Blue Sky Trail shines for hikers, bikers, horses
By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News
June 10 marks the official opening of the Blue Sky Regional Trail that
forms a major north-south connection of open spaces in the foothills west
of Fort Collins and Loveland.
Simultaneous dedication ceremonies are scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. at
the Soderberg Open Space Trailhead, the Coyote Ridge Natural Area Trailhead
and the Devil's Backbone Open Space Trailhead. Parking fees at Soderberg
Open Space will be waived for the day, compliments of Larimer County. There
are no fees at Coyote Ridge Natural Area or the Devil's Backbone Open Space.
On Larimer County's wish list for more than 10 years, the eight-mile Blue
Sky Trail forms a key link in connecting 87 miles of public trails from
Devil's Backbone to Lory State Park. Among the key segments are 30 miles
in Horsetooth Mountain Park and 25 miles in Lory. The north-south corridor
is 15 miles. In addition, these foothills trails connect to 20 miles of
paved trails in Fort Collins. At Horsetooth Reservoir, the new 1.2-mile
Inlet Bay Trail also connects to the Blue Sky Trail.
The name "Blue Sky" was chosen in honor of the Arapaho Indians. Considered
to be among the tallest of the plains Indians, the Arapaho were known as
the Blue Sky Men or Clouded Men by the neighboring Cheyenne.
In addition to years of planning and lots of hard work by county trail
crews and volunteers, the Blue Sky Trail is the result of a substantial
financial investment. The key link to making this trail connection possible
came in 2003 when the county, with financial partners, purchased 1,545
acres in the Indian Creek riparian corridor. The county and Great Outdoors
Colorado paid $1.35 million, and Fort Collins provided more than $4 million.
Prior to the public purchase, the property was going to be sold as 35-acre
residential lots.
A substantial portion of the $373,000 trail construction budget came from
Colorado State Trails with labor from Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado.
The Colorado Department of Transportation provided $280,000 toward the
construction of an underpass at County Road 38E.
Altogether, the 3,100 acres of open lands surrounding the Devil's Backbone
to Soderberg corridor cost the public $12.1 million.
Since hikers, bikers and horseback riders have been waiting many months
for this key segment to open, Larimer County Parks and Open Lands Department
has made arrangements to handle a high number of first-day visitors.
A shuttle service will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., running between
the Devil's Backbone and Coyote Ridge, and between Coyote Ridge and Soderberg.
The shuttles will depart each trailhead every half hour and are available
for hikers only. Hikers are encouraged to park their vehicles at their
destination point and shuttle to their hike origin to avoid missing the
shuttle at the end of the day.
For those attending only the dedication ceremony at the Devil's Backbone
Open Space, the area between K-Mart and Home State Bank on U.S. Highway
34 just west of Wilson Avenue in Loveland will be available for overflow
parking. A shuttle will run continually from 9 a.m. to noon.
Volunteer naturalists will offer guided hikes and interpretive information
at each trailhead. Volunteers will also staff an aid station mid-way along
the Blue Sky Trail to replenish water bottles and provide fruit and bagels
to visitors. Fort Collins will have a similar aid station at the cabin
on Coyote Ridge Natural Area, and Lory State Park will have one on the
South Valley Trail before it connects to Horsetooth Mountain Park.
Horse trailers may be parked at either Soderberg Open Space or Coyote Ridge
Natural Area. Horse trailer parking at the Devil's Backbone is limited
to four spaces. Water for horses is available at Devil's Backbone and Soderberg
trailheads. Riders should otherwise haul their own water. Long-term plans
call for installing a spring-fed stock tank about half way along the Blue
Sky Trail.
More information about the trail dedication is available by calling 679-4577.
|
