California Army Corps Training Reaches 100 Rangers

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew participates in the 2004 Ranger Training Conference.

Ranger's eye view of Pine Flat Lake from the new trail alignment.
USACE Rangers, Barry and Freddy, carry heavy loads of tools for the group at Hensley Lake.
Rick Clack and Mike Bloom accepting the USACE win-win award, also presented to IMBA at the Bass Lake Ranger Training.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) partnered with the Sacramento District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide training in sustainable trailbuilding techniques to 100 rangers gathered for the 2004 Ranger Training Conference in March at Bass Lake, California.

IMBA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on National Public Lands Day in 2002 to partner at local, regional and national levels to create, manage and develop trail opportunities for mountain bicycling at Corps facilities. Since then, the partnership has flourished with more than 20 joint trail projects around the country, which will ultimately lead to 180 miles of new trail on the ground.

Nat and Rachael Lopes, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, led a three-hour Trailbuilding School for 100 Sacramento District rangers. Topics covered:

• Sustainable trail design
• Basic construction
• Turns, drainage and bridges
• Armoring for sustainability
• Trail assessment
• Proper trail maintenance
• Trail reroutes and reclamation
• Trail user management
• Fostering volunteer clubs and partnerships
• Effective use of signage

At this training, the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew and local IMBA-affiliate, Central California Off-Road Cyclists, were presented with a "Win-Win" award by Hensley Lake Ranger, Matthew Like, for their work designing and constructing trails with Corps staff and local volunteers at Hensley Lake earlier in the year. In addition to the district ranger training, the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew focused on four Army Corps projects in the Sacramento District in 2004:

• Hensley Lake
• Pine Flat Lake
• Abiquiu Lake
• New Hogan Lake

If you are interested in an IMBA Trailbuilding school for any district ranger trainings or for a site visit, please contact Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew coordinator, Aaryn Kay, ( or 303.545.9011) or fill out the application at imba.com/tcc/visit.html. Applications for 2005 are due on November 1, 2004.