I shot the header photo above in the hills east of the Manti Temple. These colorful lichens lie on a ground-level horizontal rock near, if not right beneath, one of the proposed mountain bike trails shown on the maps.
A mountain biking trail system is proposed for the hills east of the Manti Temple.
The map below was distributed on Facebook by local biking organizations. It shows mountain bike trails proposed for construction by Manti Trail Builders in the group hills east of the Manti Temple. I assume it's their initial proposal.
The colored lines show proposed routes of varying difficulty. The light tan lines on the hills are unauthorized existing trails created over the years by motorcycles and ATVs. The newly proposed trails will crisscross the existing trails, creating a dense network of permanent hillside scaring. Additionally, the multiple switchbacks will need to be excavated into the hillsides to assist bikers in climbing the steep, fragile slopes that would otherwise be too difficult to climb.
Above, I've taken the map circulated by the local biking organizations and superimposed it on a larger Google Map view of the town to provide context regarding the surrounding area. These new trails will cause severe damage to the thin, rocky soil and vegetation, leaving permanent gashes and gullies. If you want to see erosion caused by a few of the existing trails, drive to the east end of Third North (red dot on the map).
The construction and use of these trails will irreparably damage these fragile hillsides. The city should stop this misguided project before it begins. Other suitable places near Manti exist for mountain biking trails, such as expanding the existing trail system west of the Gunnison Reservoir or on city or state property south of town along the old Serviceberry (dump) road.
I am a motorcycle rider, a side-by-side owner, and a mountain bike rider. I understand first-hand the importance of off-road recreation, but I'm also very aware of the permanent damage that can be done to fragile and highly visible landscapes, like the hills east of the Manti Temple.
The Google satellite photo below shows the hills as they currently appear with the out-of-control network of existing trails. Manti Trail Builders proposes constructing over seven miles of additional trails while incorporating very few existing trails into the new routes. These new mountain bike routes will nearly double the scars on our city's historic hillsides. These hills need rehabilitation, not doubling the damage with seven miles of new trails.
— Cory Maylett