The big project for the city's trail staff in 2011 is completing the 3.5-mile Midland Trail from America the Beautiful Park to Manitou Springs. A $2 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado paid for the project, due to be completed in October.
Perhaps the most exciting three-day sports weekend in Colorado Springs history culminates Monday when 135 or so pro bike riders launch themselves from Garden of the Gods and race downtown at upwards of 50 mph.
It’s the prologue of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and it follows the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon over the weekend.
I’m totally psyched!
And it reminds me how lucky I am to live in a community that embraces cycling and encourages it with a network of neighborhood trails.
The trail system isn’t perfect. I’ve done my share of bushwacking when a trail abruptly ended. And I’ve gotten lost a few times trying to find connections.
But I’ve also lived in cities where I wouldn’t dare commute 10 miles on a bike, as I do from my Rockrimmon home to downtown.
Check out a video I made of my commute.
Hang on as you climb onto the handlebars of my old Stumpjumper and rocket along with me at 60 mph — thanks to the magic of time-lapse editing — down the Pikes Peak Greenway along Monument Creek, over to the Shooks Run Trail and finally to The Gazette.
Or take a longer, full-length 40-minute trip with notes inserted to point out landmarks and street-crossnigs.
It was a blast making the video. And I’d love to see videos of your commutes.
Signs like these help trail riders find their way through the city's network.
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Some signs are in better shape than others.
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Here's another map in the Patty Jewitt Neighborhood
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It got me wondering about the status of area trails, especially with the severe budget cuts experienced by the parks agency.
Actually, a lot is going on.
Kurt Schroeder, manager of the city’s parks, trails and open space, said his staff remains committed to developing trails and piecing together missing links that sometimes frustrate folks on two wheels.
“It’s a slow process,” Schroeder said. “We have little money for rebuilding old trails. But we can still get money for new trails.”
In fact, the city expects to finish in October most of the 3.5-mile Midland Trail from America the Beautiful Park to Manitou Springs, thanks to a $2 million lottery grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, or GOCO.
Trail is being built along Sand Creek out east as well as from North Nevada Avenue to Dublin Boulevard near Cottonwood Creek, said Sarah Bryarly, the city’s trail guru.
Her wish list includes expanding the Rock Island Trail, punching Shooks Run Trail south to Fountain Creek and expanding Cottonwood Creek Trail from Vincent Drive.
It all sounds great to me. I can’t wait to ride them.
And I can’t wait to see your photos and videos!
Here’s some of the sights you’ll see on my video:
On my commute, I enjoy crossing the bridges over Monument Creek and its tributaries.
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Going under bridges can be spooky like this crossing under Pikes Peak Avenue.
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Stay alert. You never know when you might encounter wildlife . . . even the prehistoric kind.
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The city has placed mile markers along the Pikes Peak Greenway to help you keep track or your progress.
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This is one of my favorite spots popping up from under the Garden of the Gods Road bridge and seeing the sunflowers along the edge of Pikeview Reservior and Pikes Peak in the background.
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I like this overpass that carries you over Cache La Poudre Street and into Shooks Run Park.
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Down along Monument Creek near Roswell neighborhood.
Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department has a trails page with tons of useful information.
Check out this
trails page: http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=1881
pikes peak greenway trail: http://www.springsgov.com/units/parksrec/maps/pdfmaps/24x36ppgy.pdf
midland trail map: http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=2289
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