Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Visits Jackson Wyoming

Joey and Nicki team up with trail specialists from Bridger-Teton National Forest, Friends of Pathways, Jackson Hole and Snowking ski areas.
Finishing two days of trailwork on the increasingly popular Putt-Putt trail just outside of Jackson.
Jackson has several miles of awesome singletrack accessible right from town.
This was Nicki and Mogli's final Trail Care Crew visit. Thanks for your hard work Nicki!
Joey says goodbye to the Tetons and heads east towards the Dakotas for his next assignment.

June 15-18, 2001

We returned to Jackson this year on the invitation of Linda Mergliano of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Dave Vandenberg of the IMBA-affiliated group Friends of Pathways. The timing of the event was perfect as Linda needed solutions to trail issues and Jackson Hole Ski Resort is beginning a brand new multi-use trail system.

Our first meeting was with Connie, co-owner of legendary Jackson Hole Ski Resort. Also present were engineers and trail designers for the new trail system. We shared past experiences from other ski area trail layouts we've seen. One of the most important features is having trails that separate trail users of different skill levels. As the sport of downhill mountain biking increases, ski areas can really profit from this exciting new genre. We stressed how important it is to involve local riders in course design. They'll help create appealing routes and gain pride in their local trails. We discussed ways to make a downhill course sustainable by utilizing natural rock. Everyone agreed the perfect trail system would have trails for everybody, segregating faster users from slower users. Finding ways to minimize maintenance was also an important part of our meeting.

The next day we held a Trailbuilding School, which featured a slideshow on dream trails, and the steps needed to create such gems. Attendees included trail specialists from the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Friends of Pathways, and Snowking and Jackson Hole ski areas.

Our third day we spent laying out a new section of the Putt-Putt Trail. Twenty people volunteered part of their weekend to design and construct a new section of the Putt-Putt. Afterwards we rode the new section that included many new twists and rocky features. The twists and rolls make the trail interesting while also keeping water off the tread.

That night we had a farewell dinner for Nicki and an evening at the infamous Million-Dollar Cowboy Bar. Nicki and her black lab Mogli are moving on to other adventures after accompanying me for 15,000 miles of travel and trailwork in the western states. Starting in Oklahoma, working through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada and ending on a great note in Wyoming. Nicki inspired hundreds of volunteers and will genuinely be missed by everyone.

We were treated to dozens of fantastic trails in Jackson and even took a drive through spectacular Teton National Park. Many thanks go out to all the great people of Jackson for such a wonderful visit.

Joey, Nicki and Mogli - Trail Care Crew #2