Lightly on the Land: The SCA Trail Building and Maintenance Manual [Paperback]

Robert Birkby (Author), Student Conservation Association (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

Student Conservation Association. Field-tested manual.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The SCA, founded in 1950, provides service opportunities, outdoor skills, and leadership training to thousands of young women and men each year. Writer ROBERT BIRKBY has served with the SCA as a crew leader and instructor for more than two decades. He is the author of the current editions of The Boy Scout Handbook and Fieldbook—Boy Scouts of America. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 267 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898864917
• ISBN-13: 978-0898864915
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #731,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE book for trailwork, February 28, 2000

By 

Rita Nygren - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lightly on the Land: The SCA Trail Building and Maintenance Manual (Paperback)

I build mountain bike trails, and although this book mostly talks about hiking trails, the information is good for any type of trail.

I'd disagree with the section on waterbars (not that it isn't a good description of a waterbar, I just don't find they work well/need too much maintenance), but other then that have pointed out this book to a lot of budding trail designers. The drawings are clear and so is the text. The index is good for when you need it as reference.

I look forward to wearing out this book and having to purchase another copy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Practical Book, January 9, 2007

By 

N. Harvey-webb (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lightly on the Land: The Sca Trail Building And Maintenance Manual 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This is a basic book of American trail building practice - some of which are different from what we do in New Zealand - and from which we can learn.
The local Department of Conservation Officer (the Deprtment of Consrvation inNew Zealand is responsible for maintaining the environment in about a quarter of this country and providing access where desirable and required)), was sufficiently impressed that he immediatly asked me to order another copy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great first book on trail building, May 10, 2007

By 

amazonian (amazon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lightly on the Land: The Sca Trail Building And Maintenance Manual 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This is a great first book for anyone to learn about trail building/maintenance. It is general enough to give a good understanding of various topics, gives enough detail to start out but I am waiting to purchase the 2 IMBA books before I put any tool into soil, because I want to build trails specifically for mountain bikes. You can only buy those on their site, and they're about twice the price, but from what I hear they are very detailed. But I still would recommend this book as a first book as it is an easy read.