Trail Riders Find Two Wire Booby Traps in SW Colorado

It’s reasonable to expect wildlife encounters and a few bumps and bangs on the trail, but booby traps are likely the last thing on most people’s minds when they’re out enjoying the woods. Dirt bikers in Southwest Colorado recently found two wire booby traps on the Wilson Mesa Trail near Telluride.

The traps appeared to have been placed to injure trail riders. Officials only recently opened the location to motorcycles, but it’s unclear if the wires were placed in relation to the development. San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said, “This despicable act is a severe public safety threat to our community. We are engaged in a rigorous investigation to catch this loser. Meantime, we can’t emphasize enough to have situational awareness when recreating in this area.”

The Sheriff’s Office is offering a $1,000 reward, up from the $500 it initially promised. United States Forest Service officials closed the trail late last week as a precaution, but we don’t know how long the closure will last. The USFS said that trail riders first reported a trap on July 2, which was quickly removed, but not before it had caused an accident that left an 18-year-old man with two broken ribs.

On July 10, the dirt biker, whose son was reportedly the booby traps’ first victim, discovered the second wire and caught it on film. It was miles away from the first wire but located on the same trail. Both traps were placed between trees on the trail, and their height made it appear that they were targeting motorcycle riders.

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