I went back up and had a look at what the Momentum team has been up to on Will’s Thrill. I’m pretty stoked on what they’ve built so far. This is going to be a trail that you’ll be able to work up to riding completely and something I feel a lot of people here in town are going to enjoy. I took some pictures and video, so have a look for yourself:

Looking down the the first set of jumps near the top of the trail. You can see the go around trail to the right of the jump:

Looking at the take off for the second jump:

View of the landing for the final jump as well as the go around coming back into the main trail:

We’re nearly 50% of the way there with fund raising! Thanks to all of the individuals and businesses in town donating money during these tough times. Everyone at HTC is humbled by all the generous support, so thank you!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that we officially started work on the Will’s Thrill project yesterday, July 13th. I went up there and closed the trail and we expect it to be closed for 3+ weeks while the build happens. Please mind the closure as there is heavy equipment on the trail and there are advanced level features that are being built that won’t be rideable until the trail is fully polished. It’s going to be worth the wait!

The Momentum team is on the scene and walked me through what they are currently working on. Good news is there was some nice lava rock at the top of the trail, so the team plans on incorporating that into the start of the trail. I’m hoping this will add a bit of tech to the trail as I know we had a lot of feedback about that.

Just so you all know, I went ahead and tested out the machine for the boys. It’s in good working order!

I will be out there later this week to check progress and get some more pictures and and update. Thanks to all those who have donated and shared our post. It’s great to see that the biking community can come together and build a trail of this caliber with nothing more than donations to this point. We’re almost there with funds, so share around a bit more and keep the donations coming!

Hey Everyone,

As you know we’re currently raising funds for a new advanced trail right in town. For details on that or to donate, check out our kick off post. A question that may have come up for you is something along the lines of “Hmm, should I donate to a trail that may be a bit over my head or not my cup of tea?”. The answer is probably yes.

Eagle has a great trail network, but having said that, we could probably use a bit more diversity in our trail network. If our long term goal is to have many trails that suite many riding styles and levels, we have to start somewhere. HTC picked this project because the timing was right with the a new connection trail being complete, we had a good feeling about approvals with the BLM, and because the trail just got legalized, there was not a long term president set with how the trail was currently being used. It just made sense to move on this project now. Maybe you want a techy, rocky trail, maybe someone else wants a skills park, and maybe someone else just wants to add a few key connections to create bigger loops from town. All of these would make great additions to our network and all of them require all of us to come together and focus our efforts on each project as it comes up. So, donate now, knowing others will do the same when it comes time to build your ideal trail!

Also, while I have you, here are a few updates/requests:

1. You have helped us raise nearly 25% of our goal in only only 3 days!

2. Our project kids off on Monday! Please let people know the trail will be closed for construction for some time. We will post updates as the project moves along

3. Check out this cool video that our board member Nicky’s son put together. His idea of what Will’s could look like:

4. Share our post with all your mountain bike buddies so we can move this project along as fast as possible.

Thanks,

Rob

Will’s Thrill is one of the newest trails in Eagle that was formalized into the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) trail system in the fall of 2019.  In the past, it was known as “Dirt Surfer’s Love Child” but since it became an approved trail, the trail was renamed to celebrate the life of local rider Will Olson.  

The trail as it currently exists includes many unsustainable (eroding) grades, features, and needs some professional love to turn it into the black level, progressive trail it wants to be.  It saw a lot of use and speaks to the demand of our community for this style of trail for progressive mountain bikers.

HTC and VVMTA walked the trail with the BLM and has gained approval to designate it as downhill only and mountain bike specific.  Over the past few years there have been great additions to our trail system in Eagle.  However, these intermediate cross-country style trails that have been built such as Lov Connection and Hillbilly are not meeting the demand of a growing number of kid and adult riders.  We have heard loud and clear from many mountain bikers in our community that we need a black level, downhill specific mountain bike trail....and this will be the first.

If you’ve ridden the trail before you know its steep, fast, and raw.  Momentum Trail Concepts will keep the existing flavor and improve the trail with jump lines, alternate lines, drops, and progressive features.  It will be the first directional downhill mountain bike specific trail in Eagle! 

The 1 mile long trail coming off of the newly built Hillbilly trail will instantly be a favorite for Eagle residents as well as the many visitors that come to Eagle to experience its trail system and provide an economic impact to many local businesses.

It’s not just for adults, we start to giggle thinking about all of the kids and teens that are going to progress their riding skills on this trail.  While it will be a black level trail, there will be many alternate lines to choose in order to help your progression.

