Enduro racing community comes together after ‘Aspen Acres’ fire cancels fan-favorite race

COLORADO CITY, Colo. (KRDO) – Deep in the woods of Green Mountain sits a trail not for the faint of heart. But for fans and racers in the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, they know it was one of the best enduro racing circuits not only in the state, but in the country. 

For those who haven’t heard of it, enduro racing is a type of motorcycle racing designed to test the endurance of both the racers and the bikes. Racers travel on a 50- to 100-mile loop with timed sections and transfers. Bikers have to stay on a timed schedule and maintain an average speed throughout the race. 

“ You're not allowed to switch bikes, you're not allowed to change parts,” said race promoter Jud Barlow. “You have to start and finish with everything that you started with.” 

The sport has been around since the 1930s. A local race in Colorado City, the San Isabel Enduro Race, has been around for about six years. The Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit, where the San Isabel race competes, features races across Texas, Arizona, Wyoming, Iowa and Colorado. 

This year, organizers had to cancel the San Isabel race due to the “Aspen Acres” fire. The race circuit runs right through the heart of the San Isabel National Forest, and organizers suspect it has been completely burned by the 101,000-plus-acre fire. The race was seven months into the planning process, and had just acquired all its permits before having to cancel in the beginning of July.

Barlow has been a part of the San Isabel race since 2020 and says the race is one of the best tracks in the circuit right now. It has  won the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit Enduro of the Year three times. 

The cancellation announcement on the San Isabel Enduro Facebook page was flooded with support from members of the community. Many offered to assist with cleanup efforts when they were allowed back into the region. 

Barlow says that support is a huge part of being in the enduro community.

“It means the world to us, honestly,” Barlow said. “We always seem to have a lot of volunteer help with these events.” 

The race usually uses the backside of Green Mountain within the San Isabel National Forest. He says he thinks all of it has burned in the fire.

Barlow says he has been in contact with their partners at the United States Forest Service (USFS) to check in on the trail, but it’s still too soon to see the full destruction caused by the “Aspen Acres” fire. 

“ Losing trails like we lost with 'Aspen Acres' is new to us,” Barlow said. “There's things that we're used to seeing for years that aren't there anymore. Trees that had a certain marking on them or sections that, ‘Oh, we'll go around this tree and over that root,’ or whatever, and it's just not there now. So we're struggling.”

Organizers work with USFS on sustainability, something Barlow prides himself on, to be invited back to race every year. Sometimes volunteers go back three to four weekends in a row to clean up after the race. 

Now, he expects a five- to ten-year gap before the next race as they rebuild.

“We need to go cut out all the deadfall, help them manage the new ecosystem, and get it all brought back,” Barlow said. “But we'll be back, and yes, we will be there to help. We will.”  

Barlow says it’s too early to tell whether or not the race will be changed. Upcoming weather factors, like potential flash flooding, could change the terrain more than expected. The loss of key landmarks may change the trail for future enduro racers.

As for the future of the race, Barlow is handing the reins over to Brittany and Robert Booth, who are also very active within the enduro community and live locally. KRDO13 reached out to the couple, but they are currently evacuated from Rye due to the "Aspen Acres" fire. 

Those looking to support should keep an eye on the San Isabel Enduro Facebook page for how to help with cleanup efforts once they are allowed into the area, Barlow says.

“A lot of people are displaced, and a lot of people are heartbroken, and help when you can,” he said. “It doesn't always have to be money. It can be picking up and carrying a box or helping load a trailer or deliver a case of water, something.”

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