April 2010 Newsletter - Guest Article by Salida Mountain Trails
Salida Mountain Trails is an all-volunteer group of local citizens committed to expanding and improving trail resources near Salida. Salida Mountain Trails partners with the City of Salida, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Forest Service. Key supporters of the group are Absolute Bikes, the City of Salida and Arrowhead Trails.
In the last two years nearly 5 miles of new singletrack have been built in the group’s Arkansas Hills Trail System in the Tenderfoot Hill area. The Arkansas Hills Trail System is conveniently located close to downtown Salida, and stays clear of snow for much of the year since it faces south.
An additional trail system called The Methodist Mountain Trail System will be located on the slopes of Methodist Mountain, south of Salida. The Methodist Mountain Trail System is planned to eventually connect to a trailhead in nearby Poncha Springs.
The most recent Salida Mountain Trails project to be completed, a trail called Frontside, starts directly across from the F Street Bridge and climbs up the face of Tenderfoot Hill reaching the parking lot near the circling part of Spiral Drive. It connects to another recently completed trail called Lil’ Rattler, which passes the back side of Tenderfoot hill then continues north to connect to the Backbone Trail. The Backbone Trail can take you east to Cottonwood Wash, roughly 2 miles of beautiful singletrack away. Or if you prefer, you can make a loop by riding Backbone to the intersection with Tenderfoot Trail where you can loop back to Spiral Drive on Tenderfoot Trail and return to the top of the Frontside Trail.
In 2010 Salida Mountain Trails will start work on the extension of the Backbone in the other direction. When this new segment is complete, you’ll be able to ride the Backbone north for almost 4 miles before reaching Ute Trail (otherwise known as County Road 175). Within the Arkansas Hills Trail System, SMT also has a reroute of the upper part of the Sand Dunes Trail planned and some new advanced terrain trails.
A large planned project could be completed in the Methodist Mountain Trail System by fall of 2010 if Salida Mountain Trails is awarded a grant. Consideration of the grant request is pending as of this writing.
Salida Mountain Trails’ planned systems are based on the Stacked Loop Design approach, where a shorter, wider, easier trail loop connects to options for longer and more difficult trails lead farther from town. The trail systems planned and constructed for walking and running as well as mountain biking.
Salida Mountain Trails is also working to build a Pump Track within Salida City limits in partnership with the City of Salida. Pump tracks provide an opportunity for exercise and skill building at a facility easily accessible from anywhere in town. Pump tracks are fun!
Salida Mountain Trails and its parent organization Salida Area Parks, Open Space, and Trails have a vision for a trail network that includes pathways through the valley floor that connect the communities of Salida and Poncha Springs seamlessly to wildland trails on BLM and Forest Service managed lands. Salida Area Parks, Open Space, and Trails has collaborated with the City to acquire two parcels of open space that together total almost 70 acres.
SMT sponsors Saturday workdays from April through November. Every second Saturday of the month is the Salida Mountain Trails SHINDIG work day, with a barbecue and social after a morning of trail work.
Salida Mountain Trails has been in existence since 2004. The organization formed in response to BLM’s Travel Management Planning Process. A plan for trails in the Salida area was created and was included in the Arkansas River Travel Management Plan, written and implemented by BLM’s Royal Gorge Field Office. SMT was recognized as an official partner in developing and maintaining Salida area trail resources.
In the Spring of 2006 Salida Mountain Trails worked with the City of Salida to design and build the first section of single track, a nearly mile-long trail called Tenderfoot Trail that connects Spiral Drive to the Backbone Trail.
In the Summer of 2008, the BLM completed the Arkansas River Travel Management Planning Process with the implementation of the TMP. At that time, Salida Mountain Trails had a green light to begin building the trails defined in the plan. Since that time the organization has been very busy organizing volunteer work days, writing grants, and planning and prioritizing projects.
You can become a member of Salida Mountain Trails. Go to the organization’s web site: http://salidamountaintrails.org and select the Membership link. You can also get information there about special work days and other ways that you can help. If you would like to help the organization financially, please realize that your contribution is not only tax deductable, but also will very likely be multiplied by grant money. A major success factor in grant awards is the availability of matching money. Help Salida Mountain Trails match grant money and there will be more trails in their trail systems for you to ride! Go to the web site for more information.