Will’s Thrill and the connecting Hillbilly trail are part of a much larger master plan for trails in East Eagle.  East Eagle, from Boneyard all the way to Salt Creek Rd and bordering the Southern/East ends of Brush Creek Valley Ranch & Open Space, is designated as a Special Recreation Management Area or SRMA.  Unless you’d like to read through the BLM’s Resource Management Plan, in short we can explain the SRMA designation as given to areas intended to be managed with an emphasis on recreational activities.

The HTC plans to build on Hillbilly and Will’s Thrill and improve our network of trails in East Eagle.  This vision includes an additional climbing trail (think Road Gulch as singletrack), a traversing rim trail from Hillbilly to Salt Creek Rd., and 1-2 trails extending from the rim trail into Brush Creek Valley Ranch & Open Space.  We are currently in the planning stages of this vision and master plan.  It takes community support and collaboration with many land managers and agencies such as Colorado Parks & Wildlife to ensure the trails are built sustainably and managed correctly to mitigate impacts on wildlife and our natural environment.

Trail construction begins the week of July 13th with an anticipated opening by the end of August 2020.

June 1st Public Meeting Summary

Board Attendees

Laura Turitz, Treasurer

Nicky Asselin, Secretary

Charlie Brown, Vice President

Robert Tadlock, President

Public Attendees

Chris Kehoe, Jamie O’Hern, Amy Hawf, Chad Milam, Ernest Saeger, Sam Reichstein, Tim McCabe, Miles Henson

Status of Past Action Items

• Buckhorn Fence  Broken - we have made the BLM and they have it on their schedule to fix it. They are understaffed but are currently interviewing for a local office to replace the person we lost last year. This is very good news.

• 2020 Master Plan is under development as we look at signage, new trails and East Eagle development.

• Trail Work Days are a go under the new COVID guidelines. Watch HTC or VVMTA for local opportunities.

• We are soliciting community input for a new signage update. If you wish to know more or have input reach out to us on Facebook or email.

Next Meeting is August 3, 2020

• We hope to have this meeting in person if the county health restrictions allow for it. Watch email and HTC for details.

Dead Cow Fence Issue

• There was an electric fence that came over part of the trail and we contacted BLM and the ranchers and it has been adjusted for the safety of everyone.

• Thanks to a small crew, the barb wire fence at the end of Dead Cow has been flagged to make it more visible in low light conditions. We have suggested that a cattle guard be put in its place instead.

Redneck Ridge Extension is officially named Hillbilly

• Many thanks to all who joined in the conversation, took the time to generate great names, and voted for their favorites. Stay involved for future opportunities to partake in trail building and naming projects in the future.

Trail Work Days

• Hailee Rustad is heading up a women’s only trail work nights. The first one was Thursday on Extra Credit and a great success. Look for more nights to come on HTC and VVMTA.

• Saturday was a work day to fix the troublesome berm on LOV Connector. Charlie and Sam Brown headed up this one and many thanks for the improvements.

• Will’s Thrill is open and dusty. We are currently looking at getting approval from the BLM to add some downhill features. More to come on this in July or August.

• Regular trail work days to start up again soon. If you see something on the trails or have suggestions, drop and update to VVMTA Trail Conditions on Facebook or drop us an email.

Camping Issues on Bellyache

• A number of concerns have been communicated to the town about fire violations, new sites being built and trash left behind. The BLM has sent a ranger in to help enforce the rules. We are also working with VVMTA, The Town of Eagle and BLM to better partner to educate visitors on camping etiquette and fire restrictions. Currently there should be no camp sites below 3 miles up on Bellyache Road. Charlie will be organizing a work day to rock off sites that shouldn’t be used. Here is a link for current fire restrictions here in Eagle County. http://www.ecemergency.org/2020/04/eagle-county-fire-restriction-info.html

BLM public comment deadline for EBikes

• Currently BLM is taking comments on ebikes. A federal order last year allows local BLM officers to permit class 1, 2 & 3 on non-motorized trails. VVMTA is currently drafting an opinion. The comment period closes soon. Details and comments can be submitted here until June 9: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=BLM-2020-0001&fbclid=IwAR2wmVs11ZyTMrmjg7LtnGBtEk-2rP6GPHLuI-PXw9leigwBW-zlHRhc1go

• Proposed rule changes - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/10/2020-07099/increasing-recreational-opportunities-through-the-use-of-electric-bikes

  • If you're not familiar with how to submit comments for this process, they generally throw out random/non-specific comments.  When/if sharing this out and asking for comment make sure to state:

    • Please make your comments on the proposed rule as specific as possible, confine them to issues pertinent to the proposed rule, and explain the reason for any changes you recommend. Where possible, your comments should reference the specific section or paragraph of the proposal that you are addressing. The comments and recommendations that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are:

    • 1. Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and

    • 2. Those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable laws and regulations.

