Read the Full Annual Report Here
We are pleased to bring you our 2022 Annual Report. You can read the full report here or click on an image below. Thank you for your continued support which truly allows us to further our mission of connecting our community to the outdoors through sustainable recreation.
Dear Trails Community,
We are excited to bring you our annual report for 2022.
2022 was another successful year for trails in our community! We value the access and opportunities trails provide us to connect with the outdoors, go on adventures, strengthen our community and friendships, and improve our physical and mental health.
And wow, did you really get out on our trails this year, bravo! Favorites and most popular include:
• Meadow Mountain: 48,994 Counts (January-September)
• Boneyard: 22,274 Counts (January-September
• Grouse: 34,806 Counts (January-November)
• Berry Creek: 30,536 Counts (January-November)
• East Vail Trails: 76,551 Counts (January-September)
• Lee’s Way: 12,492 Counts (April 16-November 1)
• Minturn Bike Park: 24,866 Counts (June-October)
We love seeing these numbers from our trail counters because it means you are getting outside and having fun on the trails! Whether it’s one of the trails above or another trail in our community, it is more than likely that one of our crews take care of it.
We hope you noticed that we rebranded. We did this to create a new brand identity structure for the programs we bring to our community. Originally, we were the VVMBA and changed to the VVMTA in 2019 to represent the trail work we were doing on the ground for multi-use non-motorized trail users. Our original logo included only bike chain links and then we added in boot prints to the mark. Stepping back, we took a hard look at who we are and how we want to support our community. We are driven to connect our community to the outdoors, advocacy efforts, stewardship of our trails, sustainable recreation, and education through trail access and opportunities in the mountains we live in and love. With that we landed on this “mountain” specific mark which can be carried across all of our programs. The new mark is a 3D Mountain which encompasses the community, stewardship, trail maintenance & building, recreation, advocacy, and education that are at the core and mission of the VVMTA.
In 2022, with support from Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, we were thrilled to launch our new Soul Dirt program. Through trail based experiences, the Soul Dirt program provides an opportunity for our community to connect, volunteer, and strengthen its stewardship of our trails and public lands. We introduced over 400 participants with community partners such as Eagle Valley Outdoor Movement, My Future Pathways, and Mountain Pride to our community trails. These participants, with the youngest being 6 and oldest being 84, put in over 1,500 miles on our trails this summer!
Volunteers continue to be the core of the VVMTA. In 2022, 1,100 volunteers put in over 3,400 hours of trail maintenance, education, and stewardship activities across Eagle County. Our Adopt A Trail program grew to 80 local businesses, organizations, and friends groups adopting 70 trails. Wildlife Trail Ambassadors put in over 108 shifts and 135 hours educating trail users at seasonally closed trailheads.
The Trail Conservation Crew (TCC) was back for its second year! The crew put in over 5,200 hours from May – November performing trail maintenance, leading and training volunteers, building bridges, new trails, putting up trail signage, and clearing over 600 downed trees from our trails!
We advocated for years and finally had the opportunity to ensure trail access in Mill Creek. Our Trail Conservation Crew, alongside many partners and volunteers, were able to complete this reroute, building 6.7 miles of new trail with a vertical gain/loss of 2,505’. This is truly a special and unique trail that provides miles of connected singletrack experience from Vail, Vail Pass, and Minturn.
The TCC also completed the Full Nelson trail reroute, extending the trail from West Grouse Creek to Grouse Lake trail, opening the lower 1 mile section of Grouse Lake to mountain bikes and creating an awesome loop. On top of this reroute, we partnered with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and the Forest Service to build the Ditch Trail (formally part of the Full Nelson reroute), connecting Haymeadow to Grouse Lake. The new loop options in the Grouse and Meadow Mountain area are truly fantastic and we hope you get out and enjoy them!
We could not have done any of this work without you and are incredibly grateful for your generous support. Whether you volunteer your time or donate, thank you for all you do for us and our trails.
Sincerely,
Ernest Saeger
Executive Director
