A collaboration between Idaho Springs, The Mighty Argo and the Colorado Mountain Bike Association plans a total of 12 miles of bike trails in three phases, and it will ultimately offer a combination of multi-use trails as well as those specifically designated for hikers or mountain bikers, according to COMBA.
City council members decided April 22 to put up a a poll so that residents can have their say in what the trails will be named.
An online ballot is available and names such as Bumble Foot, Widow Maker, Panic Switch, Ten Day Jacks and more.
“This is a pretty unique project and I think it’s going to be a major boon for the residents and business in Idaho Springs,” COMBA Executive Director Gary Moore said.
Phase 1, completed in 2022, is the main four-mile trail through the middle spine of the mountain. It offers trail hiking in both directions and bike uphill only, according to Moore.
Phase 2 will cost about $634,000 to complete, according to contractor FlowRide/McGill. The project will be paid for with a $359,087 funding grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, in addition to a $250,000 grant from Trek bikes.
The remaining Phase 2 funding is made up of a combination of grants from Colorado Mountain Bike Association and Teens Inc., according to city plans presented to council members.
The trails on Phase 2, currently known as the West Downhill, Rosa Gulch Downhill and Buttermilk Loop could be complete as early as February of next year, according to Moore.
Phase 3 of the mountain bike trails relies on a $400,000 advance from the planned Argo gondola.
Argo co-owner Mary Jane Loevlie estimates when complete, the gondola will draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to Idaho Springs, and the city will receive 50 cents from every estimated $30 ticket.
Idaho Springs residents will be able to take the gondola for free.
Loevlie said the $400,000 will be an advance of Idaho Springs’ 50-cent share of the gondola fee proceeds for the first two years of operation.
The third phase of the planned downhill mountain bike trail in the park will be known as the “Black Downhill Trail,” an extreme trail for advanced riders, according to city plans.
“For this particular project the goal has been to highlight, harken back to the legacy use of the land… so there’s a lot of history and mining claim names are in the mix currently,” Moore said.
Voting will be open for residents until May 17, according to the online ballot.