By Chris Barge
Camera Staff Writer

Troy Raynor likes to go for 90-mile dirt bike rides through the forest. Sometimes, hikers give his kind an earful for his sport of choice.

On Sunday, he and about 100 others, including lots of motorized trail users, will spend the morning cleaning up a trailhead in Lefthand Canyon that doubles as an unofficial shooting range. Raynor, a member of the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, says it's a nice way to show that off-highway folks care about the environment.

OTHER CLEANUPS Can't make it to Lefthand Canyon on Sunday? Sign up for one of these volunteer trail opportunities instead: Betasso trail link project: The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department is looking for 50 volunteers to help restore wildlife habitat that has been reduced by social trails and erosion. Volunteers also will construct a trail that will complete the link between Betasso Preserve and Boulder Canyon; 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 27. Lunch will be provided. Register with Chris Bates by Wednesday by calling (303) 441-1647. Flagstaff cleanup: The Access Fund and Mountain Sports invite volunteers to help clean up Flagstaff Mountain, then enjoy the rest of the day bouldering, climbing and socializing; 9 a.m. May 18. Meet at the Chautauqua parking lot in Boulder. For more information, call (303) 442-8355. Longmont 'Cleanup Greenup': The city of Longmont is looking for volunteers to help clean up the whole town, including its trail systems. To volunteer, call Cleanup Greenup campaign manager Lore Blattner, (303) 651-8446. For information on other upcoming Colorado State Parks Year of Trails cleanups, see http://parks.state.co.us/yot/calendar.asp.

"It's amazing what 100 people can do in four hours' work," said Raynor, who began the cleanups informally about 10 years ago.

This year's Lefthand Canyon cleanup is being advertised as part of Colorado's Year of Trails, a yearlong initiative announced by Gov. Bill Owens last month.

"We're trying to bring awareness to our trails system in Colorado," state spokeswoman Shannon Tortorella said.

The event, which had been happening one weekend every summer for a decade, got going in earnest last year. Then, about 75 people came out to the shooting range up Lefthand Canyon Drive, north of Boulder.

By day's end, a 100-yard stretch in a gully near the highway that had been littered with about 5 inches of trash and debris was cleared.

This year, even more are expected to join the cleanup, which will be coordinated by the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests and anchored by volunteers from the Trailridge Runners 4WD Club, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, and Northern Colorado Trail Riders.

The unofficial target-shooting area is one of six within a couple of miles of Lefthand Canyon Drive that the ranger district has targeted for cleanup. Last year, organizers said they hoped cleaning the area would discourage shooters from continuing to practice there.

But as it does every year, the trash in the gully has mounted once again.

"In one year it turns into a wasteland," Raynor said.

Organizers are inviting the general public to participate. They ask that volunteers bring work gloves, rakes and shovels.

Volunteers should try to carpool and meet at Lefthand Canyon Drive at 8:30 a.m. to sign in. To get to the site, take U.S. 36 two miles north of Boulder, turn west on County Road 94, or Lefthand Canyon Drive, and go up the canyon 3.5 miles.

If cleaning up the environment isn't enough incentive, sip on this: The New Belgium Brewing Company is kicking in free Fat Tire beers to all the workers at the end.

April 18, 2002

E-mail this story to a friend | Printer-friendly version