S & S Trail Services LLC strives to provide sustainable recreation trail experiences for Mountain Bikers, Hikers and Equestrians across the globe. Our company uses the most modern trail building techniques to ensure a long lasting, quality experience for these user groups. Between our two owners we have over 25 years of experience as both trail users and trail builders for all of these recreation types. We're proud to be the only full-time trail building company in Texas.
S & S Trail Services specializes in hybrid projects working with volunteers and providing crew supervision for community trail building exercises. We have over 200 miles of constructed trail in our repertoire, as well as many trail rehabilitation projects. We also are well versed in construction of wooden trail structures such as bridges, boardwalks, and technical trail features for mountain biking.
In our current climate of rampant obesity, global warming, nature deficit disorder and a general movement away from play outdoors, we see trails as an opportunity to help with all of these problems.
- What better way for a child to learn to be active than a hike alongside a creek not far from home?
- What about providing cyclists with a safe alternative to riding in the streets, allowing them to enjoy nature as they pedal to work?
- How about providing bike parks to children in urban areas so that they can not only play the extreme games on their computers, but also go outside and participate in them?
- If we provide these opportunities, won't we in turn create environmentalists?
- People who yearn to live and play outdoors will stand up and be counted when the time comes, voting to protect our environment and fund our parks.
- Horseback riding on trails can also help us reach back into our heritage with a trail ride experience much like the first settlers must have had, providing educational components to our recreational pursuits.
PTBA Conference
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Mar. 8, 2012 - 9:45 pm
This week, S&S Trails had the chance to participate in the Professional Trail Builders Association annual Member meeting and conference. As part of the Conference, Susan and Ryan took the MTDC Chainsaw Safety and Certification course where both were recommended to be Class B Sawyers.
Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center Volunteer Day and Trail School
Posted by Ryan Spates in Uncategorized on Feb. 16, 2012 - 5:07 pm
S&S Trails has had the privilege to develop a working relationship with the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill, TX. We have helped design a section of ADA trail on the lower portion of the land and oversaw a volunteer group from Altria Corp to help perform the corridor work needed to open the trail so that the improved surface material could be put down. S&S Trails also led the Altria volunteers in cleaning up poorly cut limbs and pungees from the existing hiking trail.
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Project Gallery on Nov. 7, 2011 - 4:37 pm
S&S Trail Services had the opportunity to work at a significant Texas Historic Commission property in northeast Texas in the early Fall. The manager of Caddo Mounds Historic site near Alto was a woman named Jennifer, who had worked with us several years ago when she was an intern at Purtis Creek State Park.
Mountain Bike Trails On Private Lands
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Project Gallery on Jul. 26, 2011 - 3:04 pm
S&S Trails has had the opportunity to work for a few private land owners this year. For one we designed some sections of trail and then helped cut in one section that was very tough building. For the other, we designed and built over 4 miles of trail in three and a half weeks. Both ranches hope to hold events later this year. They are looking at providing recreating to their respective areas of the state and have put in the effort to develop great trail systems.
Senna Hills Cedar Removal
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Jun. 16, 2011 - 3:06 pm
S&S Trail Services assisted Senna Hills and the Boy Scouts of America in creating a fire break along the South West fenceline of the HOA’s property. This is not a typical trail project for us, but it definitely impacts the area the trail is located in. We were asked to supervise and provide equipment for the project. Included in this was renting a 6” wood chipper, mobilizing the chipper and leading the scouts in cutting the fire break. Also included on the scouts’ workday was chipping the pile left by the last crew of scouts to do clearing on the property. S&S Trails continued working for 2 more days, selectively removing immature cedar trees from oak groves in two spots on the property. It is estimated that approximately 1000 cedar trees were removed and chipped during this time period. This opens up the view shed of the property nicely, gives the nearby oaks a chance at a healthier life and ensures the entire landscape wont be choked with cedars in the next 10 years.
Cassels-Boykin Trail Design
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Project Gallery on May. 23, 2011 - 12:04 pm
S&S Trail Services were invited by the Deep East Texas- Routes and Trails Access Coalition to design trail in Cassels-Boykin Park in Angelina County. The park sits on ACoE Property bordering Lake Sam Rayburn. There are sections that have great topography. There are also sections that are almost flat. Planning a fun trail through some areas proved to be a challenge.
Hunstville State Park
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Feb. 25, 2011 - 4:08 pm
Brrr. That about sums up the week we spent in Huntsville State Park in early February.
Montgomery County Nature Center
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Dec. 18, 2010 - 1:00 pm
S&S Trails was called upon by Montgomery County Precinct 1 to install a new section of trail at the new Spring Creek Nature Center. The new section included a creek crossing and lots of yaupon removal. In Addition, S&S spent time cleaning a trail the Boy Scouts of America had built, removing hazard stumps that were left behind and improving the drainage there. The work took about a week and spruced things up in time for the opening of the Nature Center.
GHORBA Trail Clinic: October 30-31
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Nov. 26, 2010 - 2:43 pm
S&S Trail Services completed a weekend-long training session in Houston at the request of GHORBA (Greater Houston Off-Road Bicycling Association), and it was a smashing success! Many thanks go to Russell Adams and the other officers and board members of the club who were instrumental in pulling the event together.
The classroom portion of the training was taught at a newly-opened library next to the Anthills trails, where the dirt-training part of the class was held later in the weekend. Our crew leader Chuck was finally able to attend one of our trainings since it was held in Houston, and he said it was great to learn the theory behind the applied work he’d been doing with us for several months.
National Trail Symposium
Posted by Ryan Spates in S&S Trails Blog on Nov. 20, 2010 - 11:14 am
S&S Trail Services was well represented at the National Trail Symposium in Chattanooga. With Susan attending the conference and networking in sessions and Ryan manning the Professional Trail Builders Association (PTBA) Booth for the length of the event, S&S was highly visible. Our new flyers, compliments of Ideaschema , look really nice and garnered a lot of attention.
