Sunday, June 27, 2010

Trail System Changes: Supportive Comments

6 comments:

  1. To help alleviate the automobile traffic and parking concerns encouraging hikers to ride their bikes to trail heads and park should be on the list of solutions. I myself have done this many times but always run into the lack of suitable places to lock my bike up at.

    Encouraging people to take the Skip is another idea as it stops near a good number of trail heads in the South Boulder area. Promoting the closeness of bus stop would help. I bet 99% of hikers don't even realize there is a bus stop so close to the trail.

    Keagan Rowley
    145 S. 34th Street
    South Boulder

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  2. Geoffrey Johnson
    3553 Smuggler Way

    I encourage the open space department to consider creating a trail with switch backs along the current alignment (as close as possible) to the summit of Bear Peak. The existing trail is steep, badly eroded, dangerous, slippery. Keeping an improved trail near the existing trail would minimize impact and improve the overall experience. We should encourage Boulerites to get out there, climb to this summit, and get those hearts pumping. That way we'll all be fit at 80!

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  3. This comment concerns the social trail starting just South of Galena Way and connecting to the Shanahan trails.

    I have lived on Galena way since 1997 and have seen this trail change dramatically for the worst over the years. What was once a true social trail only 1 foot wide and used by locals, is now over 5 feet wide in many parts and is used by hundreds of people on week-ends.

    When a trail gets muddy, people walk to the side of the trail where there is grass. If a trail is not properly designed and managed, this process gradually widens a trail and degrades the areas around the trail. This is what has happened to this social trail.

    Many dog owners walk their dogs on this trail, which is really close to people's houses. We have all manner of problems with dog poop, unleashed dogs chasing our cat or running into our property, noisy groups early in the morning or late at night waking us up.

    The degradation of this social trail really got started when Boulder decided to set up an official entrance to the social trail right next to a Galena Way property and just off LeeHigh a few feet South of where Galena Way connects to LeeHigh. This encouraged many more people to use the trail. But no management of the trail was implemented in conjunction with this official designation, and this is where the problems started.

    I'd like the entrance to this trail just South of Galena Way closed. Since many people will still try to use this entrance, it needs to be done in a way that will prevent access from this entrance. Also, the damage to this area from years of neglect needs to be repaired.

    There is a great access point further up LeeHigh road. This access point needs some work, but it has always been one of the designated access points to the Shanahan trails. People should be encouraged to use it.

    Bill and Sudy Reynolds
    3160 Galena Way

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  4. I'm concerned about the proliferation of social trails in our area. I worry that if any of the existing social trails were designated as official trails, all that would do is lead to even more social trails, branching off of those now-official trails. Thus, I'd rather see some of the social trails closed off and re-vegetated. It seems to me that there is a sufficient number of official trail-heads in the area that this would not cause an undue burden to anyone. Moreover, I would definitely support any efforts towards encouraging people to reach trail-heads on foot, bikes, or public transportation. Adding bike racks at the trail-heads and signs to trail-heads at bus stops seem like a great idea. In my opinion, it's not the number of people using the trails that's the issue at this time, it's the number of cars that are being parked at the trail-heads and surrounding areas.

    David Mosberger
    1935 Stony Hill Rd

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  5. 3186 Galena Way. Comments regarding Lehigh Connector South trail: I have lived adjacent to this trail for 20 years. It has served as a wonderful vehicle for getting to know many of my fellow Boulderites and their canine companions. It has been really gratifying to see the children (and puppies) grow up over the years. I consider myself a "YIMBY" (yes in my backyard). The difficulty is that this trail was never designed to provide access - it was just started by a few neighbors - but is now suffering the effects of overuse. Much of the year the trail is muddy, icy, and/or contains running water, and has become really wide due to folks traveling up the sides. Now, 2-3 people regularly walk abreast on it. The trail desperately needs design work to fix the trouble spots. Also (and this makes me very nervous because only a few feet of dry grass separate my house from the trail), someone has been smoking, leaving cigarette butts on the trail. I'm not sure that posting a "No Smoking" sign would make a difference to someone who feels smoking cigarettes and leaving the butts by dry grass is O.K. Closing the trail altogether seems drastic, since it is enjoyed daily by so many, but if a fire started so close to our houses - all made from wood - it could travel to our homes within seconds. Suggestions?

    Frances

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  6. 3186 Galena Way

    I agree with the recommendation to close trails 1, 3, 8, 9, 13, 14, and 15. I am neutral on closing trail 4 (and on building trail 17), as long as no trail is cut across the sound of Music meadow west of the devil's Thumb HOA (it is trail fee now, and should stay that way since there are so few such areas). If trail 11 is closed, what sort of reroute is proposed by OSMP, and how would it be better for the environment? Trail 5, proposed to remain open, is very muddy (and gets widened) much of the year - if it is to stay open, it will need work. I am troubled by the cocnept of building a new trail 12 to replace the existing ones - is this for environmental reasons? Do we need a new trail so close to the existing fire road? Finally, what is the logic behind the proposed closure of trail - is it for species protection? Trail 7 is a lovely trail, not close to other trails, and has only one small muddy spot where it joins the fire road to the north

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