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Cold, snow turns trails slick

Tamara Miller
Dominique Taylor/Vail DailyDogsitter Page Santini walks two of her clients' dogs Rocky and Matty along part of the slowly thawing Edwards eco trail behind Riverwalk Thursday in Edwards.
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EAGLE COUNTY – Neither snow nor ice could keep Robert Dalain away from his regular runs. But Mother Nature has forced him to make some adjustments. It’s been days since a winter weather storm hit the area, but the frigid temperatures that followed have kept some roadways packed with ice. The same goes for bike and running trails. So Dalain, an Ironman athlete who usually does a loop on the ECO Trails once or twice a week, has taken his runs to the slopes, instead.”What I do is to do more snowshoes,” he said.

Towns and ECO Trails – the organization that creates and oversees the regional paved trail system – have been removing snow from the pathways since the weekend snowstorm. But it’s been difficult to do them all. “People need to be patient,” said Ellie Caryl, ECO Trails director. “A lot of time the road needs to be done first.”Trail sections that get the most use will be plowed. Some sections of trail, such as the Dowd Junction trail from West Vail to U.S. Highway 6, are closed for the winter. Other trails will stay open, but will not be plowed, Caryl said.

And walkers and runners should use the same caution on trails as drivers should on roadways, she added. “It’s still going to be icy, just like the roads,” she said. “There are some shady spots.”ECO Trails is responsible for some spots, while towns are responsible for other sections of trail, Caryl said. Despite the change in his exercise schedule this week, Dalain said, the trails usually are in good shape.



“Normally they are clean,” he said. “Last winter we had no issues whatsoever. This week has been unique.”I’m not complaining, though,” Dalain added. “They really try to do a good job.”Staff Writer Tamara Miller can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 607, or tmiller@vaildaily.com.Vail, Colorado


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