Town of Eagle Update

• The temporary directional signs for social distancing have been removed. The trails return to their multi-direction, multi-user status. 

• Extra Credit re-opened on Friday after and extended closure for Elk and ditch work.

Miscellaneous Items & Questions

• LG Tri Tour De Eagle is looking for volunteers. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090844a4af22abff2-lgtri2020

• Can we put signage at the bottom of P&I for no foot traffic - no multi-directional, multi-user. 

• Is there a sign at the top/bottom of Lov Child (Will’s Thrill) - not yet but will be when directional status is finalized and part of signage plan. 

• Is there a chance we could add another board member or two- yes, what do you want to do? We need help fundraising, leading trail crews and starting Adopt-a-Trail and Wildlife Ambassador programs here in eagle.

• Are there plans to develop more trails in the area of Mikes/Deadcow and/or Sawmill? Yes, what are your ideas? Wolverton reopen?

  • Mike our previous USFS rep said they’d consider Wolverton whenever the logging is done.

The Vail Valley Charitable Fund is looking for some valley mountain bikers to help run the new Tour de Eagle community bike ride. If you’re interested in helping out, please visit: visit www.lgtri.com or reach out to

brooke@vvcf.org or info@hardscrabbletrailscoalition.com

The Vail Valley Charitable Fund is pleased to announce the 1st annual LG 'Tour de Eagle' Mountain Bike Ride on Friday, July 10th at 5:30pm at the Mountain Recreation Eagle Pool & Ice Rink located in beautiful Eagle, CO!

As part of the 12th annual LG Tri & 8th annual Kids LG Tri on July 11th, the celebration kicks off on Friday, July 10th with registration, music, food, beverages and a silent auction preview.

NEW this year is the ‘Tour de Eagle,’ which will begin at the Eagle Pool & Ice Rink at 5:30pm and include 2 different ride options - Boneyard or Haymaker. This is not a competition - just a fun ride for a great cause!

There is a suggested donation of $15, which includes the mountain bike ride, music, food and Bonfire beer! Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided as well. All proceeds go to the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, a local organization created in 1996 to assist individuals who live and work in the Vail Valley who are experiencing financial hardship due to a medical crisis or long-term illness.

To register, sign up to volunteer or for more information on the 2019 LG Tri, visit www.lgtri.com.

A huge thank all of our sponsors who make this event possible, including our presenting sponsor Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, as well as Alpine Bank, Architecture Engineering Consultants, Calvary Chapel, Comerford Insurance, Eagle Ranch Association, Gallegos Corporation, Town of Eagle, S&H Roofing, Main Street Grill, Moes BBQ, Mountain Pedaler, Mountain Recreation, Vail Resorts Epic Promise, Vail Honeywagon, Bonfire Brewing, KZYR, United Way, Vail Valley Cares, Vail Daily, Xerox High Country Copiers and Rocky Mountain Reprographics.

We are pretty excited to have continued access to our trails and public lands during this unprecedented time. Eagle County continues to support our access to trails and public lands in the latest public health order. Please help us by respecting these new guidelines. We are in this together to keep our access to trails and maintain the progress we’ve made these last 6 weeks.

In this edition of HTC ramblings, we look at:

• The new public health order and recreational impact

• Current directional bike routes for social distancing

• Defining directional trails and how they might work in Eagle in the future

• How the “rules of the trails” have helped negotiate the trail access we have

What is the new public health order and how does it impact recreation?

The Town of Eagle placed directional signs on a few trails to direct BIKES ONLY for social distancing. The new public health order still requires 6 feet of social distancing so these signs will stay in place until the order is revised.  Bikers still need to yield to everyone including uphill bikers. Do your best to pass each other where the trails naturally widen to maximize space and protect the trails. Pull up a buff to cover your face to protect the people you are passing. When social distancing is no longer required, Eagle Ranch Loops, Boneyard and LOV will go back to being two-way so everyone can enjoy all the fun ways we explore our trails. 

The public health order also asks us to wash hands, cover your face, stay home when you’re sick, and if you’re sick, get tested immediately. For recreation, not much else has changed. 

