Health & Fitness
Check Out The Trail Damage 2 Motorcycles Caused At Heil Ranch
Motorcycles are never permitted in the area — and no one was allowed on the trail that day.
BOULDER, CO -- You aren't supposed to hike in Open Space there is a mud closure. Mountain bikes can be even tougher on soggy trails. Still worse? On Wednesday, as the county pivoted from deep freeze to ice slick, two out-of-town motorcyclists enjoyed a bit of solitude at Heil Valley Ranch. Motorized vehicles are never permitted on Open Space trails, and the entire area had been closed.
The Picture Rock trail at #HeilValleyRanch is now closed due to muddy conditions. #boco_trails
— Heil Ranch Ranger (@RangerGrady) February 12, 2019
"Bad news," reported Heil Valley Ranch Ranger Kevin Grady to his Twitter followers Wednesday night. "2 motorcycle riders trespassed onto the #HeilValleyRanch trails, including the closed Picture Rock Trail. They caused severe damage in the process. The good news is they were caught & ticketed by a Park Ranger."
By Friday, Boulder County Open Space officials were able to offer more information and photos of the damage.
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The impact was less than rangers had initially thought. "Staff assessed the entire route of the motorcyclists and found they stayed on the trails and access road. The only damage is located along segments of the Picture Rock Trail and total approximately 200 yards," wrote Open Space officials in a release.
"The motorcyclists were caught and assessed fines commensurate of the damage. They were unfamiliar with the area, new to the activity, and were attempting to find OHV trails located further up Lefthand Canyon. There was no intent to destroy the trail system."
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Here is an update on the motorcycle incident that occurred at Heil Valley Ranch on Wednesday. Good news is that the damage is much less than originally thought #BoCo_Trails pic.twitter.com/6NUnpLH2fJ
— BoCo Open Space (@BoulderCountyOS) February 15, 2019
It turns out, however, that the motorcyclists weren't alone at Heil Ranch that day. "While assessing the damage, Rangers also noticed tracks from other trail users," continued Open Space officials. "Please be sure to respect our trail closures. Rangers have zero tolerance for those violating muddy trail closures."
Do the right thing, respect the closure and wait this out. #boco_trails https://t.co/cJVdAxvXwU
— Boulder Area Trail Conditions (@BoCo_trails) February 14, 2019
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Header image: Mara Abbott/Patch
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