MASTER TREAD TRAINER - Organizing a Class

I am trying to arrange a Master Tread Trainer Class in the general NJ/NY area.

Jason Ketterick from Tread Lightly! is going to come over from Utah and provide the training, food, beverages, etc.



There are almost no trainers in the NY/NJ area, especially compared to say CA, CO, etc.

I feel that there's a large demand for Tread Lightly! training around here...and, I want to DO something about it.

There are no prerequisites to take the class, anyone can do it...and then be able to train others. The class teaches everything you need to know to get started, and Tread Lightly! continues to provide support afterwards too.

Its a two day class, it costs $75, and its given on a weekend typically.

We're probably looking to have the class in the Fall.

We are flexible as to where it would be, I'm leaning towards having it at the Wharton State Forest Ranger Station, but, depending on WHO wants the training, and where THEY are coming from, I'll move the location to where most of us are closer to, etc.


We have ~ 12 spots to fill, I'll take one, so that leaves 11 remaining spots to fill.

The first 11 people to make a commitment to saving our off road access get dibs on where and when we DO the class.



Who here is also sick of the closing of off road place after off road place?

Who here wants to fight back?


Tell me if you're ready to fight, and, when in the Fall 2012 would be best for YOU.

This is a chance to help fight off road trail closures, and, a chance to give to the communities that benefit from off road destinations.

Its a way we can enrich the world around us, and in a way that should be relevant to those of us who both off road AND want to be a force for good.

TJ- this sounds very interesting! I would love to attend such a class. Wharton State Forest is doable for me provided it is on a weekend if possible. Over the next couple of months it is going to be a bit hard for me to take anymore time off during the week. Let me know!

Mudslinger wrote:

TJ- this sounds very interesting! I would love to attend such a class. Wharton State Forest is doable for me provided it is on a weekend if possible. Over the next couple of months it is going to be a bit hard for me to take anymore time off during the week. Let me know!

Well, we're shooting for FALL, and, a WEEKEND, so, that should not be a problem at all.



Oct 28 (Sun) is the Annual Pine Barrens Clean-Up, so that weekend is out...but, there was some interest on Oct 20th for example.

Who ever commits early gets to claim dibs on WHEN....so, the first group gets to pick what works for THEM.

IE: WE can pick a weekend that works.

The more people who vote for a date, the more likely that's when we do it.



Is October Ok for you, or would Nov be better? For most, Nov is getting to the holidays...and a harder time to get off.

October is definitely better for me. The 20th sounds like a good possibility. We had a possible Skyline trip planned for the club, but maybe we can switch it to this- I think this may have a bit more value!!

I will chat with our club members and see if we can get a few more interested. Thanks for posting up about this.

Mudslinger wrote:

October is definitely better for me. The 20th sounds like a good possibility. We had a possible Skyline trip planned for the club, but maybe we can switch it to this- I think this may have a bit more value!!

I will chat with our club members and see if we can get a few more interested. Thanks for posting up about this.

Cool.

Let me know as soon as possible, and I'll try to lock it in.



The great thing about this as an outreach effort is that its not a one shot deal...the COURSE is a one shot deal, but the people we can then mobilize as a RESULT of the course, and the potential long term positive impact we can have is much much greater...it allows us to send positive ripples out, and help thousands.

I'd like to attend, will have to discuss going with my wife. Hammonton area works for me. I know the weekend of 12-14 Oct is most likely out since I have requested that weekend for family camping with my Cub Scout pack, and am waiting to hear from my local BSA council regarding the camping request (I am the committee chair, camping coordinator, and conservation badge coordiantor for our pack). From what was originally posted, this sounds like a" train the trainer" class for Tread Lightly, and in addition I'm thinking there would be some benefit I could take back as I work with the boys in my pack as we empahsize "leave no trace."

Its the Master Tread Trainer Class, so its like a "Train the Trainers" class, and the "Leave no trace" concept plays well with this as you already knew.

It includes a lot of "HOW to train/communicate" the concepts and goals, etc as well.

We are finalizing dates in October right now....I'll be posting an update very soon.

I just confirmed our Cub Scout camping trip at Broad Creek is weekend of 12-14 Oct, so that weekend is out for me.

So far, it looks like the Pine Barrens location class will be October 13-14, and the Rausch Creek location will have a class on October 6-7.

That gives two weekends to pick from.

Let me know if those work for y'all.



The above dates are tentative, as I'm awaiting the venues to confirm availability for the sat/sun classes...but that's what they gave me so far.

