Early Thursday morning, the Bureau of Land Management unlocked the gates to Aqueduct Trail in Mancos, opening it for the season.
Not long after, Don Hoffheins, chairman of the Mancos Trails Group, was on his mountain bike, cruising the nearly 13-mile trail system just 2 miles outside town.
“The traffic is about what I expected,” Hoffheins said, adding that he’d already seen a few bikers and hikers. “A good number of people have come and gone already.”
Mostly mountain bikers use the trail, he said, since other routes in the area are more technical or steep. Aqueduct is a bit more friendly.
“People on trail will say how much they love it, how it’s so smooth and flows so well, even going uphill,” Hoffheins said. “That’s my favorite part, is hearing the comments from people who use it.”
“We provided something the public loves,” he said.
In May 2021, the Mancos Trails Group started developing what would become Aqueduct Trail.
The BLM gave them a GPS file with a location, a line of trail.
From there, “I flagged alternate routes,” said Hoffheins.
A lot of times, erosion concerns motivated the changes – in some areas where the BLM suggested the trail be, it was “too steep,” so they made it into switchbacks instead, he said.
Other times, the opportunity to lead the trail to a beautiful view inspired where it now lies.
As we walked along the “Riprap” section of trail, we came to a point where Ute Mountain was framed by two trees on either side. Hoffheins pointed that out.
“We intentionally take the trail to unique trees, rocks and views sometimes,” he said.
Looking at the trees, he added that they tried not to uproot any.
“It takes their mind off the work they’re putting in,” when, for instance, a biker can look at the plants around them as they pedal, he said.
Hoffheins said he spent at least 2,000 hours over the years either on Aqueduct Trail or at the drawing board to help develop it. About 4 miles was carved out by hand, and the rest was done by machine.
In June last year, the trail officially opened.
As he hiked that day, it was clear he knew the area well, the several thousand hours of work he put into it apparent.
He paused to point out a few funky formations, like “dino eggs” on trail.
The round rocks got that nickname because they looked a lot like what Hollywood movies make dino eggs out to be, with crystals embedded into them.
At another point, he stopped at what looked like petrified wood, but he’s unsure if it is.
“We’re still waiting on the report from the geologist,” he said.
When developing any trail, Hoffheins underscored the effort and emphasis on making it sustainable, as well as avoiding impacts on other resources.
Often times, putting a trail along an already sloping spot helps with its sustainability, since water is able to drain off its side.
Hoffheins said that of all the trails the Mancos Trails Group maintains, Aqueduct requires the most upkeep because of erosion problems.
On the next work day, which will be Saturday, May 17, the trails group will be out at Aqueduct, building cross drains to help keep water off the trail.
Volunteers work for several hours on those work days – which are typically the second Saturday of each month – and are rewarded afterward with burgers and fixings from P&D Grocery in town.
Up overhead, rain clouds started rolling in, and the wind picked up.
As we retreated to the parking lot, Hoffheins said, “You don’t want to be out here when it’s raining.”
“We encourage people not to use trails for a few days after it rains so it can dry out,” he said. “The soil is super-sticky. When it gets on a tire, it won’t roll.”
And on hiking boots, it creates “a high heel caked in mud.”
The value of volunteers in maintaining these trails is huge, he went on.
About half of Aqueduct has been “adopted out” by couples and families already.
Adopters agree to care for a mile or two of trail, coming out several times a year to remove fallen branches and trees, and otherwise maintaining their specific section.
It’s free to adopt trail, and “anyone can come to a group work day.”
“There’s a sense of satisfaction, creating something that others enjoy,” he said.
