Need a bike? Need to get some of that old equipment out of your garage? This is the perfect opportunity and proceeds help fund the Park City High School Mountain Bike Team.
Bike Swap – April 27-28, 2024
Flying Dog Trail
Ohhhh, nowww you see it, right? A…flying…dog.
Flying Dog, or F-Dog for short, was completed in 2008 and sits on designated open space within Basin Recreation’s service area. According to Senta Beyer, Basin Rec’s Trails Project Manager at the time, “Flying Dog was another fine example of a public/private partnership, with the developer providing public trail access as part of the development process, in pursuit of the Trails Master Plan.” Basin Rec’s first district leader, Bonnie Park, remembers, “In the unique case of The Preserve, the trails were laid out before the lots were platted and and the developer also funded the construction.” At that time in Park City’s trail development, this trails-first approach was a rarity.
Considering the Glenwild trails, 24-7 and Cobblestone trails, “Flying Dog was kind of the last stretch of trail completing that long epic loop,” says Bob Radke, long-time professional trail builder who was, at the time, Basin Recreation’s Trails Maintenance Supervisor.
And, on the trail building crew, Heinrich Deters, now Park City’s Trails and Open Space Department manager reflects, “The presence of wildlife, particularly the large elk herd, was a highlight of those days, and I’m delighted to hear they still inhabit the area today.”
It would seem that Flying Dog’s creation exemplifies the highest of leadership objectives: balancing the rights of developers, directives of government, professional trail design, public access and Mother Nature. Kudos to those who played a part!
In 2008, the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) Summit, was held in Park City. Still a favorite to this day, one of the IMBA Epic Rides was the Flying Dog loop consisting of:
- Bad Apple – 0.5 miles
- Fink Again – 1 mile
- 24-7 – 1.5 miles
- Stealth – 0.5 miles
- Glenwild – 2.2 miles
- Cobblestone – 1.7 miles
- Flying Dog – 6 miles
- 24-7 – 1.5 miles
- Crazy 8 – 0.8 miles
- Bad Apple – 0.5 miles
There is no preferred direction on this trail, however, due to its popularity, we do recommend riding this loop as early as possible and on weekdays rather than weekends. As this route is long, remote, exposed, and can get hot even in the spring and fall, it is not recommended as an outing for even the most experienced canine buddies.
With over 1500′ of vertical gain, a handful of steep pitches, several exposed, rocky sections, and a few loose switchbacks, this upper-level intermediate/expert ride has a well-earned grunt-factor of 7 out of 10.That said, it’s worth the effort. After all, it wasn’t named an IMBA Epic Ride for no reason!
For more information go to MTF’s website: https://mountaintrails.org/
Park City Trail Series 2024 Dates
The 2024 Trail Series events have been announced!
Full Series
June – August, 2024
5K
June 1, 2024
10K
July 13, 2024
Half Marathon
August 3, 2024
Park City Trail Series is a 3-race series that runs from June – August. It starts with a 5K and works up to a half marathon. The courses are forgiving enough for new trail runners but bring the excitement that seasoned trail runners love. You can mix and match which races you would like to sign up for or get all three at an amazing price! Plus, you can 10% per person by signing up 4 or more people for the series. So, get your family, friends, neighbors, or whoever you need to recruit, and get signed up today!
2025 Regional Trails Mixer
May 5, 2025 from 5-8pm
Do you wonder as you wander? About the world of trails, who does what and how? Well, wonder no more; come out and meet the heroes of the trails and open spaces you love at the 3rd annual Regional Trails Mixer.
From the Park City Fire Department (PCFD) to the Wasatch Trails Foundation (WTF), all the acronyms you love will be there to share their missions, history, and plans for the future. Last year, we hosted 20 local organizations and 250 guests at the Legacy Lodge. Friendly faces, “free” food, and a cash bar (don’t forget your ID) create the perfect environment to learn and connect.
Plan to bring your friends and family; the more, the merrier. Join us in thanking Vail’s EpicPromise Foundation for providing the site free of charge. Although free, we hope that each attendee will consider making a $5 donation to cover food costs.
28th Annual Leadership 101
Join us for Leadership 101 — Charting our Community’s Future! Whether you’ve been here in Park City for a day or a lifetime…if you have an interest in the greater Park City community, this program is for you. Hear from some of the people making the decisions in our community and learn more about current issues. MTF presenting at 3:30.
The $50 registration fee includes breakfast and lunch. Register and pay with PayPal online or contact Paige Galvin via email, or by calling 435-615-5186.
Ticket purchase deadline is February 8.
Trail Origin Story of The Month
Rademan Ridge
Rademan Ridge (ray-duh-man) is one of Round Valley’s original trails.
This double track once served as a ranch and mining road girded with barbed wire fence. Nowadays, it is a staple for connectivity in the Round Valley trail system. At its northernmost end is the “hub” intersection where Pulp Friction peels off, Tin Man tops out, and Rambler sails through both sides. To the south, Rademan Ridge pitches steeply toward the Cove trailhead.
We reached out to the trail’s namesake, Myles Rademan, and this is the story he tells –
“Long before there were too many committees and rules, I was hired as Park City’s Planning Director in 1986. I came from Crested Butte, one of the birth places of mountain biking, and brought my ‘fat tire’ bike with me and started riding in Round Valley which was then sheep grazing land and fenced off. My new friends Harry Reed and Jan Wilking started to accompany me when I convinced them of the joys of biking. At the same time I started frantically buying open space for the city, often in the dark of night. I always told people that the public must be able to use their open spaces in order to feel a sense of ownership. Luckily, Mountain Trails formed to provide exactly those opportunities. When Matt Twombly, the city’s landscape architect, was preparing some of the initial maps of our public lands and trails in Round Valley, he asked me what I called the old double track mining road along the western hill in Round Valley that I always took potential local landowners to when I was trying to convince them to sell the City their land. I said, “Harry Reed called it ‘Rademan Ridge’ .” And that’s what Matt put on the map though he preferred to call it ‘Myles From No Where’. We didn’t hire consultants or do test marketing! We just did it, which proves that sometimes luck and being in the right place at the right time leads to immortality. Just ask Amerigo Vespucci!”
Trained as an attorney, Myles is a well respected, much loved, bike pedaling figure around Park City. Serving as the Planning Director, Public Relations Director and founder/director of the Leadership Park City program, Myles has always been an advocate for community leadership, open space and trails. Rademan Ridge, one of Park City’s original trails, is a worthy tip of the hat to a man who has left a positive mark upon the civic arena and the world of outdoor adventure.
With help from Myles Rademan all those years ago, the Round Valley open space is owned by Park City Municipal and forever preserved as open space with multiple conservation easements held by Summit Land Conservancy and Utah Open Lands. Mountain Trails Foundation maintains Round Valley trails, including Rademan Ridge.
