Basalt electionsThere are four candidates vying for three Basalt Town Council seats this spring: Angela Anderson, Benjamin Fierstein, Elyse Hottel, Greg Shaffran. Registered voters will receive a mail-in ballot due back by April 7. Do you have a question for these candidates? Please email raleigh@soprissun.com with “Basalt election” in the subject line. Red Hill alertAccording […]
Red Hill Council
Posted inEnvironment
Why the wooden stakes?
Red Hill Council update Visitors to Mushroom Rock Trail may have noticed an increase in wooden stakes and boundary lines along sections of the trail. These markers outline closure areas where a test-case revegetation project was initiated by volunteers during the fall of 2025 in order to protect and restore the trail and surrounding landscape […]
Posted inNews
Scuttlebutt & Calendar
Autism awarenessAscendigo Autism Services invites businesses and individuals to display their commitment as advocates of neurodivergent inclusivity with a sign for their home or storefront, or a sticker for their car or water bottle. Bonfire Coffee and Dos Gringos are sending every cup of to-go coffee out the door with a custom “Inclusion Advocate” java […]
Posted inEnvironment
New ‘Muddy Meter’ aims to mitigate erosion of Red Hill trails
The Red Hill trail system, just off of the Highway 82 and 133 intersection, is one of the most popular and convenient recreation areas in the Valley. How popular? Well, the trailhead receives around 75,000 visitors each year. That is about three-times as many hikers annually compared to the state’s most popular 14,000-feet peaks. It […]
Posted inNews
Red Hill vandalism befuddles authorities
On March 12, the Carbondale Parks and Recreation Department sent a press release detailing recent vandalism at the Red Hill/Mushroom Rock trail. According to that statement, the Red Hill Council’s trail counter box, a device that captures heat sources to help track trail usage and wildlife movement, was broken into and damaged. It was located […]
Posted inNews
Red Hill steward earns accolades from public lands agency
Chris Brandt first started mountain biking the rugged single-track trails on Carbondale’s Red Hill in 2009 and immediately noticed something both aesthetically beautiful and ecologically fragile about it.“I was blown away by how awesome it was, and how it encompassed everything I loved about mountain biking, with its natural challenges and the scenery,” Brandt said.At […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Poop, there it is!
It’s a sight too familiar — dog waste, bagged and otherwise, littering our favorite trails. As the snow thaws, the problem is especially evident. One might wonder, did this person intend to grab their bag on the way back? Or do they think it’s somebody’s job to ferry poop away? Not only is it unsightly, […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Red Hill survey results are in!
Carbondale’s much-loved trail system on Red Hill is now seeing more than 70,000 visits a year. That’s according to Davis Farrar, a member of the volunteer group, the Red Hill Council. While most of the Red Hill trail system is Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, the council exists to help steward the popular trails. […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Red Hill trails need “TLC”
The trails in Carbondale’s Red Hill Recreation Area are loved. If that’s not clear from the jammed parking lot, there’s evidence along the trails themselves. Crumbling paths between switchbacks are evidence of shortcutting – by both humans and canines. Dog poop bags line the trail creating bubbles of stink for trail users to hold their […]
