FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bridal Veil Trail Bridge Opens for Summer Season
Ribbon cutting ceremony celebrates collaboration between county and nonprofit
Media Contact: Mike Bordogna, County Manager, 970.728.3844, mikeb@sanmiguelcountyco.gov
Janet Kask, Director of Parks & Open Space, 970.369.5469, janetk@sanmiguelcountyco.gov
Lindsey Mills, Public Information Consultant, lindseym@sanmiguelcountyco.gov
(June 5, 2022) – San Miguel County, CO --- This past Friday, San Miguel County Parks and Open Space and Telluride Mountain Club celebrated the opening of Bridal Veil Trail for the 2022 summer season by commemorating the grand opening of the newly constructed Bridal Veil Trail Bridge.
Constructed in the fall of 2019, the Bridal Veil Creek Trail was a collaborative effort between San Miguel County, the Idarado Mining Co., the Telluride Mountain Club, and the Town of Telluride. The Telluride Mountain Club identified the Bridal Veil Creek Trail as a “priority trail” in their Trails Sustainability Plan and has focused greatly on its development over the last three years.
The Bridal Veil Trail Bridge, originally named Ingram Creek Bridge, is located .3 miles from the Valley View parking lot trailhead. Because water levels can be high during peak runoff and unpredictable during the summer monsoon season, the bridge diverts the original trail slightly from where it formerly crossed Ingram Creek in a lower location, allowing for safe passage during high flows.
“The physical challenge of locating a bridge crossing over two very large boulders ultimately provided for a unique bridge design of steel and cables spanning a distance of 40 feet,” said Janet Kask, director of San Miguel County Parks and Open Space. “This new project allows for safe crossing of Ingram Creek during peak runoff and monsoon season and offers stellar views to compliment an already incredible hiking experience.”
The bridge, which was completed on November 21, 2021, is 40 feet in length and is suspended 45 feet above ground, sitting at 9,260 feet of elevation. The bridge project began in 2019 with the commencement of the Bridal Veil Trail concepting, continuing with the transfer of project and funding from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). The Bridal Veil Trail Bridge cost a total of $130,700 which was funded by $60,000 in CPW grant funds awarded, and $70,700 in matching funds provided equally by San Miguel County and the Telluride Mountain Club.
“The new Bridal Veil bridge is the perfect culmination to a multi-year, collaborative trail initiative in the Telluride region,” says Heidi Lauterbach, Telluride Mountain Club Director. “The trail and bridge would not have been possible without the help and dedication of so many people. This bridge is truly spectacular, and we hope the community enjoys it for years to come.”
Telluride Mountain Club tracks hiker usage through “hits,” which indicate the number of times a person passes the automated trail counter - a single hiker would count as two hits if they completed the full trail out and back. Telluride Mountain Club also tracks “hits” on the Jud Wiebe and the Via Ferrata trails in Telluride. With 57,382 hits on the trail from May 24 through October 24, 2021, and 85,324 hits from July 3 to December 8, 2020, the trail is reported to be the most popular of the three.
Bridal Veil Trail is now open for hikers to enjoy throughout the summer, incorporating the new Bridal Veil Trail Bridge into the trail’s alignment. The completion of the bridge marks a momentous occasion, bringing safer, managed access to Telluride’s backyard.
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