• Eagle County trails are for residents only so continue to stay close to home when recreating.

• Please keep dogs on leash on all trails.

• Please do not park on neighborhood streets.

• Make the health of yourself and others the #1 priority. 

• Go outside but do so cautiously. 

• Stay close to home. 

• Be safe, eliminate risk, wear a buff or mask. 

• Respect closures, be a steward.

If you are tired of reading the news and are curious to learn more, here are some fun facts and answers to a number of questions we’ve been getting over Facebook, email and our website.

What are the current directional routes for social distancing?

• Up Boneyard, down Redneck, Pool & Ice. The elk are still hanging out and eating yummy hay on Haymaker. Varsity and Extra Credit are closed for the wildlife. Please stay off Dirt Surfer and Will’s Thrill until the elk move up valley.

• Up 2nd Gulch and 3rd Gulch

• Down Mayer

• Down Riddle and Wall

• Down (clockwise) Baileys

• Up Turniphead

• LOV clockwise from 3rd Gulch to Abrams

Can we keep the directional trails in place after social distancing ends?

Nope. Not on these trails. Eagle Ranch Loops, Boneyard, and LOV have been designed and historically ridden in many directions. Jeff likes to run up Baileys. I like to ride down Boneyard when Pool and Ice is dusty. Laura likes to ride up Bailey’s because it’s a great climb and connector. My husband Greg likes to ride LOV from Abrams because it’s a bit more punchy and jumpy. John loves to ride up Elmers to access Tick Ally and World’s Greatest. We feel it’s not good management to take those choices away by making those trails directional for bikes.

So when do directional trails improve the trail experience for everyone? Below is some background. And if you are really interested, here’s a 98 page PDF that explores how IMBA and the BLM are working to define Quality Trail Experience for us all, now and into the future as trail building progresses.

A directional trail means there is a suggested riding direction for bikes. On shared-use trails, like ours, other area have implemented this with signs like “this trail is more fun if you ride this way.” Trails are still two-way traffic and bikers must still yield to hikers, horses and runners and uphill bikers should they encounter them. A directional trail can be really helpful to visiting users in planning fun routes. It doesn’t give bikers a green light to go as fast as they want as consequences for collisions still exist.

A down-hill trail means “downhill only” with restrictions on uphill traffic for bikes. Hikers and horses are encouraged to use that trail “at their own risk” due to high-speed traffic. A down-hill designation changes the trail type from shared-use to preferred-use. While preferred-use trails allow two or more user types to access a trail, they are designed to primarily accommodate the experience of only one of the users- in this case bikes. This type of trail can work when a new trail is planned with this designation and the community supports it. Other groups have implemented this safely with signage at the top and bottom that clearly states:

• Bikes: Down-Hill Only (at the bottom “Do Not Enter- No Uphill Traffic” should be added)

• Hikers and Horses: High Speed Traffic - Enter at Your Own Risk

"Are there trails that we can designate as down-hill only in Eagle?"

HTC has started the conversation with the BLM and our community. We are evaluating trail usage, signage, safety, and access across all our user groups so that any recommendation will actually make our trails more fun for everyone. We are also discussing what current trails, if any, would fit the bill along with planning for future trails and trail alignments. More to come in May on this topic.

As always, assume others are out and about and ride under control.

Why are the “Rules of the Trails” so important to follow? 

Our trails are designated shared-use because they allow two or more distinct user groups to access a trail and best accommodate the needs of the broadest array of users. Sharing helps build a trail community as everyone is encouraged to cooperate to protect a common resource, establish mutual respect and inspire courtesy. Shared-use trails take better advantage of available space and trail mileage with less environmental impact. Quite simply, they provide more trails for everyone to enjoy. It is how we have negotiated the access and trails we have today with the Town of Eagle, landowners, BLM, CPW and NFS.

Why do bikes have to yield to everyone?

Back when mountain biking was just getting started, IMBA launched its Rules of the Trail in 1988 to educate mountain bikers and serve as a pro-bike advocacy tool. These guidelines for responsible riding have been adopted by land-management agencies nationwide. These rules are a critical agreement in the negotiation process to get the trail access we all enjoy today. All of us have critical impacts on the landscape, the trails, the animals and other trail users so to make sure we all play nice, it was agreed that we share the trail by:

• Bikers yield to hikers and horses 

• Hikers also yield to horses because, you know, they are riding horses

• Bikers also have to yield to uphill riders because it just makes sense

Please know the rules, share the rules and most important, get outside and share a beer (with someone in your household of course!) Have a great weekend!

