Mission
NOVA Jeepers Trail Guides foster a community of people having fun while understanding safety and stewardship of the land through Tread Lightly principles. Trail guides will share experiences and create safe educational opportunities to build foundational off-road competencies. The trail guide program places a priority on equipping new members interested in off-roading with the basic skills needed to safely embark on their offroad adventure. NOVA Jeepers trail guides complete a series of online-courses and participate/lead trail rides prior to the member receiving their Trail Guide banner.
NOVA Jeepers Trail Guides give back to the club by acting as a trusted resource within the membership ranks. NOVA Jeepers serve as ambassadors to get more members onto the trails and participating in the off-road aspect of the Jeep lifestyle.
What does it take?
To become a NOVA Jeepers trail guide, members need to:
Complete a series of online courses, with an 80% pass rate
- Utah OHV Safety Course (.5 Hours) and provide completion certificate
- T.R.E.A.D. Lightly Certification (.5 Hours) and provide completion certificate
- E3 Offroad Off-Road Driving Techniques course (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- How to safely fail on a hill – manual 4×4 edition (.25 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- How (not) to park a 4×4 on a hill (.25 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- E3 Offroad Off-Road Recovery course (1.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- Rollover Recovery (1 Hour) and complete knowledge check
- Real World Recovery Forces (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- Why are recovery gear ratings so terrible? (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- 9 ways to rig a 4×4 winch using 1 snatch block (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- 6 ways to rig a 4×4 winch using 2 snatch blocks (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- 4X4 recovery snatch blocks – can you get it wrong? (.5 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- Wilderness First Aid (4 Hours) and complete knowledge check
- Intro to GMRS (1 Hour): and complete knowledge check
- Complete the following One-Time in-person activities:
- Lead / Tail / Participate in the new to Jeeping Run
- Complete in-person knowledge check
- Lead / Tail at least one ride a year
In Person Knowledge Check
An in-person knowledge check is required to demonstrate select basic skills learned throughout the course. You will be expected to use the STOPA Checklist to perform the following recoveries:
- Single Line Pull
- Double Line Pull
The trail guide candidate will be evaluated by an existing trail guide, or Officer. The You will be evaluated against the steps outlined in the Basic Guide to Winching. During the evaluation, the trail guide candidate should expect to supply all recovery gear and use their own equipment. Use of course materials is allowed, if the trail guide candidate has it as part of their recovery kit.
At the conclusion of the evaluation, the trail guide or officer will review any issues with the trail guide candidate and inform the club secretary if the candidate passed the in-person evaluation.
FAQ
- I have been wheeling for decades, can I get grandfathered in?
“The more you learn, the less you know” – The course requirements are a baseline set of skills required of NOVA Jeepers trail guides – which are validated by knowledge checks. If you believe you have nothing more to learn on any of the topics, you may “test-out” by completing the knowledge checks and not - Why does NOVA Jeepers have this program?
The “why” is in the program mission statement – The off-roading aspect of the Jeep Lifestyle presents real risk, and can be challenging for new off-roaders. NOVA Jeepers Trail Guides give back to the club by acting as a trusted resource within the membership ranks. NOVA Jeepers serve as ambassadors to get more members onto the trails and participating in the off-road aspect of the Jeep lifestyle. - As a Trail Guide, what is in it for me?
Self-improvement, and maybe learning a thing or two. Trail Guides are volunteers and do not receive any compensation for their involvement in the program, identical to Committee Leads, Officers, and BOD. Trail Guides volunteer their time to give back to the Jeeping community to offer educational and experiential opportunities to build foundational off-road competencies. - What are the annual requirements to maintain my Trail Guide status?
Trail Guides are expected to lead / mid / tail one trail ride a year. - What happens if a Trail Guide fails to meet the annual requirements?
Eligibility for continued membership as a NOVA Jeepers Trail Guide will be evaluated annually. Should a Trail Guide member fail to meet the continuing trail ride requirements, they will be removed from the program. - Are only trail guides able to lead NOVA Jeepers sponsored rides?
No – there is no requirement that NOVA Jeepers sponsored rides be led by those who have completed the trail guide program. - How is my progress tracked/validated as I complete the knowledge checks?
Results of the knowledge checks are centrally collected via Google Sheets and are reviewable by NOVA Jeepers Officers. Once notified, officers will confirm the member has met all requirements and issue the trail guide certification.