We are dedicated to the preservation of open space and parks, and the creation of a network of trails, bikeways and greenways for the Pikes Peak region.
NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF July 9, 2014
Call for Volunteers
Help needed for ADT Marathon, Labor Day weekend
Trails and Open Space Coalition partners with the Pikes Peak Road Runners for the ADT Marathon(which includes a half-marathon, relay marathon, and kids’ “fun run” as well). It’s all on our local trails, running from Palmer Lake down the Santa Fe/Greenway Trail to end with the festival at America the Beautiful Park. We have to ask now, and keep asking until we fill the more than 250 volunteer assignments that it takes to make this great event successful. Here’s how you can help! We have all kinds of assignments to fit your schedule and areas of interest.
* Saturday August 30 – Packet Stuffing, Antlers Hilton from 1 to 3.
* Sunday August 31 – Race Registration and Packet Pickup, Expo at the Antlers Hilton, 11 am to 5 pm. Or, if you prefer an upper body workout, we will be loading and unloading gear at America the Beautiful Park most of the day.
* Monday September 1 – start line at Palmer Lake, aid stations (14 of those), van driving, course set up, road crossings, finish line set up (at America the Beautiful Park), timing, food pavilion, kids races, drop bag locations, pace teams, relay teams, course lead-out and sweeping, post race tear down and clean up. There is something for everyone.
To sign up or get more information, email volunteer@pprrun.org.
Friends of Cheyenne Cañon have a trail maintenance day,Saturday July 19th, and they are in need of Crew Leaders! There are plenty of volunteers, but they need people to lead teams on the project. If you have crew leader certification and would like to help, please contact Jeremy Bise: jbise@gmail.com.
Volunteer Events this Weekend
Erosion Control, Trail Maintenance, Trail Building
Iron Mountain Trail needs you!
Sign up now for work day Sunday, July 13th.
New Trail Closures and Detours
Greenway, Templeton Gap work
The Greenway Trail is closed by Pikeview Reservoir, south of Garden of the Gods Road., for installation of a new storm drain by Colorado Springs Utilities. The short detour will run on the north side of the JD Phillips treatment plant and onto the sidewalk next to Mark Dabling Blvd for a quarter mile, before rejoining the Greenway. The work is scheduled to take two weeks, so the main trail will open around July 21st. At that time, the small spur trail off the Greenway to Mark Dabling will be closed for the rest of the scheduled repairs.
Templeton Gap trail is closed for upgrades between Sinton and Nevada. The work will place a new concrete trail in the legal trail easement, connecting the T-Gap Trail from the Pikes Peak Greenway to Nevada Avenue. Depending on the weather, the work will take 3-5 weeks.
City staff has told us that there will be detour signs to direct traffic around the closure and pick up the Templeton Gap trail close to where it runs into the Greenway and connects to the Sinton Trail.
Leash-free info available online
Free download at TOSC website
The Trails and Open Space Coalition has free brochures listing dog parks and leash-free areas on a map. View and download a pdf file at trailsandopenspaces.org/dog-parks.
More trail building days for the Iron Mountain Trail connecting Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs are July 13 and 27. The project needs lots of volunteers, and Crew Leaders are especially needed to help manage the crews. http://ManitouCATS.com.
TOSC Members-only hikes July and Aug
Explore Mt. Muscoco; Pineries Open Space
One benefit of TOSC membership is that we offer Members-only hikes, often to land that is inaccessible without special permission.
Our next member hike will be July 26th in The Pineries Open Space in Black Forest, which was in the process of becoming a public open space when fire and floods damaged it and other Parks properties in Black Forest. El Paso County is allowing us to take a limited number of Members behind the barriers, where we will tour the property to see what it looks like now and find out what is in store for the future. http://hikejul2014.eventbrite.com.
Join us August 16th for a very special Members-only hike up Mount Muscoco in Cheyenne Cañon! Our hike leader is Bob Falcone, better known as Hiking Bob, trails blogger for the Colorado Springs Independent, President of the Friends of Cheyenne Cañon, and Business Friend of Trails and Open Space Coalition. http://hikeaug2014.eventbrite.com.
Friends of Cheyenne Cañon have a trail maintenance day,