To keep up to date on HTC happenings, hear about trail work and volunteer days, please sign up for our email list.

We had a great turnout for our first public meeting. Thank you everyone for your time and input.

Click here for the meeting minutes.

And if you were unable to attend, here is a recording from the meeting:

Here are a few of the important highlights:

• BLM notified us that winter wildlife closure is through April 15th with trails open on the 16th.

• VVMTA and HTC are now partners to create a one valley wide advocacy group for multi-use trails. Our combined resources can take our groups to the next level. Membership in HTC also included membership to VVMTA. You can donate directly to HTC for local trail projects through the website.

• Respect winter wildlife closures as it’s critical to protecting wildlife, our partnerships with land managers, and continued access to our trails. The elk are still active in Haymeadow. Pick another ride other than Dirt Surfer, Will’s Thrill, Extra Credit and Varsity Loop until May when they typically move up valley.

• HTC is creating a strategic plan to drive the organization. The plan includes board meetings every other month with 4-5 community meetings, community outreach and education, bi-weekly trail work days, and new trail projects.

• BLM approved directional signage on the following trails:

  • Pool & Ice

  • Dirt Surfer

  • Will's Thrill (new trail that came into the system with the EA last fall)

  • Elmers

  • World's Greatest

    Hikers, bikers and horses can still go up directional trails but there is directional signage at the top and bottom. Next step is signage and public communication.

• There are a lot of trail etiquette considerations for the COVID-19 public health order. Check out our facebook post for all the details.

HTC and VVMTA are partnering up to create a single county-wide trails organization that improves soft surface trails through maintenance, advocacy, and new trail building.

Join us on April 13, 6:30 pm for our first meeting. We will be hosting a Zoom meeting with social distancing in place.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/970861268

Meeting ID: 970 861 268

Meet our new board, and learn about our new partnership with VVMTA. 

Get the details on our 2020 Plan, trail days, and how we are going to finish up the new Redneck Ridge extension.

Winter Wildlife Closures in Eagle end April 15th so riding is just around the corner (full list of seasonal closures). But if it’s anything like last spring there could be mud and trail opening delays due to wildlife. Don’t ride muddy trails, be nice to our wildlife, and check Trail Forks often (Eagle's Trailforks conditions ). We will do our best to get the word out as conditions develop.

Important Dates

• April 13 - HTC Meeting on Zoom

• April 15 - Trails Open (if they are DRY)

• May 2 - Tentative Workday to finish Redneck Ridge Extension

• June 1 - HTC Meeting @ Boneyard’s Colorado Workspace Community Room

• June 12-14 - Eagle Outside Festival and Bonfire Block Party

• August 3 - HTC Meeting @ TBD

Be sure to watch for announcements on Bi-Weekly trail workdays and special events.

Volunteers Needed

New East Eagle Trail Approved and Ready to Build!

Thanks to the volunteer and financial support of HTC members, the Town of Eagle, and the BLM, the following has been funded and completed:
1. Botany study to make sure the new trail steers clear of Penstemon
2. Archaeology study including consultation with Eastern Ute Native American tribe
3. Flagging of the trail following requirements from #1 and #2 above

What’s next?

HTC and VVMTA are partnering to build this new trail. This week there will be a Mini-X clearing sage on the trail corridor. As soon as that is complete we'll need volunteers to finish the job with hand tools.

Saturday, October 26 11:00 am – 3:00pm

Meet on Bellyache Road just East of the Dirt Surfer Trailhead (Click here for link to Trailforks POI)

Saturday, November 2 11:00am – 3:00pm

Meet on Bellyache Road just East of the Dirt Surfer Trailhead (Click here for link to Trailforks POI)

Please sign up here so we know how many people to expect.

IF dry, you can ride up. We can also carpool up Bellyache Road, meet at 10:30 at the parking lot on the corner of Bluff & Mill. Please let us know if you want to drive or be a passenger and we'll try to put together groups.

Trail building tools will be provided. Please bring water and your own work gloves. Wear long pants and sturdy shoes. We'll have some snacks on site and beer and food after each work day.

Note: All trail work is weather dependent. If it's muddy and we can't get to the work site without causing trail damage work days will be postponed.

Thanks to everyone who have helped make this trail a reality!

Questions? Contact Laura Turitz 970.306.5681 or Charlie Brown 970.328.3478