[feature photo courtesy of Angella Sherman, Melissa Dewitt & friend pictured]

If you have recently joined the Top Trail Program membership website we want to welcome you to our crew and thank you for joining us.

You may have some questions! It’s possible that this page may have most of the answers. If you’re still not clear, feel free to post your question to our Facebook group or shoot us an email!

First of all… a little housekeeping
Top Trail is a membership site. Non-members cannot see the tracks you post or your personal information. We work really hard to keep the “riffraff” out but if an illegitimate account does happen to get through, please let us know the name on the account and we will investigate and remove it if necessary.

Because this is a membership site, we prefer that you use your real name (first and last) to identify yourself. This is especially important when it comes time to prepare and print your annual mileage certificates. In the past we have done our best to figure out the proper name to list on the certificates but there are so many now, it’s not feasible to do so. So if the name on your account is “Me and Bobbie McGee” that is what will be printed on your annual mileage certificate (premium members only).

If you haven’t already, Activate your account then choose your level
Top Trail offers different levels of membership. The two primary levels are Premium and Basic. Once your account is activated, pull down the “My Top Trail” menu and select “My Membership” then “View All Membership Levels.” Choose your level and you’re ready to dive into a little personalization of your account…

You’re in, now what?
You will want to personalize your account by adding a profile photo and enrolling any equines you ride or drive.

You should gather up some friends while you’re getting set up too! Search for members and add them to your list of riding buddies. This is especially helpful if you would ever ride one of their enrolled Top Trail equines.

The Reason You’re Here
Of course, that’s to log your rides and watch your miles add up!! So, first things first. The way we get the miles to add up on your account is via GPX file of your recorded ride tracks.

Most GPS apps and devices they will create a GPX file of your track. If they do not generate a GPX file, they will not work with Top Trail. GPX files contain date, time, and location data that Top Trail uses to generate a map, and calculate your mileage for annual, lifetime, and group listings. Click here if you would like to geek out a little about GPX files.

Here are some useful articles to help you get started:

GPS and Top Trail
GPS App Tips and Tricks

Your Choice: Smartphone GPS App or Handheld GPS
So you need to decide if you want to use an app, or a device such as a Garmin. The majority of us who record & track our rides for Top Trail use a GPS app on our smartphones (be sure to read this article if you haven’t already).

EasyTrails GPS is by far the most widely used app because it allows you to record your track with the app and when finished, export it directly to your Top Trail account. There is a one time fee for EasyTrails GPS but is very affordable for the convenience it provides.

iPhone user instructions (purchase the app in Apple’s App Store or iTunes)
Android user instructions (purchase the app in Google Play Store)

If you have another app that you just love and want to continue using it, as long as it will export tracks in GPX file format you can use it. Every app has it’s own way of exporting so please locate that information in your app help pages. Once you have your GPX file, you can upload your tracks manually.

Uh-Oh. I didn’t turn off my GPS after my Ride
This happens a lot. If it happens to you, you can google “Edit GPX File” and find plenty of YouTube videos on the subject. There are also apps and websites that you can load your GPX file and edit it.

Ride Logs
Under the My Top Trail menu, you will find “Ride Logs.” Ride Logs are just what it sounds like, a list of your uploaded ride tracks. At the top of the list, you will see your mileage for the current year and the number of tracks you have uploaded to your account for the current year. You can sort the columns by clicking those with arrows. If you click the name of the track, you will go to the “Ride Detail” screen where you will get more detail and a thumbnail map of the track.

Lifetime Mileage Program
This is the heart of Top Trail. It’s fun to see how many miles you actually saddled up for each year. Read more about it here.

Challenges
When you become a Top Trail member you automatically gain entry to the Top Trail Rider Challenges. It’s fun, and we like to cheer each other on and encourage more time on the trail with our equines and friends. If you want to opt out of the Challenges we’ve made a way for you to do just that. If you do not opt out you will find yourself in one of the the Challenge Divisions.

Affiliate Groups
Available Affiliate Groups will change from year to year. Take a look at what’s currently available and be sure to join the group within 30 days of the beginning of your Top Trail membership or no later than February 1 if you were a member the previous year. If you join an affiliate group after 30 days of your membership you will not be eligible for any awards or recognition the Affiliate Group offers.

Now that you know the basics, feel free to click around the website. Don’t think you can hurt anything! If you see broken links, have questions that you cannot find an answer to or any feedback at all, please shoot us an email!