May 2023 Newsletter

The new hiking trail is open!      

Phase 1 of the new hiking trail is complete! We hosted 26 crew-leads-in-training from Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC), followed by a 16-person crew, to complete this hand-built trail. Tons of rock work went into this trail to make stairs and retaining walls, and to reduce erosion. In addition to SCC, we also hosted a New Mexico-based youth corps, EcoServants, who built the big staircase that ties this trail into Tenderfoot. We’ll be back with SCC for Phase 2 in the fall.

Sign up to ride FIBike! 

We’re bringing bike racing back to FIBArk! This year’s FIBike MTB Race is a sweet circuit of the Arkansas Hills, all of it on blue trails and 4×4 roads. 100% dirt. 95% singletrack. Choose from 1 lap (12 miles) or 2 laps (24 miles).

Registration is only $40. We intentionally set the price low to make the race more accessible. We’d love to see lots of locals representing Salida!

Volunteer Opportunities 

Rainbow Trail ShinDig for National Trails Day — Saturday, June 3 
We’re once again partnering with Central Colorado Mountain Riders (CCMR) to work on the Rainbow Trail for National Trails Day (Saturday, June 3). Sign up here to volunteer.

Clean Up Green Up — Saturday, May 20 
GARNA’s annual Clean Up Green Up is coming up. Volunteer to pick up trash along the Arkansas River, including around the F Street and Burmac trailheads. Sign up here to choose a specific location

Chaffee Rec Adopter, Towns and Trails — Ongoing 
Help keep our trails clean! SMT is partnering with GARNA to track and address conditions that negatively impact trail experiences, like trash and dog poop. Volunteering is as easy as walking/running/biking the trails and logging issues in an app. Sign up here to be our “eyes on the trail,” and we’ll be in touch about training dates.

Recent trail work 

In April, we did some major rock work on Upper Sand Dunes and Unkle Nazty to repair erosion damage and harden the trails for future use. The rebuilt features will be more sustainable, while still fitting the rugged character of each trail. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped us move boulders and tetris everything into place, and to the original flow farmer, James Flatten, for leading the project.

Thank you to our Sustaining Sponsors! 

SMT’s sustaining sponsors provide foundational support for our mission. Their contributions buttress our budget, so we can continue to build new trails and maintain the 65 miles of singletrack we already steward.

Let’s hear it for: 7000 Feet Running Company, Absolute Bikes, Boathouse Cantina, Subculture Cyclery, Jug Liquors, Diesslin Structures, Inc., Salida Mountain Sports, High Country Bank, Pinon Real Estate Group, Brady’s West Garden and Foliage, Run Through Time, Josh Faw and Lorie Jackson at Fairway Mortgage, Chaffee County Visitors Bureau, Soulcraft Brewing, The Sundry, Atmos Energy, WM of Colorado, Katabatic Gear, Singletrack Maps, and Team Evergreen Cycling.