Help finish the new lower Monte Carlo extension access trail for the Prince Creek mountain bike trail system.
Volunteers have been working on this new trail since July and we are almost finished with this great community asset. We still have about 3/4 mile of the downhill section to carve out before we can open it up for riding.
Show up at 8:30 at the end of the pavement at Prince Creek Road. Bring water and snacks. Meal and microbrews will be provided after the session at 4:00 pm.
We all know Tom Blake the trail. . . traversing from Owl Creek road to Snowmass Village with singletrack that is buttery smooth, and gently pitched, with perfect corners, and bursting columbines. In the fall the trail becomes a golden path to enlightenment as the aspens make their seasonal transformation.
But who was Tom Blake the person? A simple Google search had it’s challenges. First, there is another famous Tom Blake. He was an early and iconic surfer and writer who created the California surf style that was brought to the mainstream by The Beach Boys. Nope, not that Tom Blake!
Then there is the trail we all know and love. There are lots of Google results providing trail information, but nothing on the man who was also starting to seem like a myth and a legend. After a few weeks of searching and asking around, an unfortunate event led us to our answer. About a month ago, Tom’s wife, Mary Beth Blake, sadly passed. An article about her passing in the Snowmass Sun shed some light on who Tom was.
“As a schoolgirl, she met her best friend and the love of her life, Tom Blake. The high school sweethearts grew up within 8 miles of each other and after Mary Beth earned her nursing degree from Saint Mary’s College of Indiana and began her nursing career in Chicago, they were married in 1965.
Together, they moved to Snowmass in 1969 after having skied often in Colorado, including attending the grand opening at Snowmass in 1967. They brought to Snowmass Tom’s gregarious nature and Mary Beth’s public-minded spirit, which helped to shape the town as it is today.
With Mary Beth at his side, Tom became general manager of the Snowmass Resort Association at its inception, which he ran for eight years, and their combined efforts helped kick start the resort business into high gear.
Always with Mary Beth’s support, Tom went on to serve as a Pitkin County Commissioner (1980-88) and Snowmass Town Council Member (1990-94). After Tom passed away in 1994, Mary Beth kept alive their community spirit, helping to carve out the popular Snowmass hiking and biking trail bearing Tom’s name in recognition of his advocacy for trail systems.”
So there you have it. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Blake family, and our deepest gratitude go out to Tom and Mary Beth for leaving Snowmass, and the world, a better place.
Great news! Trail building has begun on the new trails below Monte Carlo. Thanks to the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Board, we are now building a single track trail up and down along the new corridor. Now its time for the Roaring Fork mountain bike community who love the Prince Creek trail system to come on out and dig some dirt!
Throughout the summer, every Tuesday evening RFOV will host trail building sessions. Meet up anytime after 4 pm at the end of the Prince Creek Road pavement to join in the fun. Don’t forget to bring a friend. You can also sign up HERE to get on board.
After the dig, stick around for free dinner and great refreshments.
Ute City Cycles is once again offering up an amazing gift to a lucky volunteer this year! This year’s prize is a CIMA RT-5, valued at $4,000! The bike will be in your size, and if you really need a road bike instead… they’ll help you out with a fast bike of equal value. The more you volunteer on RFOV & RFMBA trail maintenance and build sessions, the more chances you have to win the bike in September. Be sure to sign the waiver for each volunteer event you attend!
Congrats again to Mike Fowler our 2015 winner and Grant Henley our 2016 winner!
The Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA), with funding assistance from the City of Glenwood Springs, Alpine Bank, Garfield County’s LiveWell Program, Two Rivers Trails, Catena Foundation, and of course all of our supporting members and sponsors is spearheading the construction of 2.4 miles of new dirt trail that will make the trek a little less of a challenge than using the existing fall-line trails.
Continue reading Introducing Grandstaff Trail overlooking Glenwood Springs
The highly anticipated Buckhorn Traverse Extension which will link the Lower Buckhorn Trail and Buckhorn Traverse with the Glassier Trail is slated for completion in late July 2017. This 2.8 mile segment, added to two miles of the paved Rio Grande trail allows for an easily accessable 8-mile loop in the Mid-Valley.
The project is a team effort among the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
“This ‘jug handle’ off of the Rio Grande Trail will create a loop that’s perfect for after work on weekdays or as something to be incorporated into longer rides,” said Mike Pritchard, executive director of the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association.
Currently, mountain bikers can link Glassier and Lower Buckhorn by navigating between the two trails on old ranch roads that include steep and loose climbs and occasional route finding challenges.
The new trail, which is already under construction, offers more rider friendly flow lines and mellower climbs. Approximately half of the trail with be carved out by volunteers. The other half will be machine built.
Anyone who wants to be involved in building this great community asset can join up with the Aloha Mt. Cyclery trail crew Sunday, June 11th for Buckhorn Traverse Extension trail work. Building trails is a great way to have fun, meet other mid-valley cyclists and enjoy the great outdoors MORE INFO: http://www.rfmba.org/event/crown-second-sunday/.
And don’t forget to stay tuned to RFMBA for more trail building action as we will be posting info on our Thursday evening ride-dig-ride sessions in June and July.
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