Legacy Trails Program Awardee

Soda Ditch Loop Trail

The Soda Ditch Loop Trail is a popular connector and loop-access route based out of the busy Dry Lake Campground and parking area vicinity of Buffalo Pass. Over the past decade, a large amount of new trail development and construction has occurred on Buffalo Pass, thanks to a local tourism-focused lodging tax allocation that has funded many miles of new trail in the area. Routt County Riders, as the local cycling and mountain bike advocacy organization, has assumed a key role in helping maintain these many miles of trail alongside the USFS and in recruiting enthusiastic community volunteers to participate in maintenance and construction projects.

Applicant: Routt County Riders
Project Location: Hahns Peak/Bear's Ears Ranger District, Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest, Colorado
Amount Awarded: $11,000.00

Soda Ditch Loop serves myriad purposes and is used by many different trail user types, including hikers/runners, equestrians, and mountain bikers. It can be easily accessed from the Dry Lake area for a relatively short and easy 3.3-mile loop. For cyclists, it is often used on the return from the further-flung Soda Mountain Trail or Grouse, both expert-level backcountry experiences for riders and other trail users.

Soda Ditch is quite heavily used and crosses a seasonal drainage area. There are several low points in the trail that have become eroded, muddy, and dangerous to trail users as they widen the tread trying to ‘go around’ the wet spots. Seasonal flows in this area vary by year. The aim of this project is to reduce negative impacts to water quality and sensitive soils by constructing simple timber bridges over the wet and eroded sections. Project funds will be used to purchase lumber, supplies and materials to accomplish this task.

The USFS-HPBE and RCR will partner closely to complete the project. Starting in the spring of 2023, both agencies will collaborate to schedule volunteer work days over the summer months. USFS will establish design specifications for the bridges and will work with RCR to procure lumber and supplies needed for the work. It is likely that work will occur in July, August, and September of 2023 – the warmest, driest months up at the higher elevations of Buffalo Pass. RCR will be charged with recruitment of volunteers and overall management of volunteers on-site. Both agencies will provide the necessary tools to complete the work. We expect to have completed all 3 bridges (technically 2 bridges with one extended turnpike section) by October 2023, totaling approximately 150 feet of bridge and turnpike overall.

The completed project will provide a safer, less impactful recreation experience on the Soda Ditch Loop Trail that mitigates impacts to sensitive soils and water quality. Continued collaboration between RCR and the USFS -HPBE will further solidify working relationships and advance our goals of shared stewardship of this precious natural resource, highly valued by Steamboat Springs locals and visitors alike.