A new route for the Wapiti Trail at Heil Valley Ranch opened yesterday at sunrise. This change was made to protect nesting golden eagles discovered during the park’s closure following the Cal-Wood Fire.
As Boulder Reporting Lab previously covered, mountain bike advocates pushed for a more bike-friendly route than initially proposed by Boulder County, specifically one with fewer switchbacks to allow bikes to maintain speed while going downhill.
Wendy Sweet, executive director of the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance, an advocacy group formed in 1991 in response to the bike ban on trails in Boulder, rode the trail first thing Tuesday morning and said the county took their proposal into consideration.
“They had the 13 switchback trail. We asked for the four switchback trail, and that’s what was built,” Sweet told Boulder Reporting Lab.
