You wrote:
>I am interested to know how it is that ride managers determine the
>distance travelled down the trail. Do you do it like the FEI requires
>for cross country courses and measure it with a wheel??
When we use new trail for our rides, we drive what we can! (Infinitely
the easiest!) Unfortunately, much of our rides run through wooded
trails, along the edge of wet lands, and down firebreaks where you
cannot drive. In that case, we DO use a surveyor's wheel. We wear out
a lot of shoe leather walking long, twisting loops.
Our landowners will not allow bicycles on their property - too much
erosion. I do know some rides where the distance is measured using a
bike or motorcycle (or even a moped). On the sanctioning form, AERC
asks how the trail was measured and <discourages> estimates.
Linda Flemmer
Chesapeake, VA