Letter: Take a kid mountain biking

Join the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association and Aspen’s Recreation Department for our inaugural International Mountain Bicycling Association Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on June 11! We’ll be gathering at Buttermilk Mountain’s parking lot before starting the ride. Registration starts at 10 a.m. Small groups will start riding at 11 a.m.

The ride will be an out-and-back style with a relatively flat 1.2 miles of new, machine-built, bike-optimized singletrack to start the ride — the Buttermilk Connector was built by the city in the fall of 2015. This new trail will provide a great experience for all ages, including kids on strider bikes! For kids who are ready to do some climbing, we’ll be continuing up the Airline Trail. Most groups will turn around and enjoy the descent once we meet the Cozyline Trail, if not sooner. For the strongest kids, the rest of the Sky Mountain Park trail system has it all.

We’ll need plenty of adult ride guides and parents to join us for this event. All participants should plan on bringing their own bikes and helmets, but we may have a limited number available for those who preregister. Email info@rfmba.org to preregister, to volunteer as an adult ride guide or to help sponsor this event with in-kind swag, treats, food and drink or bike equipment. For more info, please call me at the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association at 970-948-3486 or Jeremy at the city of Aspen at 970-920-5140.

The Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association has a full schedule of events this summer. Many of them are trail-maintenance-focused in partnership with Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers. Learn more at http://www.rfmba.org/Events, or join us Saturday for National Trails Day. We’ll be rerouting the short overlook trail in Van Horn Park above Hunter Creek and Aspen.

Mike Pritchard

Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association