Red Mt. Trail Improvement Project – Public Input Meeting – Weds., April 29, 2015

Join RFMBA & Two Rivers Trails between 5pm and 7pm at the Glenwood Springs Community Center to review maps, and learn about the proposed trail improvements for this area on the west side of Glenwood Springs.  An online survey is available if you’re not able to attend the meeting:

Please take a minute to provide feedback on this Project via SurveyMonkey.

The Glenwood Springs Area Concept Trails Plan was issued in Feb. of 2015.  With a priority placed on improving existing trails on city owned lands, the first project that RFMBA and Two Rivers Trails hopes to see implemented is also one of the closest to downtown.

Red Mountain is a popular city owned parcel of land adjacent to local neighborhoods and easily visited from downtown Glenwood Springs and the GS Community Center.  The existing routes include a combination of private land access dirt road (open to the public, also known as the Jeanne Golay Trail), user created fall-line trail segments, volunteer built trail segments, and historic road alignments that now serve as singletrack trail.

This trail improvement project will utilize a combination of existing routes & newly constructed trail to provide a continuous natural surface trail that roughly parallels the road from the trailhead all the way up to the cross at the top of the mountain.  The completed route could be called the “Grandstaff Trail”, after William Grandstaff who lived up on the mountain; the cross was initially put up in his remembrance.

1. The trail is proposed to be open to two-way non-motorized use by hikers, runners, and mountain bikers.

2. The project’s primary goals are: Safety of trail users, Sustainability of the trail’s construction, and the offering of a high quality recreation experience.

3. It is recommended that trail grades be kept at around 5-7% to allow for multiple grade reversals as well as calming measures for downhill users.

4. Given the steep topography, and the anticipated popularity with local trail users, it is recommended to engage the services of a professional trail builder who will utilize machines to design/build a trail that meets the project’s goals.  Volunteer labor may be appropriate during certain phases of construction, including corridor clearing, and will be appropriate during scheduled trail maintenance in future years.

5. The existing user created fall line trail alignments are not considered sustainable, and future closure of these trail segments may be warranted. A portion of the lowest segment is on private land and should be re-routed. However, previous closure/rehabilitation of one section proved to be unpopular with some users.  To determine which closures are warranted, a study of trail user patterns is recommended to be conducted after this trail improvement project is completed.

RFMBA & Two Rivers Trails received endorsement from the River Commission, and are seeking endorsement of this project from the Parks Commission, & City Council.  Comments and feedback on this proposal will be accepted during this meeting as well as via an online survey.  We are seeking funding for this project from the Conservation Trust Fund and other sources, pending project cost. We anticipate that any contracts sought for professional trail construction services will be signed by the G.S. Parks Dept., with project management and oversight provided by Parks Department.  RFMBA & TRT will continue to consult on this project & organize volunteer labor when appropriate.

If you or your business would like to contribute to this project’s success in 2015, please talk contact anyone from RFMBA or TRT!

On the following .pdf, you can check out photos that compare existing to proposed type of trail, and illustrations regarding this type of trail improvement project. Thanks for you support!
RFMBA_RedMtTrail_Map_Narrative_3-3-15_reduced

Feel free to print out and post the event poster!
Red Mt Trail Improvement Project Poster 4-15-15