LONGMONT, Colo.—Crawling over rocks, rolling over fallen trees and experiencing the beauty of Colorado scenery all in one trip are what keep four-wheeling enthusiasts coming back for more.
This passion for adventure is what drove a small group of area residents to start the Trailridge Runners, a four-wheel-drive club designed to not only enjoy the thrill of the road, but to protect the trails.
“Getting with a club helps you learn the roads and learn the trails,” said club member Adam Mehlberg.
Since its inception in 1984, the group has grown to 50 members, and through their combined experiences, they’ve discovered many trails area residents can explore. Those they recommend most are the seven trails in the Lefthand Canyon network, the Middle St. Vrain trail and the Coney Creek trail.
But before you try any trail in the Rockies, check out the trail’s difficulty and know what your vehicle can handle.
“Choose a trail that meets the limit of your ability and vehicle,” said Gordon Howe, a member of Trailridge Runners, adding that it’s imperative to stay on established, open trails. “If you can’t go over an obstacle, don’t go around it. That destroys the wildlife, and what you have accomplished is one more nail in the coffin of open trails.”
Howe said that off-roaders who damage the ecosystem by straying from the trail, whether it’s because their vehicle can’t overcome an obstacle or just because they want to, has led the Forest Service to close trails.
The Trailridge Runners, like many other off-road clubs, want to keep as many trails open as possible, so they donate time and energy to preserve their favorite pastime.
For one, the club has adopted trails, making it a club requirement to help with maintenance projects to keep the trails in driving condition.
“We supply the labor, and sometimes the equipment,” Howe said. “We all go up there and work on the project together.”
They have also been avid supporters of Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit organization designed to protect outdoor activities by educating the public on how to leave the land the way they found it.
Tips from Tread Lightly! include traveling straight up and down hills, climbing over rocks slowly and avoiding widening trails by going over, not around, obstacles.
However, Trailridge Runners members said the most important thing for four-wheelers and prospective four-wheelers is to be properly educated.
One way to learn, they say, is join a four-wheel-drive club and go on organized rides and club meetings.
“We do all levels of challenges and we have all levels of ages,” said club member Greg Beery. “We have retired IBMers, young people, middle-age people and 1-year-olds going down the trails. We’ve got people doing the extreme stuff, and we have new people just starting who we take down the easier trails. We can always get a group together to help teach you, and we enjoy it because it helps us remember where we came from.”
———
On the Net:
Trailridge Runners:
Tread Lightly!:
Trail Damage:
Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland:
