A lawsuit was filed Monday (8/31) in an effort to keep a popular connector trail open. It links up to the Hunter Creek trail in Aspen’s backyard.
The Friends of VerenaMallory Trail Association filed a lawsuit and are pursuing a temporary restraining order to block the closure of the Verena Mallory Trail. The short single-track path is popular with mountain bikers. It offers an alternate route to a rocky section of the adjacent Hunter Creek trail. It’s been used for decades but a recent accidental discovery revealed it’s former owners prohibited trails when they gave the parcel to the Aspen Valley Land Trust. The Trust is now trying to uphold that agreement by reclaiming the trail, or returning it to its natural state, but keeping the land open to the public.
The lawsuit asserts because the trail has been used for so long, it should stay open as a public trail. The association filed in court Monday because they feared the land trust would close the trail Tuesday to start reclamation work. A representative for the land trust says a contractor hasn’t yet been arranged, nor signs purchased to start such work.