This is an open letter of mine to Boulder's Parks and Rec department.
Dear Boulder Parks and Recreation Department,
As COVID subsides, hopefully for good, our trail systems are going to be innundated with people getting out and enjoying themselves. As this coincides with our erratic Spring-time weather, muddy trails are going to be expanded/widened by trail users. I ask rather than closing trails due to overuse/abuse or for "restoration," that we leave the trails open and allow the new mudily trodden paths to be formed and incorporated into overall design.
Our trail designs have been already been lagging their use demands, and COVID pushed more and more people outside for the first time, and we have an opportunity to keep them outside and engaged as long as we keep trails open.
Let's give our community the trail access it wants during this once-in-a-lifetime moment, and resist the urge to close access and trails due to water/mud damage. We have long needed more/wider/double/tripple trails to accommodate demand, and we have a tremendous opportunity to allow everyone this singular moment in time to embrace our outdoors despite inclimant weather and over-use impacts on the trails and surrounding areas. We can clean up much of the impending damage in the years to come, but for now let's receive all the new interest and use with open arms.
