Western Colorado Trail Etiquette – A Refresher Course

If you've spent any time walking Western Colorado's beautiful trails, chances are you've encountered a few breaches of trail walking etiquette. So that we may all enjoy our incredible trails to their full potential, let's review some basics.

This refresher course is prompted by an encounter I witnessed last Sunday on Grand Junction's Audubon Trail. A bicyclist was a little disenchanted with a jogger, and made it known. Was either party right or wrong? Not really. It was a simple lapse in proper trail etiquette.

Here are some basics, compliments of Pathfoundation.org:

• Yield to pedestrians - they have the right of way
• Keep right, and pass on the left (observing this rule could have prevented the encounter I saw on Sunday)
• Announce yourself; example: "One your left!"
• If you stop, get off the trail.
• Obey all signs and rules.
• Keep to the right.
• Keep pets on a short leash (I violate this one.)
• Walk pets on the right shoulder.

That's about it. Most any trail in Western Colorado is two lanes wide, so traffic can move in both directions without either party having to alter their path. Keep in mind, trail traffic moves at various speeds - bicyclists, joggers, dog walkers, people with little kids, etc.

Be sure to take full advantage of our incredible trail system in Western Colorado. I think you'll find the people you encounter to be the nicest people you've ever met. We all have the same goal in common, to get out and enjoy our wonderful outdoors.