The tragedy earlier this year involving an unleashed dog and a cyclist has led to new signs along the Animas River Trail, and hopefully to more thoughtful usage of that shared space. How about applying that same thoughtfulness to Horse Gulch, the Rim and Powerline trails, and all the rest of Durango’s mixed-use trails?
Dogs are required to be on leashes on all in-town trails except at the dog park, yet most dogs I see on the trails are free-running hazards to hikers, trail runners and cyclists. Please leash your dogs, and keep them out of the center of the trail when another person passes.
Except for the few marked downhill bike trails, all trails are two-way and mixed use, so mountain bikers, please control your speed. There could be another rider coming around the curve toward you – or a hiker, or a dog, or a deer. Please ensure you have enough time to react!
If you wear headphones or earbuds, please keep the volume at a level where you can easily hear a mountain biker or a trail runner coming up behind you and asking to pass. Bone conduction headphones are great for this.
We are all lucky to live in a place where we enjoy amazing trails. Let's all enjoy them in a way that doesn’t interfere with the enjoyment of others.
Ilana Stern
Durango
