Well-Used Trail In Central City To Be Dedicated To Local Firefighters Cody And Shelby Allen Who Died Last Year
CENTRAL CITY, Colo. (CBS4)- The path that connects Virginia Canyon Road and the Gold Mountain Village Apartments in Central City is already a well-used trail, at least to locals it is.
"This has historically been an easement for a water line," says Central City Manager Daniel Miera. "This is a connection that has been used informally over the years to connect the apartment complex all the way down into the downtown area."
Miera adds, "Law enforcement and firefighters they've used it for wildland fire conditioning and training."
As of Saturday, Sept. 11, it will be an official Central City trail. That day it will be dedicated and improved as part of Xcel Energy's Day of Service.
Miera says volunteers will be out there working hard, "Cleaning it up and it is about a half a mile in total with an average of a 17% grade and so we will have some timber steps."
It will be an emotional event. The trail is being named The Stairway to Heaven in memory of Cody and Shelby Allen, two local firefighters who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their home.
Miera says this project is a natural fit for the Day of Service because Xcel Energy gave out carbon monoxide detectors when the Allens died, and he says without the company this stairway to heaven wouldn't be possible.
"We're just very thankful for them and the business community and all of our residents for really rallying behind this project," he says.
Miera says this is going to be the start of a trail system in Central City and they hope to do even more improvements to the area in the future, but first they need to secure about $200,000 worth of funding.
You can still sign up for an in-person project, including this one. Day of Service runs through Sept. 11.