Trail Design, Construction, Remediation, & Consulting

We believe that a trail is an expression of a community's collective
intelligence and may be reflected as pathways for daily use, trails
for explorations, and other uses.

Principles

Nature & human interactions in the contexts of ethical,
responsible, sustainable use
Local & native materials used in design, shaping,
construction, and maintenance
Services: Designing & Rehabilitating Sustainable Trails
We work with landowners, community groups, and local
government boards to plan and to implement:

Trail layout, design, and construction
Subsurface drainage
Surface drainage
Hillside trails
Steep grades
Stream crossings
Closing and restoring unwanted trails
Historic restoration and remediation
Soil identification and classification
Leave No Trace Ethics Workshops
Administration

Grant writing
Laws, regulations, and policies: local, state, and federal
Information, education, and outreach
Team Members

Michael R. Moore, Coordinator and Trail Designer
Houghton, Michigan
email.michaeltrails@gmail.com

Evert Ugarte, Environmental Engineer
Solentiname, Nicaragua
email.everttrails@gmail.com

Katherine Banham, Ecologist
Mill Valley, California
email.katherinetrails@gmail.com
Current Trail Projects


  Solentiname, Nicaragua
   Fertile volcanic soil results in rainy-season
  mud pathways. Walkways and short bridges
  made from local materials will replace planned
  concrete passings. Soil sustainability is a
  pressing economic and cultural issue in the
  region, and working with indigenous soil
  management practices among community
  food crop farmers allows integration of
  community, agricultural, and ecological
  components.



  Marsin Preserve (Wetlands)
   Houghton, Michigan: yearly snow melt
  and limited runoffs result in substantial
  standing water. Loop trail needing
  maintenance and reconstruction currently
  remains open to visitors while native-wood
  walkways, chips, and possible re-routings
  are explored.


  Carpinteria, California
  Consultants: increased human traffic near a
  popular seal preserve and eroding sandstone
  bluffs has resulted in a trail redesign project for
  this clifftop walk that runs over an oil pipline (15
  feet below); a few hundred feet from a busy
  Hwy. 101; impacted parking for a surfing spot;
  and parallels Amtrak property and tracks.



Lifelong Learning: Copper Harbor, Michigan
A series of trail rides and trail-building workshops sponsored by the International Mountain Bike Association and the Copper Harbor Trails Club provided different perspectives on designing and building trails for a variety of people: hikers, horses, and bikers.

Ergonomically speaking, too, walking or biking stretches of the same trail can yield remarkably different experiences.