Telluride Mtn. Club + Butcher & Baker: “Cookies For A Cause,” 12/12!

06 Dec Telluride Mtn. Club + Butcher & Baker: “Cookies For A Cause,” 12/12!

The Telluride Mountain Club (TMtC) partnered with The Butcher & Baker for a fun twist on fundraising: “Cookies for A Cause.” The event takes place  Thursday, December 12, 2019, from 7 am to 8 pm (read, all day), when all chocolate chip and gluten-free chocolate chip cookie sales at The Butcher & Baker will be donated to TMtC’s latest initiative “Opt in for Trails.” Learn more about TMtC’s new fundraising campaign here.

“Opt in for Trails” was established to help sustain funding for ongoing trail maintenance and new trail projects in the Telluride region. ( For the record, Telluride does not have perpetual funding in place for trail projects on public lands.)

Telluride’s regional trails continually experience increased use as population and tourism numbers grow. At the same time, budgets for the United States Forest Service are being cut and no other entities are taking on the responsibility of financial planning to maintain and create new recreational opportunities on our prized public lands.

“Cookies for a Cause” is the nonprofit’s first planned fundraising event in partnership with a local Telluride business. The Butcher & Baker is the ideal partner to kick off the new fundraising campaign as the venue is a natural gathering place for outdoor enthusiasts and trail users. TMtC is looking for more businesses to participate and help “Opt in for Trails.”

“We can’t thank The Butcher & Baker enough for its partnership with and donation to TMtC’s Opt in for Trails,” said Josh Borof, TMtC Board President. “What so many people don’t understand is how expensive trails are. It costs around $1,000 annually to maintain a mile of trail and over $35,000 to construct just one mile of new trail. We need the entire community’s help, and this is a great first step.”

TMtC has many trail projects on the horizon for 2020 that will require funding support.

Initiatives include:

• Engineering and construction for a bridge on the NEW East End Bridal Veil Trail
• A new trail connecting Eider to Mill Creek (Waterline)
• A new Mill Creek Bypass Trail to reduce bike traffic on the Jud Wiebe
• A Jud Wiebe bridge replacement for the upper Cornet Creek crossing

And that is just the beginning of what promises to be a long list.

TMtC has spent several years evaluating the region’s current trail system, surveying trail users and conceptualizing new trails to increase connectivity and create a more robust, environmentally conscious, and well-planned trail system.

TMtC invites everyone to meet up on December 12 at The Butcher & Baker and eat chocolate chip cookies to “Opt in for Trails.”

About Telluride Mountain Club:

The Telluride Mountain Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate for safe, accessible, enjoyable, and respectful opportunities for human-powered recreational activities in the Telluride region through education, awareness, and collaboration.

Opt in for Trails:

Interested in joining the cause to help Opt in for Trails? Please contact the Telluride Mountain Club via email at telluridemountainclub@gmail.com for more information and opportunities. Learn more about Opt in for Trails here.

About The Butcher & Baker:

The Butcher & The Baker is owned and operated by Telluride local Megan Ossola. The bakery and café specializes in handcrafted, fresh, and local cuisine. The restaurant features handmade breads and artisan pastries, fresh salads composed of local greens, fruits, and vegetables, locally sourced and house-roasted meats, cheeses, handmade sausages, and sustainably harvested fish.