Phase 1 of Palisade Plunge Trail Near Completion

The Palisade Plunge Trail crew continues working up the ridge and will soon traverse to the other side.

Activity continues on the Palisade Plunge Trail, the crew continues working up the ridge, completing another 700 feet of new trail, leaving them at milepost 27.59.

A total of 13.16 miles of trail has been completed, leaving four miles to go before completion of Phase 1 of the trail.

A second trail crew has started camping on-site at higher elevations and is finishing the roughed-in sections of trail leftover from last year. They will work down toward the lower crew on the ridge to complete the remaining four-mile part.

Construction for this section of trail encompasses areas that have been identified as raptor habitat. The raptor nesting season in the project area typically occurs between mid-February and mid-August. By mid-August, most young birds have fledged and left the nest.

Another raptor survey was conducted for this year because construction will be occurring within that nesting window. The study identified two nests within the construction area, one belonging to a Peregrine Falcon, and the other nest housing a Golden Eagle. Both of these nests require a ½ mile buffer zone and could delay construction of the trail within these two areas until July 31, 2020.

Another raptor survey is being conducted for the Phase 2 area of the Plunge, and results will be back soon.

Getting closer to acceptable construction conditions on the top of the Grand Mesa.