Donning neon orange shirts and clipping badges to their handlebars, Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol volunteers pedal through the county’s open space with steely calves and the resources to help novice and experienced explorers alike.
The squad of cyclist, which have amassed nearly 90 members, ride for a cause, helping to keep the trails pristine and providing bottled water and a nod in the right direction to lost hikers. Volunteers patrol areas across Boulder County, including open space in Longmont and Boulder.
On Sept. 16, Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol was recognized for its efforts during a conference in Steamboat Springs when the group was awarded the Colorado Open Space Alliance’s Blue Grama Award, acknowledging the patrol’s partnership with open space programs.
Tim Kenkel, director of the bike patrol , said the award was both “exciting” and “humbling” to receive.
“We are just doing things that (people) would do anyway,” Kenkel said. “If you see someone hurt, you are going to stop to help. That said, there has been a lot of work to build patrol to what it is today.”
The organization started in 2006 as an effort to assist, educate and inform trail users. The group partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and helped to patrol Nederland areas, but has since expanded its partnership to include patrols for a number of other agencies, including the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Boulder Parks and Recreation, and Boulder County Parks and Open Space.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time it’s helping people who are lost or out of water,” Kenkel said. “Every now and then you go out and find something strange happening.”
Volunteers’ efforts have also helped thwart dangerous situations.
On Aug. 25, patrol volunteer Phil Davies was riding his bike in Nederland when he stumbled on an illegal campsite where there was a small wildfire burning near the West Magnolia Trail. He called authorities just before noon. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze with help from helicopter water drops.
“At about 4:50 p.m. I got a thank you call from the Forest Service and that they had it under control,” Davies said. “We are very lucky to have the very best emergency responders.”
Other volunteers have stumbled upon unattended camp fires, trash, broken gates or injured hikers and have been able to provide assistance, Kenkel said.
Kenkel said he believes patrol operations have become increasingly important to educating those using Boulder County’s trails, especially as a greater number of people appear to be visiting the mountains to recreate. This is likely due to Colorado’s rapid population growth. In 2017 alone, the state grew by nearly 80,000 people and was marked as the seventh fastest growing state in the country, according to the Denver Post.
The Boulder County Bike Patrol program is the biggest and longest running in the state, according to Kenkel. Last year, volunteers worked more than 4,500 hours.
The Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol always welcomes new volunteers, Kenkel said. Those interested must be able to commit at least 24 hours a year. Those interested can reach out to the volunteer organization to find out more via the website at Bouldermountainbike.org.
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