Planning a Trail Run & Pre-Runs
Let’s look at the preliminary steps to planning out a Trail Run.
Select your trail
Obviously, the first step is to choose a trail that you are interested in leading and organizing. In this article, we are not going to cover how to find or discover local trails of interest but are just going to assume that you have perused the libraries of trails that can be found in onX Offroad or Trails Offroad. Yes, there are a myriad of sources for trails that can be found online, but for simplicity sake – that topic is for another article.
Both of those software programs not only provide mapped tracks (aka “routes”) but also include detailed Trail Descriptions and sometimes even recently updated Trail Reports or Trail Reviews that provide current status or trail conditions.
Based on your discoveries, you have finally picked out a trail that sounds interesting and not too difficult for you and your offroad companions.
“Just to get a little technical… a ‘track’ is a single .gpx file path; whereas a ‘route’ is a line that you can draw which may include existing “tracks” along with the rest of what you intend to navigate. Some navigation software delineate the difference; other software may use the terms interchangeably. So you know!”
Watch the videos
The next step is to search on YouTube for any videos about that trail. The odds are pretty good that someone has run that track before and documented it. Hopefully, the video was shot recently; but even videos a few years ago will provide some useful information.
Usually I spend a few hours skimming through several. The ones that I am most interested in show a lot of driver’s POV, and cover the whole route. Most casual viewers find those boring and tedious, but I don’t care about the “adventurous story” or the exotic camera/drone angles. I want to know what I am about to be driving into.
What I want to see is the dirt path in front of the windshield, and whatever obstacles to expect. Pay attention to the amount of vehicle shake compared to the landscape; GoPro’s often smooth out the scenic backgrounds, but you can see the shake of the engine hood, or vice versa. That will immediately alert you to the presence of a lot of washboard or stone gardens.
When you find an informative video, pause it as necessary so you can take written notes. The filmmaker may provide some historical background about points of interest, which will give you talking material during your own run. Jot down any discussion about obstacles, and if there are bypasses around them.
Study the trail on your computer
Discovering trails in onX Offroad
Using a laptop or desktop with a larger screen (than your cell phone), open your GPS navigation software (onX, Trails Offroad, GAIA), and zoom in to a satellite view of your intended route. Zoom in as close as the imagery permits, and “drive” the route. Take note of possible detours or early exits leading to maintained roads, just in case the depicted track becomes impassable. Drop waypoints or markers to help you find these contingency pathways, and also to mark any special points of interest.
Don’t forget to create “offline” map images to your computer for your intended track and surrounding areas. These tracks/routes and maps will sync to the copy of the program that you have on your cell or mobile device (but you may have to manually update the map content on those devices). I know that with onX, you have to.
Drive a pre-run
The next step for the Trail Leader is to schedule a “pre-run” of the proposed trail run. You need to drive the route yourself to verify the current track mapping and to document the status of the paths.
Find one or two offroaders to accompany you in their vehicles. NEVER go out exploring on your own. Stuff happens out on trails; even to the best of drivers and well-equipped rigs.
Make sure that your GPS navigation program is loaded with the .gpx track and that you have also downloaded any “offline” maps or satellite images to your cell phone or mobile iPad.
Pre-runs are always interesting. You know what is SUPPOSED to be the route, but until you actually run it – you never know for sure what to expect. Every time it rains or there is a wind storm, the trail changes.
Sometimes it changes for the easy. Washboard and ruts get filled in, and things get smoothed out. Or the trail becomes a lot harder, stones get swept into the roadway, ruts and v-notches pockmark stretches. Ledge or shelf roads wash out and crumble, preventing any further progress in that direction.
Less experienced offroad drivers in stock vehicles should be very hesitant and cautious about going out on pre-runs. We have checked out trails that were rated as 2 or 2+, only to find ourselves having to inch through some serious rock fields, or deal with steep steps and other unexpected obstacles. That 2+ became a 4 or 5 after the rains! Pre-runs are NOT training runs!
Fortunately, not all pre-runs morph into challenges. Most of the time, they turn out to be just as anticipated – or pretty close, except for a slight detour or bypass.
Record your current track as you follow your GPS navigation. Every now and then, you may find yourself driving in a new wash, slightly different (but parallel) to the original .gpx track. This new track you record on the pre-run will probably replace the original track that you found online, and serve as the one you will use later on the official club run.
The first thing that you need to find is a location for airing down. You don’t want to just stop the (future) caravan in the middle of a single lane dirt road; find a wider section or a side spur. For the pre-run, since it is only a couple of vehicles and you all know what your are doing – you can air-down almost anywhere. But think in terms of a larger group, with some slower beginners.
As you progress along your route -- whenever you encounter a fork in the road, or a designated turn – stop and drop a waypoint so you will be prepared when you run the trail with a group. On pre-runs, it is not unusual to be uncertain which direction is the correct one, which is why we record our tracks and drop waypoints. Satellite imagery doesn’t always clearly depict which way to go when two paths suddenly show up close to each other. You may find yourself having to turn around and backtrack after mistakes.
As you encounter rough patches, drop waypoints to document them. See if there are any optional bypasses for beginners.
Keep track of any actual restrooms or vault toilets along the trail. Mark them on your software. Likewise, look for level and shrubbed “rest areas” with suitable terrain to provide a modicum of privacy for “bio breaks”. There should be sufficient (parking) so that your group will not block the road when you all exit your vehicles to visit a bush.
You also want to note any good places for your (future) trail group to stop and set up lunch. Is there a spur where you all can “circle the wagons”, take out chairs, pop up some shade, and enjoy a well-deserved social hour.
A pre-run is not a race. Take your time, and document everything the best you can. Take photos of turns, points of interest, rough patches, obstacles. As you work your way through any obstacles, ask yourself if this would be doable in a stock vehicle without a lift.
Don’t be afraid to explore any interesting spur roads. Very often, lots of offroad tracks may intercept your primary pathway – only to later rejoin your original trail.
At the end of your trail run, locate a safe area for everyone to air-up.
Homework after the pre-run
When you get back home, go to your computer and review your waypoints and notes.
You may have to edit or re-trace your recorded track to remove any mistaken turns or exploratory jaunts.
When you finally do schedule or post the official club run, provide as much detail as possible about what you discovered. Is the trail as easy or difficult as rated? If more difficult, why? Describe any obstacles, and if there are bypasses.
What should other drivers expect? How long is the trail, and how many hours do you estimate it will take. Remember, a large mixed group takes a lot longer than your pre-run.
Being a Trail Leader is not easy. You have to do your homework.
You are responsible for leading all the ducklings (yeah, I am a Jeeper). You don’t want to ask a long caravan of vehicles to have to U-turn in a narrow, one-lane path and backtrack out, because you got lost or the .gpx file you found online was out of date.
But if you plan ahead, and successfully pre-run your intended trail – there shouldn’t be any surprises later and you will earn your club’s respect as a well-prepared and confident Trail Leader.
