STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Cold Springs bicycle trail on Bald Mountain will reopen to the public on Friday, Aug 3.

The lower part of the trail, which connects with the Cold Springs and Warm Springs perimeter trails, has been reworked to provide more shaded single track.

The climbing and descents on the trail will also be more enjoyable for a broader range of riders.

Meanwhile, Sun Valley Resort and the U.S. Forest Service are glading 18 acres of terrain as part of their Healthy Forests Initiative.

Crews are clearing overstocked vegetation and trees to reduce hazards, flammable forest debris and destructive insects.

When done, skiers will have more terrain to schuss through next winter and Sun Valley Resort will have 81 acres of gladed skiing and riding.

To accommodate the glading process, the Traverse Trail, French Connection and the Roundhouse  Connector will be closed to the public for six weeks. Areas of the Bald Mountain Trail, which is located in the glading area, will be temporarily rerouted, adding a small amount of mileage to the trail that runs from the base at River Run to the top of Bald Mountain.