Registration for 2011 Trail Skills College is open!

Imagine nearly 200 trail volunteers gathered together for three days of trail skills classes ranging from the most basic 101 "Intro to Trail Maintenance" to the advanced 300 level "Crew Management" and "Cross Cut Certification." Now picture free camping along the mighty Columbia River, free breakfasts and dinners and dancing on Saturday night to an old-time string band.

If you can visual that, then you have a pretty good idea of what the Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College is all about. The event was developed through the efforts of the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) and the Trailkeepers of Oregon and modeled after similar trainings offered elsewhere in Oregon. They quickly attracted additional sponsors and partners including the Oregon Equestrian Trails, Mount St. Helens Institute, Clean Forest Project and WTA.

Last year, WTA played a key role by coordinating the class schedule, volunteer instructors and field sites. In addition several WTA crew leaders and assistant crew leaders volunteered to teach some of the courses.

This year the event will be on April 15-17 and it will again be based in Cascade Locks, OR. Saturday's keynote speaker will be Robert C. Birkby, author of "Lightly on the Land: The SCA Trail-Building and Maintenance Manual." WTA's Trails Program Director Mike Stenger will be a guest instructor, and rumor has it that the Salmon Fly String Band will be on hand for another great performance.

Registration is free and can be done online at this link hosted by the PCTA: Trail Skills College Information and Registration. Hurry! Classes are filling very quickly!