The first trail built for nonmotorized vehicles specifically for pedal-assist e-bikes in the San Juan National Forest is open – although winter storms have left it inaccessibly covered in snow.
The 6.2-mile Cutthroat Trail, named after the Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, parallels Hermosa Park Road and connects Cascade Divide Road (Forest Service Road 579) and the Upper Hermosa Trailhead.
In addition to Class 1 pedal assist e-bikes, the trail is open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers.
When e-bikes first hit the market, most land management agencies classified them as motorized vehicles, said Columbine Ranger District Trails Manager Jordan Burningham, because of the uncertainty of the impact they would have on trails.
But a social trail in the area told land managers that there was a desire to connect these two locations by something other than Hermosa Park Road.
“If you're on that road and you're on a bike, you're traveling much more slowly, you're a smaller user,” Burningham said. “The safety concern is pretty different than someone who's maybe on a motorcycle.”
The environmental assessment of the Cutthroat Trail took e-bikes into account, and the new byway may appear slightly burlier than a standard single-track mountain bike trail.
Lorena Williams, spokeswoman for the SJNF, said the project had the backing of numerous community partners, including Purgatory Resort, National Forest Foundation, Columbine District trail crew, Cottonwood Consulting, Southwest Conservation Corps, Medved Global General Contracting and Durango Trails. Planning began as early as 2017.
It also ties in to a variety of other projects happening in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area. The trail crosses Sig and Relay creeks at the sites of two newly installed culverts, which went in this summer as part of an effort to expand habitat for the native trout.
“Using the same culvert was not only less expensive, because we didn't have to create a bridge or an additional culvert for the trail on its own … it required less work on the ground and it benefits the aquatic organisms,” Williams said.
The new trail is a “huge win” for conservation in a popular recreation area, Williams said.
“We're proud of this as a forest, and we're really thrilled that our partners showed up for this pretty big undertaking,” she said.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
