One big check

July 24, 2024

On July 11, 2024, Keith Thompson, Executive Director of COSBMA, proudly presented a $7,600 check to the Colorado Springs Parks Advisory Board. This substantial amount covered the material costs associated with the wooden structure affectionally known as “The Flyover,” a bike-park style feature that is now a public part of the newly sanctioned Captain Morgan’s trail in North Cheyenne Canon. The Flyover was designed, constructed, and funded through a remarkable collaboration among Timberline Trailcraft, the City of Colorado Springs PRCS team, PPORA, Pikes Peak Apex, and COSMBA.

During the check presentation to the Parks Advisory Board, Thompson presented the major milestones that led to the groundswell of community support. This growing support culminated in one of the largest, most recent trail project donations from the Colorado Springs mountain bike community.  Over the past six months, around fifty riders, bike shops, and local businesses gave in support of this cause. In addition to this collaboration, local leaders volunteered their time and effort to support, strategize, and promote this campaign to friends and family in an effort to meet this lofty goal.

Shortly after Thompson’s presentation, Britt Haley, Director for Parks and Recreation, took to the stage to further explain the project from the city’s perspective. Not only did she affirm COSMBA’s donation, but she also commented on her delight that COSMBA felt like a truly invested partner to the project and the Parks team more broadly.  Haley shared her team’s continued desire for future project collaboration due in part to the professionalism, positivity, and dedication demonstrated by COSMBA and its members throughout the Upper Ladders and Captain Morgan’s trail construction.

From COSMBA’s perspective, Haley’s words went beyond gratitude for a donation and crossed into a public affirmation that COSMBA is on track in its aim to rebuild previously strained relationships between city staff and riders. This has been a core goal since COSMBA’s inception. This newfound trust and partnership serves to support both the city of Colorado Springs and bike riders, and COSMBA considers it an honor to be trailblazing this unified path toward solid, common ground.