Letter: Trails are for humans

Having been long opposed to the winter closure of the Rio Grande Trail between the Catherine Store Bridge and Rock Bottom Ranch, I take up the pen again to argue for leaving it open year-round. And now the trail has been closed in summer because a mountain lion family has taken up residence in the vicinity. The wildlife zealots and junkies have finally succeeded by closing the trail in winter and establishing a safe environment for a mountain lion to raise her young. I suggest that winter-trail closure is neither good for human trail users nor for wild mountain lions. There is plenty of lion habitat farther up on the Crown. After all, the Rio Grande is a railroad right of way in use temporarily as a bike path and, in addition, the Roaring Fork valley floor is rife with human activity of all kinds. Please, let’s open up the trail to year-round use as soon as possible by driving the cats farther up the Crown using whatever means necessary. I would like to be able to cross-country ski to Basalt in January.

James Breasted

Carbondale