RecConnect, LLC
Art and Science
RecConnect- Masters of skillfully and creatively blending art and science in trail location and design.
It isn’t by accident that this flowy trail hugs the edge of the tree line. Doing so anchors the trail and makes the rider feel like he is part of the Aspen grove. It also makes the trail blend and harmonize with the landscape. The trail adds to the naturalness of the setting. The effect and feeling wouldn’t have been the same had the trail been located through the middle of the meadow. The trail then bisects a natural feature and conflicts with the harmony of the setting.
As you are riding, your mind registers what you consciously see (usually the big things like trees, views, challenges, lakes), but it also registers what you subconsciously see (usually the little things like cool logs, stumps, rocks, edges, colors, textures). We call this subliminal absorption and this is where art blends and enhances the science of trail location.
This rock was totally out of character with the rest of the landscape, so the trail HAD to go by this unusual feature.
The shapes, lines, colors, and textures of this cool log make a perfect foreground for the valley view below. Again, the trail HAD to go here and we added a turnout so riders could park off the trail to enjoy the view and photo opp.
This tangled old root wad is a thing of beauty. How often do you see a feature with so much character? The trail HAD to go here and the rider’s eye HAD to be focused at the hole in the root wad. This is art and these features will register with the rider either at the conscious or subliminal level.
This snag is another character feature. Just beyond it are a cliff and an awesome viewpoint. The trail location focuses the eye of the rider directly on the tree so it is perfectly framed against the sky. What makes a great trail great? Finding unusual features in the landscape and capitalizing on them.
This trail was masterfully located between these two rocks and the pine tree. Shapes, anchors, gateways, and edges stimulate our perception of naturalness- the trail belongs here and belongs to the landscape. The trail belongs in this gateway. Tools on the artist’s palette include line, color, texture, shape 2D, shape 3D, contrast, and depth. Look how many of those elements are present in this one feature. It is beautiful and it is a WOW. The landscape on either side of this is relatively homogenous, so it was critical that the locator take advantage of this feature that stands out as different in the landscape. This is a Great Trail.
RecConnect
With our experience, vision, and creativity, we craft:
