Helena, MT: Mount Helena Makeover

Helena, MT receives a visit from the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew.

Fireline style trailwork is very efficient for constructing a trail.
Five year old Josh came with a rake, which worked perfectly for broadcasting the soils downhill during the construction phase.
There is always something for children to do on a trailwork day. Mariah helped pick up the pinflags at the end of the day and collecting vegetation for trail reclamation.
For the construction of the switchback, Nat and Shaheen made sure to use very large and heavy rocks for the retaining wall. A three-inch wide webbing tow strap, rock bars, rock slings and wheelbarrows are essential tools for large rock moving.
IMBA's visit in Helena enticed many experienced trail specialists and volunteers from over 100 miles away. Prior to trailwork they posed in front of Mt. Helena.

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders, Nat and Rachael Lopes, spent a long weekend in July in beautiful Helena, Montana. The Prickly Pear Land Trust and the local bike club, Helena Bicycle Club hosted the weekend to train local volunteers as well as seasoned trail specialists on sustainable trailbuilding techniques.

Two longs days of trailwork resulted in a longer and more sustainable rerouted section of singletrack trail. Constructing the new trail was half the battle. Helena is considered a desert environment, which made trail closure challenging.

The statistics for the weekend were amazing. The volunteers logged over 150 hours of trailwork, constructed approximately 1300-feet of new trail, reclaimed approximately 350-feet of trail, and built a switchback.