As a hiker, I sometimes feel that volunteering to repair or rebuild an old hiking trail or building a new one is worth the effort, instead of just hiking the existing one. It gives you a new experience of the forest surrounding the trails, and also an opportunity to pay nature back with whatever little you can manage to do.

But, before going to the trail work, go through the following points to make sure you give your best on the field.

1. Positive Attitude

Your attitude about things is directly related to your performance in the field. Be open to any kind of work or responsibility that might be allotted to you. A positive attitude and an open mind will certainly increase the chances of success, and might also help you mingle with other volunteers. It is a nice way to meet fellow hikers and make new friends.

2. Dress Appropriately

Keep in mind that you are not going on a hike. You are going to lift and pry rocks, harvest soil and build the surface of the trail. Choose leather boots over trail shoes, take your leather work gloves along with a pair of safety glasses. Take all the stuff that you need for hiking and extra water. Labour drains water out of your body more quickly than hiking.

3. Posture Is The Key

The way you carry your tools affects both your performance and the impression you make on other volunteers. Pick up a heavy load while keeping the pressure mainly on your legs, carry your trail building tools by your side, instead of carrying them on your shoulders, with the sharp or pointed ends directed towards the dirt. Try keeping your back straight while carrying heavy loads downhill. This way you reduce the chances of any muscle sprain, and you will considerably improve your performance.

4. Being Patient Is Important

It isn’t all just picking up some rocks and putting them aside. Trail building is more of a process starting from clearing the floor debris, prying and putting boulders aside, cutting and trimming overhanging tree branches, building erosion zones using smaller rocks and finally settling some soil over the trail. You have to be prepared for a long day of hard work and sweat.

6. Be Open To Learning

With several tasks involved in the trail building process, there is always a chance that you will get to do more than one. Tasks are mainly assigned according to the experience or ability of the volunteer, but you have to be open to the fact that you can be assigned a task you are not really good at. You should be ready to learn about doing such tasks properly. You will also have a better experience if you are enthusiastic and willing to try new things.

7. Hide Your Footsteps

During trail building you have to harvest soil, leaving a pit behind, along with a lot of forest litter, human garbage, and discarded duff. Fill the pits with decomposing leaves, logs and sticks, pack all the human garbage in bags for dumping it in a trash can, and scatter the discarded duff off-trail. Hike trails are inside some natural settings, so while you work, try not to make hazardous changes to the place. Preserving nature should be the top priority.