Freedom Riders seek to build Candyland Trail

Teton Freedom Riders’ proposed project is the construction of the Candyland Trail; a “freeride trail,” meaning it is user-specific to downhill mountain bike traffic.  The 7,000 linear feet of new trail will begin at the Jimmy’s Mom Trail on the south side of Teton Pass and will terminate at Crater Lake.  From this point users will naturally transition onto the Parallel Trail.  The funding would cover the cost of Candyland’s initial construction effectively separating downhill and freeride mountain bikers from all other trail users.

The speeds that downhill and freeride mountain bikers achieve are a risk to other trail users.  The current trail system forces downhill mountain bike traffic onto a multi-use trail, the Phillips Ridge Connector Trail, then a section of Old Pass Road.  This situation has provoked concerns about safety and has created user conflict.  The inception of this trail will segregate the downhill mountain bike traffic from all other users resolving the current user-conflict and safety issues we are beginning to experience on Teton Pass.

Outcome leverage will be gained by proactively approaching the user-conflict and safety concerns.  The exponentially growing sport of downhill mountain biking requires riders to maintain high speeds.  These speeds are required to safely execute the technical trail features (ex. jumps); deeming other trail users a hazard and separation a must.  Teton Freedom Riders, Friends of Pathways, and the Bridger Teton National Forest have received user feedback concerning safety due to the co-existence of downhill mountain bike traffic and all other users.  The Candyland Trail would draw the downhill bikers off of the multi-use trail and eliminate these problems while they are still in their infancy.  The fact that every user specific trail has effectively resolved user-conflict and safety issues qualifies the Candyland Trail as a forward looking project.

All forms of mountain biking were threatened in the national forest when downhill mountain bikers began to use the trail system, instantly increasing the risk for all users.  TFR and the BTNF concluded that the only way to preserve the sport and the safety of the trails for future generations was to create user specific trails.  Segregating user groups such as hikers, horseback riders, dog walkers, and trail runners from downhill mountain bikers will allow all of the trail users to safely enjoy the Teton area.

The increasing density of trail users in the BTNF necessitates the need for thoughtful and planned trail growth.  In trail construction we need to plan to use the natural features of the landscape and protect those natural resources from development that cannot sustain high levels of human traffic. Giving users their specific trails has resolved the issue of careless and illegal trail building. Rogue trail building in the Teton area had provided only reckless and unsustainable trails that negatively impact the ecosystem.

The Candyland Trail is a new project that will proactively address nascent issues, while complying with 1%’s statement of ideal with a resolve that protects the Teton ecosystem for its current and future users.  The Teton Freedom Riders are equipped with experienced board members and a valuable volunteer corps. They have established working relationships with like-purposed organizations who share their goals of user safety and increased trail sustainability.

For more information on the Candyland Trail and the Teton Freedom Riders please call Kevin Kavanagh, President (307) 699-3000.

To see TFR in action, join us for our volunteer Dig-Day this Saturday, May 15 at the Trail Creek Trailhead (base of Old Pass Road), from 10:00 AM until dark.

Download a copy of our salaries and wages budget for this project.

Learn more about this project and make a donation at www.onepercentforthetetons.org/projects/projects.php?project=13

Tags: Candyland Trail, free-ride, freeride, Teton Freedom Riders

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under One28. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.