While only “the choir” was in attendance at the Desert Fiesta, people were really excited to hear what I had to say. Here is a transcript of the speech:
The Borderland Mountain Bike Association has a bumper sticker that says “Working for better trails in El Paso.” The Franklin Mountains are home to some of the toughest mountain bike trails in the world. This past year, the BMBA had a banner year in helping to create more new trails for mountain bikers and hikers. There is now a full loop around the northern part of the range, all within the park boundaries. The northern end of this loop passes over into Hitt Canyon. The full loop is approximately 25 miles in it’s shortest path. Truly epic with incredible periods of remoteness, this loop is a challenge to even seasoned riders. Of course, the climb over Mundy’s Gap is one of the toughest climbs in the southwest.
The crux of this project was the completion of the Hitt Canyon Trail and the switchbacks up the west side of the range. With a 1000 or so volunteer hours donated by the Bowie ROTC, the BMBA, and members of the Ridgewalkers, this trail was completed in time for the El Paso Puzzler….now a premier level endurance mountain bike event.
Another point of accomplishment comes in the form of a new section of trail that lies behind you. Known as the Lower Sunset Reroute, this trail comes as a bittersweet treat to mountain bikers and hikers. Few people know the true reason why this trail exists. About this time last year, the original section of trail, a nice adventure through a narrow wash lined with small cliffs and abundant with fossils, was bulldozed over by Mr. Stanley Jobe. This section of trail was not in the park. It was on a section of our land…..land that belongs to the citizens of Texas. You see, this land is managed by the General Land Office. The GLO leased this land to Mr. Jobe on a mineral lease allowing him to excavate a few million tons of rock, gravel, and sand for the construction of more roads and sidewalks in El Paso and New Mexico.
With a bit of pressure from recreational users, environmentalists, and community activists, Mr. Jobe made some concessions, donated some labor hours and $15,000 to help with the construction of the reroute. I take a bit of pride in this section as myself and Mr. Robert Newman chose to go higher with the route…..following the motto of a Colorado based outdoor magazine…”When in doubt, go higher.”
The BMBA understands that there is a gap in accessible trails for people wanting to get into mountain biking. The difficulty of our trails may help people like me be very competitive at the national level, but they do little to provide a fun first time experience to beginners. While there are some easier trails in the Heinrich Park area, the city lacks the overall infrastructure to make mountain biking an easy experience such as safe trailhead parking and signage…..things that BMBA members are working on with the Public Service Board.
This is where the really hard work comes into play. Trying to convince our city officials that we need more bike and walking paths that actually go to places like parks, schools, and grocery stores is like trying to walk through this desert in bare feet with a blindfold on.
City officials believe that more strip malls and more high density neighborhoods are what we need to help our city. Roads that are easier to drive on and stores that seem impossible to walk to due to scary parking lots and sidewalks that don’t connect doesn’t make our lives easier. It handicaps us and contributes to many of the problems that plague our city…..problems like obesity and diabetes….and general malaise.
Just recently, city council voted to allow the widening of the section of Transmountain Rd from the park entrance down to I-10. This is a confusing venture for our city as I personally have never been caught in a traffic jam on this section of road. $80 million dollars is being slated for this “improvement”. But the road is not the only thing that will change. Commercial development as well as frontage roads will also be constructed along that corridor. Most if not all of the desert from the western boundary of this state park all the way to I-10 already has been “master planned” by our city. Is this really what we need or want?
If it’s something that you don’t want or think that this city really needs…..and sometimes we have to do some pretty deep introspection to determine our needs…..then you are probably asking, “What can I do?”
What can you do? There are some very simple things. First, buy an annual pass to the Texas State Parks. At $60, it’s way cheaper than a gym membership. You can bring your entire family into the park as well as any State Park in Texas. Second, join an organization that supports your interests such as the Sierra Club, the BMBA, or the Nature Conservancy. Third, email your city council person and tell them that you like El Paso and it’s beautiful desert and your are saddened that so much of it is slated to be turned into concrete and more strip malls. And lastly, use your park pass to bring a friend or two into this beautiful park. If you are a mountain biker, convince a co-worker to join you on a ride on some of the easier trails such as the ones at Heinrich Park. If you are a hiker, bring your neighbor out to see the views from the new Lower Sunset Reroute. Start them off easy. Make it fun for them so they’ll want to join you again. Keep taking them until they go on their own. Then encourage them to do as I’ve suggested to you. The cycle will continue and there will be a few less people out there who think there is nothing to do in El Paso.
