Mountain bikers enjoy a ride in Horse Gulch recently. In an attempt to add some challenging terrain to the area, the city included a rework of Medicine Trail in its draft plan, starting at the top of Raider Ridge, at the same point where Snake Charmer takes off./Photo by Jennaye Derge

Trail blazer

City trails plan closes some rides; opens door to others

by Tracy Chamberlin

Whether it’s the mountains, the river or the trails, open space is key to the outdoor lifestyle celebrated by residents and visitors to Durango.

In an effort to map, manage and protect Durango’s open space and trails, the city created the Natural Surface Trails Committee about a year ago.

Along with representatives from the city’s Parks and Recreation and Natural Lands Preservation advisory boards, Trails 2000 and the La Plata Open Space Conservancy, city officials began cataloguing existing trails, noting their condition and the impact they had on the environment.

Since then, the committee has sifted through public comment, discussed policy and pondered possible actions.

Those efforts came together in a draft report called the “Natural Surface Trail System Analysis and Recommendations,” which was released this month. The report maps the current trail system and makes recommendations for some that could be added, others that could be re-routed and some that could be closed.

The big debate is about the trails on the chopping block. Typically they are called “social trails” or “user-created trails,” the building of which were not sanctioned by the city. Those trails could be having adverse effects on the environment, like soil erosion and loss of vegetation, according to the report.

Mary Monroe Brown, executive director of Trails 2000, said the community is interested in preserving the local trail system, citing a recent survey in which trails were the No. 1 response of what residents said they wanted or needed for the community.

She called the report a living document, and said Trails 2000 plans to make proposals for alternate routes to those slated for closure in the near future.

Most of the city’s open space and trails are in four parks: Twin Buttes, Dalla Mountain Park, Horse Gulch and Overend Mountain Park.

The Twin Buttes area, which is considered a collaborative effort between Twin Buttes, Trails 2000 and the city, isn’t slated for any major changes. The plan is to simply keep up with maintenance and look for permanent parking options in the area.

Dalla Mountain Park, aka Sailing Hawks, on the north end of Durango, includes multiple trails and is also a popular bouldering spot. However, according to the report, most bouldering spots do not have direct access along the official trail system. “As a result, user-created spur trails proliferate,” the report stated.

The city plans to work with the local bouldering community to identify and map primary access routes. This would allow users to enjoy rock climbing and help reduce the impact to the land, the report states.

The city is also planning to close some user-created trails throughout its network. One highlighted in particular is on the southern flanks of Animas Mountain. It is described in the report as “a connection between the Ponderosa Trail 4 and the Animas Mountain Connector Trail.”

This connection, like many of those on the chopping block, have what’s called progressive mountain biking features. These types of trails have typically been tweaked by riders with jumps, berms and other features, making the ride more challenging and, for some, more fun.

The rub is that the city did not sanction the creation of those trails or the additions. It’s illegal under city code to cut or dig a trail on city land without approval. Therefore, these types of trails are considered illegal and many are scheduled for closure.

Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said it’s not out of fear of being sued, it’s more out of responsibility of being a good land manager.

In the report, the city acknowledges the connection trail between Ponderosa and Animas Mountain is one that residents want to see stay open. However, according to the report, the area was previously undisturbed and mitigation efforts can help return it to its original condition.

Most trail closures recommended in the report are found in Overend Mountain Park.

The first area of interest would close user trails in the meadow, near the intersection of the top of Ned’s Hill (aka the “Star Wars” climb) and Hidden Valley. The city is also proposing closing the lower portion of Ned’s Hill, a notorious lung buster that climbs straight up to the concrete pad, in favor of more user-friendly switchbacks. Third on the list is a newer area known as the “Dump Jumps,” nicknamed for its proximity to the old landfill, south of Hogsfoot and the Spirit Trail.

Mountain biking has evolved in recent years, and along with it the equipment, allowing riders to take on greater challenges. The process for developing new terrain, however, is not necessarily moving at the same speed.

Durango Devo coach Sarah Tescher called the process of creating new trails through proper channels daunting and unattainable to most. “That’s why illegal trails get built,” she explained, “because the process is too long.”

Along with other Devo coaches, Tescher’s son starred in a video shot at the Dump Jumps, which she shared in her official comments to the city. She said she wanted to show that not only were those trails used, but who used them.

Some of the trails in the area, which is actually on county land, were under consideration for closure. But it has since been taken off the chopping block and is now considered a “special emphasis area,” worthy of more study.

“The City will work with advocates and La Plata County to determine what it might take to allow the ‘Dump Jumps’ area south of Overend Mountain Park to become an official part of the trail system,” the report reads.

Tescher said she understands the city’s desire for sustainability and protection of the environment, but some of the areas the city has considered closing are playgrounds for Devo riders and others. “They get used by kids, not some renegade subset,” she said.

Metz said the community’s need to have challenging trails in the system is the reason the city built Snake Charmer in Horse Gulch in 2013.

In an attempt to add similar terrain, the city included a rework of the nearby Medicine Trail in its draft plan. Starting at the top of Raider Ridge, at the same point where Snake Charmer takes off, the city refers to the Medicine Trail as “a long established user-created route that has been recommended for improvements to build upon the experience found on Snake Charmer.”

The biggest changes to Horse Gulch are in the southwest corner, where the park is easily accessed from downtown. Like the Meadow and Dump Jumps in Overend, it’s considered a special emphasis area and slated for further discussion. One trail in that spot is slated to close.

Although certain parks or trails are known for hiking, biking, bouldering or any other activity, all the city’s open spaces are considered multi-use. They are meant to offer opportunities for bikers, hikers, runners, dog walkers, bird watchers, equestrians and anyone else who wants to enjoy the city’s open space, Metz pointed out.

“We have multiple values we’re trying to conserve with this open space,” she said.

And, with several areas tagged for further examination, a dynamic natural environment and ever-evolving sport, the trails talk won’t likely won’t end with the deadline for public comment, slated for Thur., April 30. n

To comment on the draft plan, email rec@durangogov.org. To check out the Durango Devo video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci0O5N2wXBg.