A mountain biker cruises down Airline Trail in Sky Mountain Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Sky Mountain Park will open on Sunday, May 15 this year. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
The Roaring Fork Valley is about to get bigger for mountain bikers with the opening of trails in Aspen, Snowmass Village and Glenwood Springs.
The popular Sky Mountain Park trail network will open Sunday along with the nearby North Rim and Seven Star trails. The Upper Coal Camp loop trail in South Canyon, west of Glenwood Springs, also opens on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a great weekend to spend behind handlebars,” proclaimed the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association in its weekly email newsletter on Friday.
A mountain biker rides past the new trailhead at Red Hill in Carbondale on Monday, April 26, 2021. A new trailhead on the north side of the network could ease crowding later this summer. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
Work will begin this month on a short trail that will have big implications for hikers and bikers in the midvalley.
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, the Red Hill Council and Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association are teaming to perform work on the new Sutey Ranch Trail that the Bureau of Land Management says will be “optimized for bike riders, but also open to foot traffic.”
There are countless shining examples year-round of Roaring Fork Valley residents taking action to benefit the environment.
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Roaring Fork Conservancy have outstanding educational programs to nurture a connection with nature among students.
Aspen Valley Land Trust works with ranchers and other landowners to conserve vistas and sensitive lands from development. Wilderness Workshop fights to protect the most important unspoiled lands for people and wildlife.
Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, Independence Pass Foundation and Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association take pressure off beleaguered public land management agencies to maintain trails and habitat.
Local governments have also set the bar high. Pitkin County Open Space and Trails has improved the quality of life for recreationists and wildlife. Pitkin County Healthy Rivers and Streams is taking vital steps to protect our waterways. The city of Aspen became an energy efficiency leader by s