The Mancos Trails Group on Wednesday announced the completion of a project to install a pavilion at the trailhead of the Aqueduct trail system. The group was the recipient of a grant from the LOR Foundation in 2022.

“The pavilion provides needed shade at the larger, or ‘main’, trailhead,” said Don Hoffheins, chairman for the Mancos Trails Group. “Because of the low elevation of the trail system, 6,800 to 7,200 feet, temperatures can get pretty hot in the summer. Having shade at the beginning or end of trail activities will give trail users welcome respite from the heat.”

The pavilion includes a picnic table and a changing room nearby for bikers to freshen up after their ride, the news release said. A bike workstation was also donated by Jimbo Fairley, so bikers can do necessary repairs before hitting the trail again. A bike rack was donated by Anthony Mestas, who was a builder on the pavilion.

The Mancos Trails Group adopted the trails and trailhead for long-term maintenance purposes, the release said. In 2022, the group received numerous grants and individual and business donations and was named “Project of the Year” by Mancos Valley Resources.

“We supported the grant application from MTG because the Aqueduct trail system is a very popular project with residents of Cortez, as well as Mancos, Dolores and beyond Montezuma County,” said Nicci Crowley of the LOR Foundation. “Many of the volunteers for MTG who helped build the Aqueduct trail system reside in Cortez.”

The LOR Foundation “grants funds for charitable and educational purposes,” the release said. They work with rural communities in the mountain west “to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique.”

The grant to fund this project totaled $19,950 for materials and construction. The Mancos Trails Groups thanked Crowley in the release. “Nicci is so friendly and made the LOR grant process extremely easy, it was a pleasure to work with her,” Hoffheins said.