Salida Mountain Trails make us cool

Thousands of hours have been spent making our local trail network hum. For any of you that have sat in on an SMT planning session, the resulting spiderweb of amazing trails —and the tourists who are here to ride them, are no surprise.

Having the foresight to understand how this effects our local economy requires vision, and perhaps a visit to the handful of communities that have embraced the idea of being a “biking destination.” Fruita, Moab, Whistler BC, and now even Vernal. These communities have experienced the economic results of investing in trails. Moab’s local economy has been beefed up by many (as in many many) millions of dollars in recent years. The International Mountain Biking Association has some stats on their site speaking to economics, one curious fact being that the mountain states (AZ, CO, ID, NM, MT, UT, NV, WY) are home to more than 4 million bicyclists, that’s 27% of the adult population.

According to their research, cycling supports more than 60,000 jobs across the region, generates more than $1 billion in annual state and federal tax revenues, produces nearly $4.1 billion annually in retail sales and services, $429 million in bicycling gear sales and services and $3.7 billion in bicycling trip-related expenditures.

Bikers are generally affluent (have you priced a mountain bike recently?) and subscribe to a quieter, lower impact philosophy. This all adds up to a logical tourism target market to attract to our community, Absolute Bikes and SMT are on the front line. But, they need our help.

In towns that have embraced, and invested in mountain bike tourism, you will find few converts, since it’s rare to find anyone outright opposed to bicycles and bike tourism. What you generally find are some passionate local hikers runners and bikers, surrounded by conservative ranchers and volunteer tourism marketing groups who are simply smiling and shaking their heads. You will also find retailers counting their money. ”Who knew?” is a common refrain. Turning old game trails into money for rural towns? It’s serious business.

Salida is surrounded by world class mountain bike terrain, and we should be on the map. Shawn Gillis, owner of Absolute, who has supported the effort from its inception, both philosophically and financially obviously agrees. As do the owners of The Salida Cafe, since bikers spent 160 billion dollars on beer and coffee in 2009 according to industry…ok I made that up. But, suffice it say, there is an intuitive financial incentive for those outside of the immediate local bike industry to support this effort.

Mayor Chuck Rose, who holds down a day job at Absolute Bikes, is a cycling junky and has been a vocal supporter since day one.  But, Chuck’s support, like many, starts with his personal love of cycling. Merle, AKA “The Mountain Merle,” owner of conservative Arkansas Valley Publishing,  and old guard messenger, is a supporter, as well as an avid cyclist.

The deeper you dig, the more you realize that Salida is meant to be a cornerstone of destination cycling in the Rocky Mountain West. There are often countless bikes that line downtown streets and alleys, often rivaling a college town. The blood runs deep.

In addition to hosting one of the top road races in the country, we have the horsepower where it matters. Dr. Steve Stewart and Scott Damman, both on the Salida City Council, are no strangers to cycling, and the economic benefits of bike tourism. Last fall I attended the Single Speed World Championships with “The Good Doctor” where I saw him crush lesser riders. Dr. Stewart is also a 24-hour racer and endurance athlete. Mr. Damman, before moving to Salida several years ago, in addition to being a Cat 3 road racer, worked at Yeti Cycles in Golden where cycling advocation is the essence of the corporate culture. Yeti is considered to be one of the top bike brands in the state, and respected for its philanthropy in cycling communities such as Salida, where it has invested in a world class training facility, and whose brass has since bought personal property in anticipation of retirement from the corporate world. Why? Because as one Yeti executive told me recently, “The riding as good as anywhere in the world.”

You can’t decide to be a mountain bike destination simply because you like bikes or quiet-use guests; You have to have the terrain. Like a river, a grand canyon, or pure Uranium, it’s an odd gift. You have to have that natural resource conveniently located in your back yard if wish to build a tourism position around it. But, like many natural resources, it must be mined for profit, and mining takes time, vision and investment. Fortunately, it is low impact mining with virtually no downside. It requires more time than money.

People seem to agree about Salida’s future, just today I found this post was found online. For many, becoming a mountain bike destination is simply too difficult to get their heads around. For others, it’s just a matter of time and effort to prove the market.

The newest high school sports team, SBV Cycling, is based as much on bike racing as civic duty. BV and Salida High School team members donate trail work hours towards earning jerseys and race entry fees. The approach is inherent to the cycling philosophy apparently. Thirty years ago, the BMX racing team I was a part of in Madison, Wisconsin worked on Saturdays to build and maintain the track where we hosted racers, many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to race, and invariably spend their greenbacks. Recently, while passing through Gallup, NM, my family and I stopped to ride their new trails. We bought a tank of gas, spent the night in a hotel (a sweet one), and ate out three times. Do the math. Gallup? This world-class attraction, a dirt trail, cost the town virtually nothing.

Volunteering to build local biking, and hiking trails is social, fun, and low pressure. It’s great excersize and incredibly rewarding. It’s also easy to get involved.

We’re not breaking new ground here. Like a Saturday morning shin dig, the biggest part of the project, for some, is simply waking up.

SMT hosts Shindigs the from 9am until 2pm the Second Saturday of each month year round.

SMT provides the tools, guidance, and an after work BBQ. All you need to bring are hats, work gloves, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water, a snake, and a can do attitude. Check The SMT Blog for monthly work locations. This information is also available at the Salida Citizen and the MountainMail.

Each time you come and work you can get your Rewards Card punched. Eight punches gets you discounts and freebies at various local businesses that support our trail building efforts.

SMT works a bit less formally on many Thursdays and Saturdays year round weather permitting. For Saturday info, please check The Salida Mountain Trails Blog to confirm dates and locations, for Thursday details, please call Tom Price 719-207-1565.