Wild Turkey Trail in Boulder, trail opening

Woke up today with the realization that I had not brought my hanging baskets in from the freeze last night. Needless to say, I threw the covers back over my head and decided that the day wasn't starting out very good. But the day did get better and it was warmer and sunny when I started work in the morning. Always a good thing. And the plants made it alive and tonight they are already into the house. Better start to tomorrow, already.

Left work for a couple of hours today to go to the ribbon ceremony and ride event for the New Wild Turkey Trail at Heil Ranch, Boulder County Open Space. Even got to ride in shorts and short sleeve jersey.

It's easy to live up in the mountains and ride private trails, secret trails, and just plain not-for-everybody- trails. But hey, Boulder now has over 100 miles of trails for mountain bikes to ride on and if you don't help build them, elect officials that open them, and do events like today's ribbon cutting, then you don't have a right to bitch and moan about them. Everyone should do their part to help forge the path to shared trails. That means, politics occasionally. Not everyone can live in the mountains. Not everyone gets to ride single track where others are not allowed. When we first came to Boulder there were very few trails anywhere to ride on. There were very few mountain bikers, also. Just like having babies, just like owning your own single family house with land or a yard, and just like having the fitness and time to ride your bike, is really a luxury. Growth is growth. You just can't live without it. For centuries everyone has felt the encroachment. Just ask the Indians, the settlers, the buffalo, the wolves, the mountain lions, the ranchers, the hunters, the developers, the mountain folk and the list goes on and on. I wanted to live here. I'm happy to be here. My house is over 130 years old. Used to be 2,000 people living in my community. That's growth. Now there's about 50. I love living and riding here. But I also like riding in Boulder. So I figure, the more officials that understand the passion to ride and be in the woods, the more trails that will eventually be open. Even if it takes more years than I have left.

Thank you to all that came today and helped make one more trail opening a reality. Not a trail closure.

So.....today we rode up on the Wapiti trail to the beginning of the Turkey Trail's start. There were several agencies there. County Commissioners, Open Space, IMBA, BMA, Boulder County Horsemen/ Equestrians, and more then I can remember. Even the turkeys showed up.

Once at the new trail head, the official people made their speeches and everyone gave thanks (not for the bountiful turkeys on site-not Thanksgiving ,yet) for the work that had been done for the new trail. Then it was time for all of the photo ops.

Photo line ups, horse included.
After all of the photos, it was time to head out on the new trail. Everyone appeared to have a great time and the talk of more trails. Especially the connector trail to Lyons was settled into our brains. That will be an awesome event. Just think, we'll have a way to ride almost entirely on dirt from Boulder to Lyons and then onto the Hall trail network.

Thanks everyone for all of your hard work. Long live lots of new trails and to the continuous sharing of already built trails.