Trail Cutting and Maintenance Guidelines

Choosing the Terrain

Three Rules

The primary goal in laying out a gladed trail or woods line is that the result must be fun to ski and snowboard. The need to fashion good ski-able terrain takes precedent over forest regeneration opportunities. If one finds oneself encountering desirable species that should not be cut, ecologically sensitive areas, and other forest features that keeps giving one pause, then it is time to rethink the line from scratch and look for an alternative. People ski and ride whatever you give them, so do not bring them to an silviculturally important place because they will blast right through. No one cares about growing new trees when there is a foot of powder in front of them.

The next important rule is to recognize that one can not get water from a stone. The land is what it is, and you can not make lousy terrain much better by cutting the trees. Removing trees might make the run hold less snow, in which case you made it worse. So be realistic about what you are working with.

Finally, as elevation increases the tolerance of the forest to cutting decreases. At upper elevations, soils are thin, rocky, and prone to sliding. Trees at upper elevations grow much more slowly than at lower elevations. Upper mountain forests are fragile ecosystems subject to the harshest weather conditions combined with stress from manmade pollutants in the form of acid rain. As elevation decreases, the forest grows faster and its tolerance for disturbance in the form of cutting and other human activities increases rapidly. Conversely, natural snow fall, and retention, increases with elevation. Therefore the mid-elevations of ski areas offer the best opportunities for trail, glade, and woods line development. Lower elevations are the most forgiving, but less natural snow fall and warmer temperatures render many ideas unrealistic.

Characteristics

Developing fun and exciting terrain involves having a sense of topography and downhill flow. The best way to accomplish this is to explore candidate runs during the winter on skis, followed by scouting on foot during the warm months. Here are some features to look for:

• Northerly exposure, especially northeast because the shade will maximize snow retention. Avoid south-facing slopes for the converse reason.
  
  
• Rolling terrain is more fun than constant slopes.
  
  
• Mid-elevation northern hardwood forests offer the best opportunities for glade and woods line development.
  
  
• The ground should appear stable without evidence of slides. Look for ground that has as few exposed rocks as possible. High-elevation, steep slopes tend to be unstable.
  
  
• The run should be in the fall line as much as possible. Minimize double fall line sections, or rethink the line altogether.
  
  
• Hardwood stands are more open than softwoods, even without any cutting. Softwoods require a lot more cutting than hardwoods to produce a quality run. If one needs to establish a line in a softwood forest (i.e. spruce and fir), consider where the nearest hardwoods are, and seek to minimize the amount of cutting through softwoods.
  
  
• Plan a wide variety of terrain. Steep terrain is good for powder and provides challenge, but can be very hazardous under icy conditions. When a warm weather pattern and rain have created frozen boilerplate everywhere and finally a little powder falls on it, low-angle terrain is wonderful.