expect to use in the future.

The session begins with an introduction to crosscut saws and axes of various types, and how they work. It then covers their safe and effective use, including a review of trail clearing specifications, safety equipment, the forces of tension and bind, and the practice of situational awareness.

The 2nd day of this class is optional; join us on Sunday for additional practice using the crosscut saws and for discussion around more complex binds. 

This class is an introduction; it does NOT provide saw certification, which is required for those who wish to be lead sawyers.

For curious trail workers who want to understand why so many trails are in bad shape because of how they were made. Learn how better design and layout makes trails more sustainable and less prone to erosion. Introduction to different trail design standards appropriate for different kinds of trails. This class is for anybody interested in these topics, but students with some trail building and maintenance experience will benefit the most.

Learn how to design and locate effective drainage structures. After a comprehensive explanation of hillside hydrology and how trails work when they shed water properly, this class shows students how to design and construct long, rolling drain dips as a way of reducing erosion on existing trails.

This class focuses on the concepts of hillside hydrology and basic trail layout. We’ll re-excavate damaged and cupped tread to re-establish outslope and restore the tread to original or ideal specs. May involve rock work, trail restoration, and more, depending on the work that needs to be done! 

• Layers work best as outdoor temperatures, weather, and your activity level will vary through the day. Follow
  the layering system for your work and camp clothes. Long pants are required to conduct trail work. Long
  sleeve shirts are recommended for sun and insect protection and in some areas are required for trail work.
  • Layer 1: Long underwear tops, bottoms, and socks; made of lightweight wool or synthetic material.
  • Layer 2: Mid-weight wool or synthetic pants and shirt. Can be more than one layer; bring additional
    layers if you get cold easily. Cotton is not advised.
  • Layer 3: Rain coat or other water/wind resistant coat or poncho and rain pants.
• Sturdy boots with slip-resistant tread that offer firm and flexible support. No sandals or sneakers
  while working on the trail but you may want these in camp. Saw students have specific footwear
  requirements. See the Crosscut & Chainsaw Training page.
• Warm hat and warm gloves while at camp.

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat
• Pillow

• Sealable plastic container to pack lunch in
• Plate / bowl for breakfast and dinner
• Silverware
• Cup / insulated drinking mug
• Water bottles / hydration pack

• Sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, lip balm
• Insect repellant
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Daypack
• Alarm clock

• Camp chair (compact)
• Supplemental snacks
• Camera
• Bandana
• Safety gear (i.e. hard hats, gloves) will be provided throughout the weekend. However, if you have safety gear that you would prefer to use, please bring it with you.