As we start the 9th season of DTR, this is a reminder of how DTR
works, and how it can work better for you.

DTR started in the spring of 2000. We started with just a small group
of friends. Now, there are over 1,500 people on the DTR Yahoo group.
With that many people, it's not practical to answer every individual
question. We've tried make the group as self-service as possible –
with answers to the most frequently asked questions on the web site,
as well as maps and directions for most of the runs. Chances are
you'll find answer to your questions on the web site. We ask that you
first read the information on the web site – maps, FAQs, etc., and
read some old messages (on the Yahoo Groups site) - before you send us
a question.

Help us rewrite the information on the DTR web site. I (Adam) am not
always the most diplomatic person. If you were turned off by the info,
we'd love to hear your suggestions on how to make the group sound more
welcoming.

At first, there were just a handful of people at the runs. I remember
becoming very excited the first time we had 10 people at a run. Now,
we regularly get 40 or so people at the runs through the warmer
months. Still, that means that there are 1,400 or so of you who have
never been to a DTR run. If we're not offering a run for you, you can
create your own group run with DTR.

The Thursday evening run is the staple of the group. All are welcome.
We usually have a wide range of abilities at these runs, so chances
are you'll have someone to run with.

However, please review the map and route descriptions in advance, if
you are unfamiliar with the trails. You may want to bring a printout
of that with you. Chances are you will have someone experienced to run
with, but just in case, or if you need to get back quickly (e.g.,
urgent phone call, get tired), it's a good idea to know how to do
that. Having a map can also help you learn the trails for the future.

Dogs are welcome on the run. Please keep them on a leash. It's the law at almost
every park/trail. It's also courteous to the other runners and riders on the
trails.

If you can't make that run and would like to run at another day or
time, let us know and we'll promote it to the group. That's how the
groups earlier on Thursday afternoons started, as well as the Sunday
Golden run. In the past, we've had a very early morning Tuesday group,
and a Wednesday morning group running stairs at Red Rocks.

Please do not run on muddy trails. Running (or riding) on muddy trails
can damage the surface and speed erosion. There are enough dry days
here that we can afford to miss a day on the trails. If you do happen
to be on a muddy trail, please stay on the trail, even if that means
running through the thickest part of the mud, rather than widening the
footprint of the trail and destroying vegetation on the side. As a
group, DTR will try to avoid muddy trails. I encourage you to do that
on your own too.

For DTR runs, there will usually be an alternate run location in case
of rain/mud, especially through the spring. Please use your judgment.
There are plenty of good, hilly roads for us to run on. We will run no
matter what the weather … almost. The weather on the trails (e.g., Morrison,
Golden) may be dramatically different than where you are coming from.

Please send any messages about DTR (e.g., trail conditions, request
for carpool or company on a run, questions about DTR) to the DTR
moderators, at DenverTrailRunners-owner@yahoogroups.com. Please do not
address them to me (Adam) or send them to one of my addresses. DTR is
not and was never intended to be my group. The group should reflect
the needs and wishes of the members. With a new baby, this is even
more true. I will not have the time to lead or organize nearly as many
group runs, or to respond to all of the DTR messages. If you send it
to the moderators, it will be seen by several people, and is more
likely to be responded to quickly.

If you want to send something to the group, please send it to
DenverTrailRunners-owner@yahoogroups.com. For now, only DTR moderators
are allowed to post messages. This is to keep down the volume of
messages and avoid spam. However, if appropriate, we will be happy to
forward it to the group. Please word the message for the group, so we
don't have to spend time editing it.

All responses to requests in DTR messages should go to
DenverTrailRunners-owner@yahoogroups.com unless explicitly, otherwise
mentioned. If someone else's contact information is listed, please
respond to that person, not the DTR moderators.

We will be sending out a survey soon to see how we can make DTR more
useful to the 1,500+ of you. Until then, or at any time, let us know
what you'd like from DTR.

Thanks,
See you on the trails