Moving to Boulder in April. Is it safe out in Boulder for women to be running alone on the trails? Are there safer places to run or more dangerous places to run? Have there been any assaults in the past or recently?
Moving to Boulder in April. Is it safe out in Boulder for women to be running alone on the trails? Are there safer places to run or more dangerous places to run? Have there been any assaults in the past or recently?
Boulder is plenty safe as long as you are running during daylight hours. But if you are going to run on the trails up in the foothills, I would definitely only run them if someone were running along. My second week there I along with one of my buddies were confronted by a mountain lion. It lasted almost 20 minutes before it got disinterested. I know it is pretty rare, but it does happen. As long as you use common sense, you should be fine.
Irishguy wrote:
It lasted almost 20 minutes before it got disinterested.
BS 20 min. Sure it wasn't more like 90 sec, but it felt like 20 min.
The United States is one of the sickest and perverted nations in the world. There's no place in the United States where a single woman can run safely. Don't become a rape victim.
Have a sex change & youl be allright sweethard.
Spoken exactly like somebody who hasn't been outside the US.
Maria Mutola used to be bullied when running back from school....
The testosterone solved the problem.
The horrible story of the woman hiking in N. Georgia, on a well traveled trail, with her dog, is the prime reason that every woman should run with a partner when trail running.
Boulder is plenty safe as long as you are running during daylight hours. But if you are going to run on the trails up in the foothills, I would definitely only run them if someone were running along. My second week there I along with one of my buddies were confronted by a mountain lion. It lasted almost 20 minutes before it got disinterested. I know it is pretty rare, but it does happen. As long as you use common sense, you should be fine.[/quote]
Thanks. So the trails that are not on the West side of Boulder in the foothills are generally safe and free of mountain lions? There are so many athletes out here both male and female. You would think Boulder would be a safer place to go out running alone.
?!?! wrote:
The horrible story of the woman hiking in N. Georgia, on a well traveled trail, with her dog, is the prime reason that every woman should run with a partner when trail running.
Horrible - yes; but statistically insignificant also.
Consider how often this happens and the number of women running/jogging in the U.S. Do they all train at LA Fitness? 13,000 women competed in the RNR (both races) this past weekend.
It is fine to be aware, but don't spread skewered fear.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
You want something to be scared about.....driving...now that's scary.
You should not run alone on the trails - if you want to be safe. There ARE mountain lions in the foothills west of town, running triggers the "chase" response. That said, your chances of being attacked by a human in any city are likely much greater. With regards to Boulder and the foothills, your chances of getting struck by lightning are higher than being attacked by a mountain lion - what are the chances of that? In Colorado - the chances of being struck by lightning, especially in and along the foothills are very high relative to the rest of the US.
Between 1980 and 2005, lightning killed 75 people in Colorado and injured more than 350. Last year, only one person died from a strike, but in past years, lightning has killed as many as six people in one year.
Colorado ranked third in the nation in lightning deaths between 1990 and 2003, behind Florida and Texas, according to the National Lightning Safety Institute. But the state is ranked 28th in the number of lightning bolts that actually hit the ground.
Lightning is the No. 1 weather killer in Colorado, Hodanish said.
In all, nine people have been struck by lightning across the state in just the past week.
(Denver Post News Article from the summer)
I have seen 2 mountain lions in the Boulder area in ~15 years. One was near the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon - near where the train tracks cross the highway. Another was near Linden Lane in North Boulder. 2 years ago there was plenty of video of a mountain lion as far east as Lafayette out near HWY 287. Also, I've seen deer kill just off of Mesa Trail south of NCAR.
As for people - Boulder attracts some freaks and a disproportionate number of homeless who live along the Boulder Creek path in and around Boulder High School and near CU all the way up to Ebin Fine Park. Ebin Fine Park and the Red Rock area is absolutely not safe for single females and even males after dark - and sometimes even during the day. During the summer Ebin Fine is taken over by intoxicated individuals, whose immigration status is dubious at best. Once these individuals move on, the area becomes inhabited by the "homeless" who are often found passed out face down in the dirt and grass in the middle of Ebin Fine. As an aside, the fence that is up around Boulder High School's track is mostly to keep down the homeless camp population in the stadium and in the infield. BHS is the "campground" of choice for the "Rainbow" kids when those dirt covered mongrels pass through town.
You might find this news group more useful than letsrun.com for this sort of information
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoulderTrailRunners
they organize several group runs during the week.
and the news group is moderated so you won't have to put up with replies from creeps.
You should only run in Boulder alone on trails if James Carney is out of town. That guy's got a furious appetite for young runnin' delights.
I would never encourage someone to run alone, but that being said, sometimes it is your only option and I have spent some time in Boulder doing the same thing. as mentioned above, be smart...don't run at dusk/night time for the obvious reasons of being a female runner, and also for wildlife reasons. Even though Boulder seems friendly and small on certain levels, there are still numerous accounts of women getting raped by strangers. Use common sense. The trails are pretty damn populated, especially when they aren't muddy, so that helps keep the wildlife at bay, although you will find the odd snake sunning itself.
Single Girl Needs to Know wrote:
Moving to Boulder in April. Is it safe out in Boulder for women to be running alone on the trails? Are there safer places to run or more dangerous places to run? Have there been any assaults in the past or recently?
give me a break. grow a sack. and if you already do, check them next time you post here. "is it safe?" you watch way too much fox news.
bigtittiedblondedykerunnergurl wrote:
give me a break. grow a sack. and if you already do, check them next time you post here. "is it safe?" you watch way too much fox news.
With people like you, No wonder there is a shortage of women in Boulder.
You should be fine. Crime is pretty low and the crime that does exist is unfortunately hate crimes committed by idiotic students. The trails are safe, but there are cougars in the Boulder hills. Especially around Flagstaff and Betasso. Don't worry though, sightings are rare and attacks are even more so.
Have never run in Boulder but there is a race here in CT called the Susannah Chase Memorial Run - it's named for a CU coed from Greenwich who was dragged in an alley and beaten to death several yrs. ago.
'nuff said.
There's no crime in Boulder. And if there is, the Boulder P.D. is the finest police department in the United States. They beat the crap out of Mexicans and Blacks like L.A.P.D. It's very safe here now.
Horrible - yes; but statistically insignificant also.
Consider how often this happens and the number of women running/jogging in the U.S. Do they all train at LA Fitness? 13,000 women competed in the RNR (both races) this past weekend.
It is fine to be aware, but don't spread skewered fear.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
You want something to be scared about.....driving...now that's scary.[/quote]
Don't become a statistic...run with a partner.