September 4 Weekend Trail Report

Although many of you may be changing your weekend holiday plans due to the inclement weather that has been rolling through our area, the flip-side should be that we are currently getting an early taste of fall here within our trail system.  Cooler temps and a moderate amount of precipitation have really changed the feel of being out on the trails compared to the heat and smoke that we were experiencing only a few weeks ago.  Because we have experienced a series of these rain storms in quick secession it is possible, if not likely, that there will be some sticky areas in all of the usual spots around the system (think parts of the Military Reserve, Table Rock, and Hidden Springs trails to name a few). We are hopeful that, due to very dry conditions before the weather change, that all of this moisture will soak into the ground quickly and avoid keeping folks off the trails during the long weekend. Once conditions do dry, it should make the trails nice and tacky again which we haven’t experienced in a few months now! In the meantime, please continue to recall the muddy trail etiquette and make the choice to turn around if you find yourself going off trail to avoid stick, sloppy sections of trail. Trail Etiquette

As for other news and notes regarding what’s happening within the trail system that you should be aware of now and in the near future:

The Around the Mountain Trail will continue to be partially closed this weekend and into the foreseeable future due to work being done on the ski trails on the back side of Bogus Basin. You can still utilize the first half of the trail going in the clockwise direction, but you will be stopped once the trail crosses the access road at Tweedy Saddle. At this point you can use the access road to return back to the front side trails and/or use Elk Meadows to complete a higher traverse of the mountain. Please use the Summer Time maps on the Bogus Basin website for a better visual of this closure. The Ridge to Rivers Interactive Map will continue to show the entire trail as closed for the time being.

Beginning on Tuesday (9/8) of next week, a section of Cottonwood Trail located in the Military Reserve, will be closed daily from the approximate hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for trail work to be done to replace old, rotting cribbing along the trail. This closure will likely continue past next week, but will not apply to the weekend. We ask that you please use one of the many alternate trails in the area for your walks, runs, and rides during the hours of the closure.

Finally, reconstruction of the the Polecat Trailhead on Cartwright Road continues at this time. Please continue to use the trailhead at the end of Collister Drive to access the Polecat trails while work is under way.

Thanks to all and we hope that everyone is able to enjoy a nice Labor Day weekend and hopefully spend some time outside recreating during the process!