Volunteer MTB trail builder in Colorado attacked, crushed by cow

A volunteer mountain bike trail builder, identified as a board member of the Delta Area Mountain Bikers (DAMB), was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being charged and crushed by a runaway cow. The incident occurred during a trail work day at Confluence Park in Delta, Colorado. The individual sustained significant trauma, highlighting the unexpected hazards that can arise even in seemingly mundane trail maintenance efforts.

This unusual incident underscores the often-unseen risks faced by the dedicated volunteers who maintain and build our trail networks. While encounters with wildlife are not uncommon in outdoor sports, a bovine assault of this severity is certainly a rarity, far removed from the usual concerns of trail erosion or rock clearance. It serves as a stark reminder that even in established parks, the wild can intrude with devastating consequences, impacting the very individuals who make these spaces accessible.

While we typically fret over e-bikes on singletrack, it seems the real threat to trail access might just be a four-legged, grass-fed bulldozer. Our best wishes to the injured builder; may their recovery be swift and their future trail work cow-free.