Spring is here and it's finally time for trail building to begin! Our first work day of the year will be all about renewing old acquaintances and making new friends. Join us on Saturday April 9 at 10am for burgers, socializing, and some trailwork too. We'll meet east of the Joe Moore Reservoir boat ramp which provides easy access to the Blue Jay Trail (directions below). In addition to some fun social time, we will review basic trail work skills, sharpen and repair tools to get them ready for the season, and pluck some rocks from the new Blue Jay Trail (if you've been on it at all this spring, you've probably noticed there are a LOT of loose rocks).
Note that if you're interested in adopting a segment of the Mancos Spur Trail, this is a great opportunity to brush up on your trail maintenance skills.
0 Comments
Review of 2021 Achievements - and a look toward Summer 2022It's been snowing lately and hopefully you're getting outside and enjoying it. While our trails are resting under a blanket of white, it seems like a good time to reflect on the spectacular success MTG saw in 2021, and to look toward 2022's trail season. In 2021, MTG accomplished a LOT. A whole lot. And you, our volunteers, get the credit! Here are some of our greatest accomplishments for 2021:
MTG voted MVR's Project of the Year![]() AnMancos Trails Group is honored to have been recognized by Mancos Valley Resources, our fiscal sponsor, as 2021's Sponsored Project of the Year. MVR sponsors 14 well-deserving projects in Mancos so we are especially proud that we receive this honor amongst such worthy company. As an all-volunteer non-profit, Mancos Trails Group couldn't accomplish what we have without the fiscal sponsorship we get from MVR. MVR allows us to focus on what we do best - build, maintain and support our local non-motorized trails. Thank you, MVR, for everything you do for us, and for this wonderful award. And check out this great interview with MTG: Have your say! What would you like to see in the new Town of Mancos Trails Master Plan?In 2012, the Town of Mancos created a Trails Master Plan to help provide community access to important locales in the area. The Trails Master Plan is what inspired many of our biggest projects including the Town Trail System, the Mancos Spur Trail, the Aqueduct trails and the new Chicken Creek trails. This year, the Town is working on a new Trails Master Plan and is seeking your input. Now is your chance to voice your opinion about what you'd like to see in the new Town of Mancos Trails Master Plan. Click here to take the survey now It's not too early to start thinking about summer!Looking towards Summer 2022, MTG has a lot planned. Here are some things to keep in mind as you start dreaming of warm days out on the trail.
Our popular Mancos Spur Trail Adoption program will be running again in 2022. Are you interested in giving back to your trails but not able to come out for our scheduled group workdays? Adopting a segment of the Mancos Spur Trail may be perfect for you! Have a look at our adoption page for more details and contact us at mancostrailsgroup@gmail.com if you're interested! New trail building will continue in 2022! We have 8 miles to go to complete the Aqueduct system. Some will be hand built and some by machine. We’ll need volunteers and money. Help out in in any way you can! And we have only 1.5 miles to go to complete the Lost Chicken Trail. Be on the lookout for work days in the cool pines at Chicken Creek - trail work days are tentatively scheduled for the second Saturday of the month from April-November (with a few exceptions). Keep your eye on our events page and our news page for updates. We will also be sending out emails & updating social media as our workdays are finalized. We hope to offer social hikes and bike rides again this summer - if you're interested in hosting events like this, let us know! Finally, we are always looking for volunteers to help us behind the scenes. Whether it's joining our Board of Directors or chairing a committee (examples of committees include Tools, Work Days, Volunteer Coordination, Website, Social Media, etc.), there is an opportunity for you to help Mancos Trails Group achieve even more in 2022! Contact us at mancostrailsgroup@gmail.com for more information. Come celebrate the release of Spur Trail Ale, a special beer by our longtime supporter, Mancos Brewing Company. A portion of the proceeds from each can and pint will support Mancos Trails Group.
