Selected Works
Further has had involvement with trail projects in diverse locations and our body of work includes flowy contour trails, tech trails, adaptive trails, and more.
Hickory Ridge Preserve
Location: Naples, New York
Trails: Phase One Construction (3.5 miles)
Roles: Design and Construction
Located less than an hour’s drive south of Rochester, the third most populated city in New York state, the Hickory Ridge Preserve is the region’s first trail network that has been planned, designed, and built by trail professionals. The product of a Trail Accelerator Grant from the International Mountain Bicycling Association, this sustainable trail network features elements of modern trail design combined with a diversity of trail styles. While optimized for mountain bikes, these shared-use trails have received positive praise from hikers, trail runners, and nature enthusiasts alike.
During the bidding process, Further Trail Services made site-specific proposal recommendations that helped to reduce the project’s construction costs while supporting the experience and management goals of The Nature Conservancy. These recommendations included the design and creation of a 100-ft long, elevated stone causeway to traverse a seasonal wetland, as well as extensive drainage and tread hardening techniques for some of the site’s low-angle slopes that are prone to soil saturation. Further also made recommendations to ensure adaptive-friendly accessibility for all of the easier trails of the initial trail network.
Mechanized construction began in Spring 2023. Construction was completed on time, under budget, and exceeded client exceptions for quality and user experience.
This project received generous support from the volunteers of Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists who helped to raise project awareness and assisted with two public work days. Volunteers participated in educational walks of the completed work and got to learn about the design-build process. They also pitched in with trail construction by helping to clear trail corridors of vegetation and performed trail finishing tasks.
The Hickory Ridge Preserve trails will open to the public on June 1st, 2024 (National Trail Day).
Testimonial: “Hickory Ridge's new shared-use trail network is an important milestone for accessibility to the outdoors—and it will serve as a model for outdoor recreation in the Finger Lakes and New York State.”
–Mathew Levine, The Nature Conservancy
Dryer Road Park
Location: Victor, New York
Trails: Hog Hollow, Jasper 2.0, Rufus
Roles: Design and Construction
Hog Hollow is the Greater Rochester area’s first purpose-built, adaptive-MTB-friendly trail. Located in an active park, the project decommissioned two preexisting trails and repurposed the terrain to host a trail that the network was very much in need of: a true beginner trail that functions as a gateway experience for all users. The modern shared-use trail has a bike-optimized design. It is bi-directional, with ample sight lines, and is fun to both climb and descend. Since it is focused on being supportive for A-MTB riders, the trail features a wider tread, regularly in-sloped sections, and fully-constructed, in-sloped turns with generous radii.
This project was a collaboration between the Town of Victor, New York and volunteer members of Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists who assisted with the design, corridor clearing, and hand finishing. The successful collaboration included an additional trail redesign/rebuild as well as other edits to existing trails to promote better connectivity.
The project was supported with programmatic advice from Rochester Accessible Adventures.
Testimonial: “Thanks for your inclusive and forward-looking vision on Hog Hollow. It's a really nice way up and very fun down. I love it. My family all loved it. The other day I overheard a bunch of more experienced riders saying how much they loved it. Kudos on a successful first ‘trail for everyone’ at Dryer!”
–Gabe Ferencz, Trail Advocate and Volunteer
Testimonial: "When I heard there would be an adaptive trail at Dryer, I thought, 'That's awesome but I don't expect to ride it much', assuming it would be an easy green. Wow, was I 100% wrong. Riding up it was great. Riding down it was even better!"
–Tim Franz, National Mountain Bike Patrol
Work completed with the Town of Victor Department of Parks & Recreation while employed as a Trails MEO
Walden’s Ridge Park
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Trails: Assisted with conceptual design and layout, Segment 1 Trail Build School, and construction of Segment 2
Roles: Design, Construction, and Education
The Walden’s Ridge Park project is located on an escarpment slope of the Cumberland Plateau. With over 800 feet of elevation, and abundant rock content, the relatively small site was uniquely suited for a concept design focused on challenging, resort-inspired, gravity trails. The design configuration also includes a series of shared-use trails to serve Chattanooga’s active community of multi-sport enthusiasts.
The project is passionately supported by local advocates from the Southeastern Climbers Coalition and SORBA Chattanooga in partnership with the Land Trust for Tennessee and the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy. An IMBA Trail Build School was hosted to teach locals about sustainable trail design and stonework techniques. Participants constructed and rock armored large sections of Segment 1, a hiking-primary trail.
Segment 2 is a shared-use, bi-directional trail that connects the site’s upper trailhead with the top of two climbing trails and a series of directional, gravity trails. During construction, the build of this trail traversed through some of the most challenging terrain of the site. The resulting intermediate-difficulty-level trail is bike-optimized and flowy with numerous rock armored sections and alternate technical challenges. With its eclectic, active design, it is an engaging warm-up while descending, and an enjoyable, technical climb on the way back up.
Initial planning and design work was done with the Mountain Creek Park project name. The re-branded Walden’s Ridge Park is anticipated to open in 2023.
Testimonial: “Your contributions to the vision and execution of phase one at Walden's Ridge Park were key to a successful project. Through design and construction, you helped our team sculpt dreams into reality. Your attention to detail is woven into the threads of our trail system.”
–Taft Sibley, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy
Work completed with the International Mountain Bicycling Association while employed as a Trail Specialist
Iron Hills Trail System
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Trails: Elevate, Black Ops
Roles: Design, Construction and Education
The Iron Hills Trail System is an excellent example of professional planning and design work that focused on serving the needs of the local community to create an accessible, well-connected trail network that is simultaneously diverse, experience-rich, and very desirable as a destination. Working with leadership from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), officials from Cedar City, and advocates of the (then) Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association (DMBTA), the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) created a 100-mile trail plan for the region, of which over 25 miles has been built since 2015.
During phase 3 of construction, two trails were built: Elevate (1.4 miles) and Black Ops (1.1 miles). Elevate is an intermediate, climbing-primary, bi-directional trail. Black Ops is an intermediate-level, downhill-directional, gravity trail with advanced-level (black) optional features. The creation of both trails incorporated professional heavy equipment operators and hand crew, and student workers from the Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative, who received college credit for their contributions. Black Ops was a collaboration with DMBTA who completed the lower third of the trail and select other portions. A mixture of build techniques and styles were employed, and despite having been constructed predominantly with heavy equipment, the trails regularly blended harmoniously with the aesthetics of the desert landscape.
Testimonial: “Love your work! Thank you for your dedication to making these trails amazing.”
–Nate Hills, Professional Rider (Yeti Cycles)
Video: Follow Cam Friday: A Healthy Serving of Cedar City Jank (entire ride of Black Ops beginning at 2:20)
Video: Trail Champions by IMBA (features on Black Ops at 1:28 and 2:20)
Work completed with the International Mountain Bicycling Association while employed as a Trail Specialist
