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Press Release: TPA Trail Crew Restores Critical Access in Sulphur Ranger District

Trail work opens key motorized routes closed since October 2020 wildfires

The Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) Trail Crew has completed its fourth hitch of the 2025 season in Colorado’s Sulphur Ranger District, tackling extensive wildfire damage and restoring critical motorized access across the Arapaho National Forest.

From June 4–11, 2025, the TPA Trail Crew, working closely with U.S. Forest Service recreation staffer Andrew McElwee (Drew), covered an impressive 226 trail miles by motorcycle and maintained 48.5 miles of trail—including the long-awaited reopening of West Stillwater Pass Trail, closed since the October 2020 East Troublesome Fire.

Work Highlights Include:

• 728 downed trees cut to clear and restore access on burned-over trail corridors
• 18 new drainage features built to protect trails from post-fire erosion
• 2,150 feet of trail debris removed including rock slides, saplings, and erosion material
• 130 feet of trail reconstructed by hand in fire-damaged sections
• Three trail water crossings repaired and stabilized for safe passage
• Six large boulders placed to anchor tread and reduce future erosion
• Six trees felled to eliminate dangerous hang-ups

Trail corridors cleared include Willow Creek, Illinois Pass, Sherman Creek, Gilsonite Trail, West Stillwater Pass, Jack Park, and Radial Mountain. Much of this work was performed in high burn severity zones where fire blowdown, erosion, and vegetation regrowth had completely blocked trail access.

This hitch also marked a critical opportunity for in-person coordination between TPA and Sulphur District staff. The crew provided detailed field updates and assessments to the USFS, helping shape next steps for continued recovery and stewardship.

Despite challenging terrain and fire-scarred conditions, the TPA Trail Crew continues to deliver hands-on support across Colorado, ensuring sustainable motorized recreation access on public lands.

For more information about the TPA Trail Crew or to support this work, visit www.coloradotpa.org.

Press Release: TPA Trail Crew Delivers Early-Season Results Across Colorado

Strategic partnerships and boots-on-the-ground impact lead strong start to 2025 trail season

The Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) Trail Crew has hit the ground running in 2025, completing four field hitches since launching in late April. Led by veteran trail foreman Troy Sitton, the three-person crew has already supported five different BLM Field Offices and USFS Ranger Districts and logged impressive numbers in trail restoration, reconstruction, and access reopening.

With a regional agreement in place with the USFS Rocky Mountain Region—encompassing Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas—the TPA Trail Crew is focusing its 2025 efforts in Colorado. All 2025 trail crew operations are being fully funded by the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA). Thanks to a 2026 CPW OHV grant on the horizon and the guidance of trail professionals, Greg Hamilton and Troy Sitton, the program is expanding its footprint and deepening agency partnerships statewide.

2025 Season to Date: (as of June 11)

• 606 miles of trail ridden
• 122.5 miles of trail maintained
• 742 trees cut out
• 17 hazard trees felled
• 122 drainages cleared
• 15 new drainages built
• 135 feet of reroutes completed
• 270 feet of reconstructed tread
• 4,355 feet of debris cleared
• 5,560 feet of corridor cleared
• 5 signs installed
• 151 trail contacts made

Agencies & Districts Served So Far:

• BLM Royal Gorge Field Office
• Salida Ranger District (PSICC)
• BLM Grand Junction
• Grand Valley Ranger District (Uncompahgre NF)
• Sulphur Ranger District (Arapaho NF)

Notable Accomplishments by Hitch:

• Hitch 1: Field setup, first fieldwork in the Fourmile Travel Management Area (BLM/Salida RD). Gates unlocked, agency staff briefed, and interim support provided before USFS OHV crews were active.
• Hitch 2: Grand Junction BLM—major reconstruction of The Edge Loop trail using boulders to rebuild an unrideable section. Adjacent Uncompahgre NF trails also cleared.
• Hitch 3: Rampart Range—mapped 6 miles of potential reroutes with RRMMC. Extensive planning and data collection shared with partners. Early-season trail hazards mitigated.
• Hitch 4: Sulphur RD—728 trees cut, 2 creek crossings rebuilt, 130 feet of trail reconstructed. West Stillwater Pass Trail reopened after nearly five years of closure due to East Troublesome Fire damage.

Crew Model & Leadership:

• Foreman Troy Sitton, former leader of the Granby-based Statewide FS Crew, provides expert guidance to Trail Crew members, Carl Brown and Mike Tuinstra, along with long standing trusted agency relationships.
• Greg Hamilton supports the crew statewide, assisting with trail work, agency planning, and public land policy. He is actively building 2026 trail project pipelines with BLM and USFS offices across Colorado.

The TPA Trail Crew operates on an 8-days-on, 6-days-off rotation and has 14 hitches scheduled for the 2025 season. With a statewide reputation for high-quality, collaborative trail work, the TPA Crew is becoming an essential on-the-ground partner for land managers.

To learn more or to support the TPA Trail Crew’s work, visit www.coloradotpa.org.

Denver, CO:  Several organizations recently filed a lawsuit challenging the Rico West Dolores Travel Management Project Decision on the Dolores District of the San Juan National Forest.  The parties bringing the suit are the Trails Preservation Alliance, San Juan Trail Riders, and Public Access Preservation Association, whose members have long enjoyed motorcycle access along prized single-track trails within the Project area.  The Decision would close roughly 30 percent of those trails, and impose seasonal restrictions eliminating motorcycle use between November 1 and May 31.  The case was filed in federal court for the U.S. District of Colorado, bringing claims under the National Forest Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, various regulations and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“This area has received sustainable trail use by diverse users, including motorcyclists, for more than 40 years,” said Gary Wilkinson with the San Juan Trail Riders.  “This Decision, roughly a decade in the making, is mostly a solution in search of a problem that unnecessarily pits trail users against one another where there is ample room to get along,” Wilkinson added.  “Our organizations have long partnered with the Forest Service and other users to define and support effective trail management, but this Decision crossed a line which we must defend,” added Don Riggle of the Trails Preservation Alliance.

The planning process leading to the Decision followed an earlier round of litigation brought by anti-access groups represented by the Colorado Law School, seeking to close 14 trails to all motorcycle use.  The Forest Service, with the trail riding groups as intervenors, successfully defended that earlier lawsuit, which ended in a 2015 Tenth Circuit decision penned by then Judge Gorsuch finding the case lacked jurisdiction and allowing motorcycle travel to continue.  The Forest Service followed that successful defense with the now-challenged Decision, rewarding anti-access interests with closures previously rejected by the courts.  The lawyer for the motorcycle riders in both rounds of litigation is Paul Turcke of Boise, Idaho.

The trails at issue are found in an area along the Dolores River, generally between Durango and Telluride in southwestern Colorado.  The case is in its early stages, and will likely proceed into 2019 under the Court’s Administrative Procedure docket.

Contact: Paul Turcke 208-331-1800

 Press Release: Trail Riders Bring Suit Challenging Rico West Dolores Plan