A mountain biker riding Colorado’s 32-mile Palisade Plunge ran into serious trouble on August 3 when a mechanical failure left them stranded in temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The rider was unable to continue and took shade at a trail shelter where he called for help and waited for rescuers.
There was something particularly fitting about where they happened to stop: the structure was built in memory of another cyclist who died on the same trail after running out of water.
Built in Memory of a Rider Who Never Made It Home
Colorado Springs resident and avid mountain biker Jeff Higgins was riding the Palisade Plunge on June 11, 2022, as temperatures soared to 102 degrees. Four miles from the end of the trail, Higgins ran out of water and finally passed out. Three other mountain bikers found him and tried to help but had also run out of water and were later treated for dehydration. Higgins died, leaving two children.
His death prompted his family and local mountain biking groups to seek ways to make the remote trail safer. Donations went to the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, or COPMOBA, which oversees trail-building efforts in the area. Finally, warning signs were put up reminding riders to carry plenty of water and to take the heat seriously…