Stop by Friday, December 3, from 5-8pm and grab a Spur Trail Ale and head out to the patio. MTG Board members and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and tout the accomplishments of our phenomenal 2021 season. Heaters and fire pits will be roaring and winter attire is suggested. In accordance with guidance from medical professionals, MTG events are held outdoors to reduce the spread of COVID and this event will be no different. Masking indoors is recommended. Cans of Spur Trail Ale make great stocking stuffers! Support local trails and local brews! It's been great to take advantage of the first four miles of trail that we've put in at the Aqueduct, and a lot of folks have been getting out there. Awesome! As a reminder, the seasonal wildlife closure begins on Wednesday, December 1 and runs through May 1. We'll see you all out there again in May!
Plus, we still have about 8 miles of trail to build out there, so hopefully you'll be able to join us next season for some fun trail building. It's that much more fun to use the trails when you had a hand in constructing them! The weather is cooperating so we will be hosting one last trail work day at the Aqueduct area west of town. This should be our last work day of the season. The forecast for this weekend looks great, what better way to enjoy a beautiful fall day than building new trails with a bunch of great people? Note that this will be a half-day of trail work followed by pizza and then a hike or bike ride, so come prepared to enjoy the trails after our morning's work is done!
This Saturday, 11/6, we are hosting another trail work day to build on the progress we've made on the new trail system at the Aqueduct area west of town. This may end up being our last work day of the season (we will be keeping our eye on the weather & hoping for one more!) The weather forecast for this weekend looks great, what better way to enjoy a beautiful fall day than building new trails with a bunch of great people?
- When: Saturday November 6 at 9 am. If you arrive late, park by the MTG banner and follow the pinflags to our worksite. - Where: Drive approximately 2 miles west of town on Hwy. 160. Turn north on CR 39. Our group will be staging somewhere along the road within the first couple of miles. Look for the big MTG banner. - What: Trail construction. Wear long pants, sturdy boots or closed-toe shoes, gloves, and eye protection. Bring a day pack with plenty of water, lunch and snacks, sun protection, and necessary personal items. Please bring a mask in case we need to carpool. MTG will provide tools, but feel free to bring your own trail tool if you have a personal favorite. Plan for a cookout afterwards. Due to our nonprofit sponsorship, we are unable to provide alcoholic beverages so BYOB. Brings friends and family! Many hands make for light work and a good time! And if you can’t donate time, please consider making a donation using the link on our homepage, MancosTrails.org. For more information on the new trails at the Aqueduct, check out this post or this great article in the Cortez Journal. Next Trailwork Saturday Nov. 6 (conditions permitting).
Trailwork day on October 16 was nothing short of amazing! The weather was perfect and 23 volunteers showed up. Together we constructed another 1/3 mile of new trail including several pretty labor-intensive sections. All told, we put in 171 volunteer hours on Saturday! Much fun was had by all, new friends were made, and the burgers were pretty tasty too. Thanks, everyone, for helping to make the new Aqueduct trail system a reality! Keep your eyes open for the announcement for our next trailwork day at the Aqueduct, which will be Saturday Nov. 6 (conditions permitting). If you're heading out to Chicken Creek to check out the new trails, here's a map you can download (and print if you like!) to help you find your way. It's a bit different from the one at the trailhead because it shows the final trail locations. It also points out gate and creek crossings, and the detour along Roads 559 & 559K to connect the two (not-yet-connected) sections of the Lost Chicken Trail (marked in red). There's more details and trail descriptions on our Trails page - go check it out. Finally, we hope to have the tracks available on our Trailforks maps soon!
Finally, the new trails at Chicken Creek are almost finished! We'll post an update soon, with good maps and detailed info, but in the meantime there is a new trailhead map at the Chicken Creek Trailhead with both the Blue Jay and Lost Chicken trails on it. There are a few spots that will still need some finish work, but for now, go out and enjoy them!
Keep in mind, the new trails are very soft! Until they get packed in, PLEASE AVOID THE NEW TRAILS WHEN THEY ARE WET! Remember, "If you leave a track, go back!" It took a LOT of work to put in these trails (many of you know exactly how much work!) and literally thousands of hours of hard, manual labor went into them. Let's all try to keep them in good shape! |
Archives
November 2022
Categories |