Velo de Animas: Glade Run Trails

Glade Run Trail System
San Juan County, NM

In 1996 the BLM designated the Glade Run Trails as "single track", but they lack sufficient human and financial resources to enforce their laws. Since their proliferation from 1999 to 2004, ATV traffic has been ruining the single-track trails and causing extensive erosion. The BLM sanctioned our construction of a series of post-and-cable barriers at strategic locations along the trials as a non manpower-intensive way to restrict illegal ATV traffic.

Our intial trail narrowing was in the southeast sector of Glade Run and was completed during 4 Saturdays in the summer of 2003. Six post-and-cable barriers were erected with 40" openings for single-track passage (too narrow for ATVs). Work was done by VdA members and paid for by them, the City of Farmington, and the BLM.

IMBA (Mat and Rachael) visited the Glade Trails August 18-21, 2004, and assessed our trail resource and needs. During their visit, we marked a 0.8 miles re-route of Rigormortis trail near Foothills trailhead. This new segment allows us to impliment a system of one-way trail from the trailhead along Kinsey (northeast) to the Whoops, down the Whoops, up Seven Sisters, and return (southwest) on Rigormortis to the trailhead. After the BLM agreed in principle to the new trail, VdA funded an archeology survey, and Eisenfeld prepared an Environmental Assessment. These were submitted to the BLM on 2/4/05 and were approved in May 2005.

IMBA has a posting at imba.com about their visit to Farmington last September. After leaving Farmington, Nat and Rachael went to Sante Fe to meet with Governor Richardson about building new trails in New Mexico State Parks (see article in VeloNews). They reached an agreement and IMBA and will be coordinating the building of new trails in our State Parks.

Thanks to all who helped build the Rigormortis Re-route May 14th and 21st. Mat and Rachael Lopes of IMBA helped design the trail; VdA paid for the cultural clearance; Mike Eisenfeld donated the EA; Jackie Neckels and Rich Simmons of the BLM approved the permit; Brent Adams worked with the BLM to facilitate the permit; Anne Englert, Brent Adams, John Hines, Noel Hines, Sheldon Sandoval, Dan Sundt, Michael Herington, Bill Connelly, Michael O'Loughlin, Teesie Altman, Tonya Olsen, and Michael Sullivan did the labor. The rains of August have dramatically improved the trail. We encourage everyone to ride the new trail, but treat it gently as it continues to mature. With luck, the trail may be raceable by October for the Road Apple Rally.

In 2005, 10 NORBA and IMBA member clubs were chosen to receive $500 each for the preservation and improvement of trails used in races. Velo de Animas was one of the winners:

Velo de Animas Bicycle Club; San Juan Co., NM
Velo de Animas will re-route a portion of the Road Apple Rally Trail from dirt road to singletrack. This event is one of the longest ongoing mountain bike races in the country and is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2005.

BLM and IMBA's Golden Anniversary Partnership includes the Glade Run Trails. All off-highway motor vehicles be registered and registration plates affixed to vehicles. ATVs are not permitted on the Glade Run single-track trails. All vehicles must stay on established trails and roads. For an excellent land usage map, go the the BLM website above, or download this map.

Single-track trail rules provide for right-of-ways as follows: All yield to horses, then hikers, then bicycles; motorized vehicles yield to all. If you are concerned about speeding (and usually unregistered) motors on Road Apple trails unsafely demanding the right-of-way from all, call the BLM at 505-793-6881 or 505-599-8983; 505-334-6622 is the emergency number.

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