A Cyclist Was Stranded in Extreme Heat. A Memorial Shelter Saved Them
When a mountain biker riding along the Palisade Plunge, a 32-mile trail in western Colorado, suffered a mechanical failure, finding shade quickly became a life-or-death priority. It was August 3, and temperatures were hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. So, they found a shade structure along the route, called for help, and waited for rescuers to arrive.
As it turns out, the pavilion was a memorial shelter erected for another rider who died of heat exposure on that same route just four years earlier.
A Memorial to Jeff Higgins
According to responding agency Mesa County Search and Rescue (MCSAR), the structure was part of a memorial project for Jeff Higgins.
Higgins, a Colorado Springs resident, was riding on the Palisade Plunge on June 11, 2022, when he ran out of water. Temperatures soared to 102 degrees Fahrenheit that day, the Associated Press reported. He was four miles from the end of the trail when he lost consciousness.
Three mountain bikers found Higgins on the trail and tried to save him—the trio had also run out of water and were later treated for dehydration.
Higgins died during the first year that the full 32-mile Palisade Plunge was opened. He left behind two kids.
“He was a just a really avid outdoorsman and loved mountain biking,” Daniel Higgins, Jeff’s brother, told The Grand Junction Sentinel. “He just loved being outdoors.”
In the wake of Higgins’ death, his family asked for donations to be made to the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA), a nonprofit volunteer group that oversees trail building in the region.
In subsequent years, COPMOBA installed signs along the Palisade Plunge warning riders to bring plenty of water, and to be mindful of the heat.
Then, in 2024, COPMOBA identified a plot of land along the trail that was owned by the city of Palisade. The spot was where the trail intersected a road, which riders could use as an emergency bail-out if they could no longer finish the entire trail.
According to The Grand Junction Sentinel, the city provided the land to COPMOBA, and the Higgins family used donations and private funds to build the structure at the spot. The building opened for the 2025 riding season.
“It seemed like the right thing to do,” Daniel Higgins told The Sentinel. “It will bring some closure to our family and it will be nice to have a feature out there for others to benefit from.”
The Structure Provides a Lifeline in Extreme Heat
Authorities did not release the name, age, or sex of the bicycle rider they rescued on August 3. MCSAR responded on a Polaris all-terrain vehicle, treated the rider for dehydration and then transported them and their bike back to safety.
“We’re grateful this mission ended safely and that a space created in Jeff Higgins’ memory provided shade and comfort when it was needed,” MCSAR wrote in a statement. “Our hearts are with Jeff’s family and loved ones, and we hope it brings them comfort knowing his memory is helping others along the Plunge.”
The Palisade Plunge is a mostly downhill, backcountry singletrack mountain biking trail located in the Grand Mesa National Forest. It connects the top of Colorado’s Grand Mesa to the valley floor, and is reachable from the town of Palisade. Tourism board Visit Palisade describes the trail as a “fast, fun, high-energy trail through untravelled public lands and unbelievable scenery.”
The trail is closed from December 1 to May 1 annually. In recent years, the COPMOBA and local authorities have urged cyclists to watch for extreme heat and ride in the mornings or evenings, when temperatures are lower. While the trail descends 6,000 feet, it also gains 1,700 feet of elevation.
“Fast riders can spend three hours on the route while some riders spend over 12 hours on the trail,” reads a warning on the COPMOBA website.
“It is essential to carry water,” the site adds.
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