Life can throw curve balls our way, both personally and professionally. At Trailscape, we have built a culture of allowing the tough stuff to mold us. We consider it a refining and defining process. We welcome challenges when we're building trail and in life. Read on to see how we get through tough stuff!
Trail building is both art and science. It is probably better stated that it is both art and technical. It is the blend of art and technicality that makes this business fascinating to us. It is the passion for both that is behind every build.
To expand on this further, our artistry is how we seamlessly blend a trail to compliment nature. How we can make it part of the landscape and enhance the connectivity of people to their land. It is how we create an emotional impact and user experience.
The technical aspect includes all of the details that the average landscaping company would not consider when building a trail. It’s about grading it in such a way that it is easy for people to walk, run and ride without having to stop. It is how we place drains in order to prevent erosion and ensure trail will last decades. It is how we can break through challenging terrain with care and regard for the land.
This begs the question..."How do we get through tough stuff?"
One of the technical challenges for us is getting through rock. In the past, we used a “Breaker.” This piece of equipment is a hydraulic jackhammer attached to the end of our excavator. It worked pretty well, but breaking rock all day is not only exceedingly boring, but it’s very hard on our equipment.
A couple years ago, we discovered a kit called the “Sierra Blaster.” It provides drill bits, minor explosives, and a special head that electronically explodes powerful little firecrackers.
Listen to our lead trail builder, Jeff Larson, as he talks through the process.
As Jeff mentioned, the Sierra Blaster uses little electronic explosives which work much better in very hard rock than in the soft rock. Soft rock absorbs the blast while hard rock cracks. That’s because rock is strong in compression, but weak in tension. So by drilling about 10 inches into the rock, placing a cartridge and filling the hole up with water, we can create a situation where we can easily crack the rock! Doing it this way allows us to use our excavator and pick away the rock. We then distribute the rock along the trail to help with support the tread.
The best part about this process is that it not only saves us time, but saves the client money and does not disturb the landscape! Check it out in action!
As far as getting through tough stuff personally...that's where it takes a team! At Trailscape, we hire only solid people! Our crews are made up of genuinely good humans. We support one another at work and in our personal lives. We celebrate and mourn together. Our community is supportive, caring, and compassionate. We believe that our relationship with one another spills over into every part of our business. We listen to our client's needs and desires and work to make the trail better than they imagined. Our passion comes from the same place, the desire to blend art, technicality, to make a trail worth traveling to.
What we know is that at the end of a tough trail build or when we've gone through a tough time, the end result is a refined and beautiful work of art. The challenges are what make us who we are. They're what help us to learn and grow to become who and what we were meant to be. Whether we're getting through tough rocky terrain or supporting a teammate through a tough time, Trailscape is a business that welcomes and appreciates the challenge!
Contact Us
If you’d like to give your current trail an upgrade please reach out to us and we will fashion a plan for you. Please contact us here, give us a call, or send us an email.
If your trail need maintenance please give us a call at (530) 852-5155, email bryan@trailscapeinc.com or fill out this quick form and we will get in touch with you to get you on our schedule.
Referrals
Would you be interested in having your trail maintained for free? Refer a friend, family member, or colleague, who contracts with us, and we will gift you this service as our way of saying thank you.
Randy Martin
Expert & Exclusive California Trail Builder.
Hundreds of Miles of Trails Designed and Constructed for Private Land Owners.
CONTACT:
randy@trailscape.net
(530) 852-5155
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