In 2016, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper identified the Ring the Peak Trail (RTP), a network of trails and roads that circumnavigate Pikes Peak, as one of the 16 major gaps in trails around Colorado to complete for Colorado’s 16. An 8-mile gap in Teller County between Pancake Rocks and Mason Reservoir, on the south slope of Pikes Peak, remains unfinished.
Earlier this year, The Trails and Opens Spaces Coalition (TOSC) and the Friends of the Peak (FOTP) were awarded a $100,000 grant by GOCO (Great Outdoors Colorado) to develop a RTP Master Plan. According to Susan Davies, Trails and Open Space Coalition executive director, NES, Inc., the land planning firm chosen to lead the effort, is expected to spend the a year researching and developing the plan and then turn it over to the stakeholders, to implement it.
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Outdoor Recreation Forum in Cripple Creek
The community is invited to an Outdoor Industry Recreation Forum entitled, Envision Ring the Peak: Gateway to the Outdoors.
The Forum, which also serves as the first in a series of Public Meetings, is scheduled: November 18th from 1 – 4 p. m. at The Heritage Center in Cripple Creek
An 8-mile gap located on a trail on the southwest side of Pikes Peak near Cripple Creek is the final connection to complete the 65-mile network of trails and roads that make up the Ring the Peak Trail.
The 1999 Pikes Peak Multi-Use Plan envisioned to circumnavigate Pikes Peak providing scenic multiuser, non-motorized recreation opportunities for the local population of the Pikes Peak region as well as being a destination for outdoor enthusiasts across the region and beyond.
Ring the Peak Trail Master Plan seeks to engage trail users and communities in determining the best path for the future of the popular trail network.The Forum brings together audiences to collaborate to inform the plan.
Interest was high from all over the Pikes Peak region to explore September’s Ring the Peak Discovery Tour.
People from all walks of life joined us to explore a variety of existing segments of the Ring the Peak trail and most discovered new recreational opportunities through the different events.
Biking is one of the most popular outdoor sports in the Pikes Peak region and it was a very popular event in the #Ring the Peak Discovery Tour. The ride went through some challenging terrain but the camaraderie gained was priceless.
Comments from those joining in the Discovery Tour activities ranged from, “It was great to meet fellow hikers” to things like, “Wow, I love being able to get outside and be on a trail in less than 30 minutes” to the even more common, “I had no idea this trail was even here!” You can find more pictures and stories of the Tours on the Ring the Peak Facebook page.
The Ring the Peak Discovery Tour ended the month with two Fall Color hikes over beautiful trails in Teller County. One color crew headed for the Catamount Ranch Open Space trailhead at Edlowe Road. The route meanders up a dirt road to the North Slope Recreation Area on the Limber Pine Trail then follows an old logging road to the Crags Road. From there, the group had a steep climb where elevations reached 10,500 feet via an old jeep road at Putney Gulch and connected to Horsethief Park. One of the hikers, Adam, a Colorado College student documented his experience with the hike through video. “This is fantastic,” he said.”I can’t wait to come back and try another segment of the trail.”
A special thanks to Mike Rigney, Carol and Jim Beckman and Hiking Bob Falcone for their leadership and vast trail expertise. All in all the Discovery Tour provided opportunities to discover new beauty, old friends and fond memories on Ring the Peak trails.@RTPDiscoveryTour
