Trail openings mark the perennial changing of the tools: skis to bikes, boots to sandals, beanie to sunhat. Local wildlife partakes as well: deer and elk populations are slowly beginning their transitions from the valleys towards the alpine. Yet today is in fact quite different.

What has private lands conservation done for you lately? If you've been to Grand Junction, you might know the Lunch Loop Trailhead. Its redesign has provided several benefits – some obvious, others unexpected! – for the local community.

If trail use and community generosity are any indication, open space along the Monument Corridor is one of the Grand Valley’s most appreciated assets.