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Use the new Blue Jay Trail corridor to avoid logging operations We just received word that timber sale operations began yesterday near the Chicken Creek trailhead. Luckily we have some new trails going in this summer at the Chicken Creek area and two of them, the Blue Jay Trail and the Chicken Little Trail, are a great way to avoid the logging. See below for info on the new trails and a map. But first, here is the info from the Forest Service: Timber sale activities are scheduled to resume in the Chicken Creek area of the Dolores Ranger District on Monday, May 24th. Harvest operations will be in the Lost Turkey sale northeast of the Chicken Creek parking lot in the vicinity of the Little Bauer Loop. The Lost Turkey timber sale project aims to increase forest resilience, reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires, and provide wood products for commercial uses. No closures of roads are trails are anticipated unless there is a risk to public safety. Full news release here.  Suggested Alternative Route: Introducing the new Blue Jay Trail and Chicken Little Trail at Chicken Creek! In addition to the new trails at the Aqueduct, another new trail system was approved for the Mancos area this winter: the new Chicken Creek Trails Expansion. The Blue Jay Trail (named after our own Mancos Blue Jays!) will be one of the trails in the new system expansion. At the moment, it is only roughly flagged in, following a cow path. Eventually the Blue Jay Trail will be a sustainably-designed trail that will provide a great singletrack opportunity for hikers, bikers and horseback riders, but even in its "unconstructed" state it's a great alternative to the dusty Little Bauer Road where the logging activity will be taking place. Just follow the orange and pink flags across the dam to the west of the Chicken Creek parking lot. The flagging will follow the (mostly obvious) cow path for about a mile till it joins with the Bauer Loop above the logging area. Note that the new Chicken Little Trail will be another alternative. To access this trail to avoid the logging area, you can park on the Forest Road 385D immediately west of County Road 41 (the Chicken Creek Road). The Chicken Little Trail is already constructed but will be adjusted slightly in the new trail system.  New! Chicken Creek Trail System ExpansionWe introduced you to the new Aqueduct Trail System in our last email update. Today, we'd like to share the rest of the exciting news from this winter - the approval by the Forest Service of a new Chicken Creek Trails Expansion! This summer we'll be putting in about 10 miles of new multi-use, non-motorized trails that begin at the Chicken Creek Trailhead parking lot on County Road 40. Along with the existing trails, this will make for a system with about 18 miles of trail. As a part of this new project, we will also see new trailhead kiosks with maps and new signage at trail intersections. Anyone who's used the Chicken Creek trails knows that the current signage there isn't great, so this will help a lot! Maybe you'll learn the name of a favorite trail, or discover one that's been there all along that you've never taken. Mancos Trails Group will be holding group trail building days in the Chicken Creek area this summer. Check out our webpage for updated information about group work days. The Chicken Creek Trails Expansion project is a partnership between Mancos Trails Group, the San Juan Mountains Association, and the San Juan National Forest Dolores Ranger District. 
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Mancos Trails Group volunteers, there are still a few open spots for Saturday's free trail maintenance training that will be held on the West Mancos Trail. Gain valuable skills in trail maintenance on us! If you are interested in helping MTG this summer with trailwork, this workshop is for you. The value of this training is $200 but we are asking only for a $20 deposit that will be returned upon completion of the training. Click here for details and to sign up.
ADOPTERS STILL NEEDED! Are you thinking of adopting a segment of the Spur this summer? We still have a few segments open for adoption and this training would be perfect for getting you all set for your summer trailwork. Help maintain one of the most popular trails in the Mancos area on your own schedule. Check out our adoption page for more details. UPDATE 5/13: Thanks everyone for the great response! We are full for Saturday, at this point if you RSVP we can add you to our wait list. We will contact you if a spot opens up. And keep your eyes on this page for future opportunities, we expect to hold a number of work days at the Aqueduct and elsewhere this year. Original post: We have some exciting news from this winter - while our trails were resting under a (not quite deep enough) blanket of snow, two new trail systems were approved for local public lands! More about the new Chicken Creek Trails in our next update, but for now, we'd like to introduce the... Aqueduct Trail System Located just 2 miles NW of town, this will be an 11.7 mile system of new multi-use singletrack trail open to non-motorized users plus ebikes. Eventually when the Paths to Mesa Verde project connecting Mancos with Mesa Verde National Park is completed, you'll be able to access the Aqueduct area using just trails and County Road 39. With its easy access, this will be a wonderful addition to our community. On Saturday May 15 at 9:00 am, Mancos Trails Group will hold an orientation and (we hope!) work day at the Aqueduct. If you're interested in helping make this new trail system come to life, and want to join us for activities on the 15th, please RSVP to mancostrailsgroup@gmail.com. Space is limited so RSVP will be required. Details:
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