I should be able to make 6-7 Oct. So looks like RC for me. Do you know if I have to pay park access for RC for the Master Tread Trainer class? If that's the case ($70 for both days, in addition to class fee) I might as well pay for a 5 day pass at RC this weekend.

The class will be separate, so, for that weekend, you would not have to also pay park admission to attend the class. If you ALSO wheel, that's another story.

The classes are 8 hrs per day though, so there's not much wheeling time sat/sun afterwards.

I usually get the 5 day passes anyway, but that's just because I'm out there a lot.

All this talk about the training . . . well I finally joined Tread Lightly. Took out a 3 year individual membership last night. My son's home sick today so I might spend some time on their web site today. I'm pretty sure I understand the basics - respect shared use of public trails; ask for permission before going on private ones; pack it in, pack it out; drive over the obstacle, not around it; don't trailblaze - use established trails; do water crossings only at designated points on the trail; etc. - but I think I'll want to review some more before the training.

Too bad I'm not in the market for a new Jeep or tires right now - I had forgotten about some of the awesome perks Tread Lightly offers its members.

Yeah, there's a lot on the site...there's a pre-test you can take for example.

The Master Tread Trainer class is focused on HOW to teach, not just how to wheel w/o trail closures....so it adds a ton to the info you will actually teach.

We train the trainers...and the trainers train the students...so there's more meat to what we're taught.

The Rausch Creek class is still on for the weekend of Oct 6-7, but, the guy's in Utah who come out to do the training just told me their sched got changed, so I can't do the Oct 13-14th at Wharton class.

IE: The RC one is available, but, I have no Wharton class on the calendar, and we should all try to get to the RC one.

We could convoy up and/or share a ride, etc.

I would like to attend also,that weekend at Rausch would work for me. Is there anything I would have to do before that weekend?

Well, once we have it locked in officially, you can go to the Tread Lightly web site and sign up for the class.

There's a pre-test on the site you can take anytime you want to before hand, even w/o ever signing up. Its free, and self correcting...so you'll eventually get 100%

Other than that, just show up. We supply lunch too.

I'm in for Oct 6th-7th at Rausch! Just let me know when we can sign up!

All I'm waiting on right now is for RC to confirm their informal confirmation to lock it in...

...and that had been awaiting the Tread Lightly trainers from Utah confirming that THEY were locked in.

So, TL confirmed that they were locked in, and now its RC's turn.

The class is set for the Pavilion at RC on October 6-7.



I'll let y'all know when the Tread Lightly web site is ready to take the registrations.
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The Pine Barrens location has scheduling problems...so that one's on hold for now. The one at RC is locked in though.

I'm good for RC dates. Will free camping be available at RC since we're not paying for park access?

OK - Tread Lightly has added the October 6-7, 2012 class at Rausch Creek Off Road Park to their site!

Go Here:

http://www.treadlightly.org/page.php/programs-master/Master_Trainer_Courses.html?t=1


Scroll down on the page until you see the Rausch Creek Class...

And register for the class.


That's all you need to do for now.


(IIRC - you can camp that weekend, I can double check to be sure for you though. I'll be at the Comfort Inn down the road myself though.)

Tread Lightly won't let me register for the course. It asks for me to set up an account. When I enter my current account info it tells me that account already exists. If I try a different account name, it tells me the email address I used is already aregistered to another account (mine!). Is there a way for me to log in under my account and then register?

Green Bay TJ wrote:

Tread Lightly won't let me register for the course. It asks for me to set up an account. When I enter my current account info it tells me that account already exists. If I try a different account name, it tells me the email address I used is already aregistered to another account (mine!). Is there a way for me to log in under my account and then register?

I believe there's a note at the top of the page warning that some people might have that issue, and to just email them at the link they give there.

Its a glitch in the web site soft ware.

Just follow what they say to do on the page...and they'll fix you up.




Pasted from site:

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Important: Please Read Before You Register


Please submit one registration per person, this ensures that we receive all pertinent information in our database.

If you are currently or have been a paying member of Tread Lightly or you have taken the Tread Trainer course before, your registration will not go through because of a a glitch in our database. Please email Tread Lightly! and let us know your name and email and we will make the necessary changes in the database and email you to let you know when you can register. Thank You!

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This is the email - Put registration problems in the subject line (If you click it from the SITE's link....it goes automatically, etc...from THIS site it doesn't link)



treadtrainer@treadlightly.org







PS -


I confirmed with RC that camping is free to the people in the class....Friday night, Sat night, whatever you need is cool with them.

Registered!!! I will probably stay at the Comfort Inn as well. I am good for caravaning up, we would just have to figure out where to meet.