Kicking off summer at Galena Lodge
Galena Lodge opens this Saturday, June 13th with the 13th annual Galena and the Trails Summer Barbecue. The event celebrates and supports the lodge and the lodge’s newly constructed trails.
Come up early and enjoy the trails, but be sure to head to the lodge deck and lawn area for a fantastic barbecue prepared by Chef Don Shepler. The cost for the barbecue is $20 for adults and includes a delicious lunch, beverages, and homemade dessert. Kids 4 years and up eat for $10 and those under 4 are free. Lunch will be served from 11 to 2. Proceeds help fund the annual operating costs for the lodge.
Portion of the new Grinder connection.
This year Galena Lodge will be offering free mountain bike tours of the new trails with guide Jen Biondi. The tours will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. About 12 miles of the designed 47 mile trail system will be open by the day of the barbecue. About 7 miles of the new singletrack trails are entry-level trails that are super fun. An additional 5 miles of intermediate level trails are now open in the Gladiator drainage and along Psycho Ridge. You can see what is presently open at Galena, and even a sneak peak of what is being built this summer at www.summertrailink.bcrd.org. Paper maps of the trails will be available at all shops and at the lodge by Saturday. The free tours are open to people of all abilities, but participants should have some previous mountain biking experience.
Derek is one of our lead equipment operators. He is pictured here on a portion of the new connector off of the Grinder Trail.
This summer marks Phase 2 of the 3-phase, 3-year Galena Summer Trail project. The project has been made possible through a partnership between the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the Blaine County Recreation District, with plans to build a 47 mile network of trails surrounding the lodge. The trails are designed as a “stacked-loop” system of routes with the lodge at its core. Beginner trails will exist closest to the lodge, with more advanced trails located farther out. Last summer 13 miles of trails were constructed and saw a lot of use. This summer’s Phase 2 constructions have begun with the goal of completing an additional 14 to 16 miles of new trails.
Building new trail at Galena with a mini-excavator. Hand work to follow.
Help kick summer off with a fun ride, walk, or run on the new trails; or just come up and enjoy some great camaraderie on the deck with new and old friends. Visit bcrd.org or galenalodge.com for details.