STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
They’ll cut the ribbon on 47 miles of new mountain biking, hiking, trail running and equestrian trails Friday at Galena Lodge.
The Blaine County Recreation District, Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Galena Lodge will celebrate the completion of the three-year Galena Summer Trails project with the ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the Gladiator Trailhead on the north side of the Galena Lodge parking lot.
Celebrants will be invited to spread out and enjoy the trails for a few hours and meet back on the deck of Galena Lodge at 4:30 p.m. for complimentary refreshments followed by a barbecue, which will cost $10 a person.
Builders got the last of the trails in in October 2016 just as the first snowflakes were falling in the high country. But the BCRD held off on a ribbon cutting until now to allow workers time to put the finishing touches on the last of those trails.
The trails follow a stacked system, in which the easiest trails are nearest the lodge with intermediate and advanced trails further out. Designers deliberately added some easier beginner trails since there was a dearth of single-track trails suitable for beginners to get started in the Sun Valley area.
The BCRD and other community groups, such as Big Wood Backcountry Trails, conceived of the idea to develop a summer trail system around the lodge in 2007. The goal: To mirror the world-class winter experience at Galena that includes Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
International Mountain Biking Association proposed a design, which the BCRD submitted to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. And the SNRA approved a 47-mile system in 2013, following a environmental assessment.
Progressive Trail Design and Sagebrush Trails constructed the trails with the help of funds provided by generous donors.
While the trails are offered free of charge, the ongoing maintenance will be funded through BCRD’s annual fundraising efforts, which include the Galena benefit held each year in late January.
“We are thrilled to see the completion of such an amazing project and are so grateful for our partners and supporters, who worked with us to bring this trail network to fruition and to the community,” said Jim Keating, executive director of the BCRD.