Our Trails

I went for a ride on Sunday up to one of my favorite trails, Heil Valley Ranch just north of Boulder Colorado. The reason I chose to ride there was the chance to ride some new singletrack. Over the past year the IMBA, Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and the Boulder County Parks Dept have been working on some new singletrack in that area. I have volunteered to help build this new trail 3 times. Once in September 2006, again in November 2006 and again on June 2, 2007. Along with a few hundred others we helped build about 2.5 miles of new trail called the Wild Turkey trail. The original opening was planned for April 2007, then June 2 then July 4. But to my surprise on Sunday July 29, 2007 the trail was still not open for business. Now I know all about red tape and procedure, especially when it comes from the county government. There are procedures that need to be followed to create a sustainable trail that offers little impact to the native wildlife but offers an enjoyable experience to the hikers, bikers and horseback riders who use the trail. But this trail has been given the ok to be built. In fact, I have been out there 3 times to help build it. Now, it is going on 1 year and it is 2 and a half miles of singletrack. This is not a paved road, but a 2 foot wide trail that is basically done. What is the holdup? I e-mailed the Boulder County Parks Dept to ask them the official opening date with no response. This is very frustrating.

Honestly, I think the biggest issue I have with all of this comes from my experiences riding in other areas. Fruita CO, my favorite place to ride, has trails that are hands down so much more enjoyable than anything around Boulder. I have read about all the great trails in the Pacific Northwest, or the trails around Flagstaff AZ. What about Crested Butte or Moab. I have often asked myself why do the trails around Boulder seem so boring in comparison. Boulder CO, a place that is home to world class cyclists, climbers, kayakers, skiers, triathletes as well as many outdoor weekend warriors like myself need a full year to build and open 2.5 miles of trail. And the trail will be fun, but not Joe's Ridge fun, not Porcupine Rim Trail fun.

I believe all of this stems from two issues. One, the trails around Fruita CO were built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers. When you ride in fruita you do not see anyone on horseback on Mary's Loop or Chutes and Ladders. No one walks their poodle on the Horsethief Bench trail. What you do see is mountain bikers riding mountain bike trails. And most of those people seem to be riders that are not new to the sport and understand why we stay on the trail, don't skid out of control and typically yield the right of way.

Two, in most metropolitan areas that serve a variety of trail users, the trails are built to serve everyone. So its hard to build a black diamond run when one user walks his dog after work on the same trail. This creates user conflict and can close a trail to biking, and we lose.

The answers??(certainly not all of the answers) First of all, I believe the people in charge of building and opening trails should be responsible to those end users that have been promised better trails. Second, even though I am not a freerider, I believe we need trails that can serve everyone's needs. If Boulder had a few expert only trails, those riders that want to ride that type of trail would seek out those trails and this would limit user conflicts. What would any ski resort be like if every ski run were blue. So every beginner and every expert skier were limited to the same runs all day long. Not a good experience. Third, I need to be more involved with the planning process. I do understand that along with volunteering to build trails I should be more involved in planning new trails in this area to serve biker's needs.

As our sport progresses and changes, there is a need for our playgrounds to change with us. Boulder County has the potential to be a mecca for biking if given the opportunity. I hope the powers that be will work with us to make this happen.

Mike
7-31-07