A mountain bike playground is about ready for its anticipated debut on Colorado Springs’ southwest side.

City officials are expected to be on hand for a ribbon-cutting at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 2 at the Cresta Pump Track, said Cory Sutela, executive director of Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates.

His nonprofit spearheaded fundraising for the dirt circuit of rollers and berms, stretching about 765 feet across a sliver of Cresta Open Space. It’s intended to be a skill-building amenity for riders at nearby Cheyenne Mountain High School and Skyway Elementary as well as a fun detour for explorers pedaling between the open space and North Cheyenne Cañon Park.

“The location of it makes it very easy to incorporate big-mountain riding,” Sutela said.

Along with the pump track, FlowRide Concepts is constructing a “skills trail” with multiple lines that weave around rocks and logs.

Sutela said he was “blown away” by the facility. “Spectacular,” he called it.

“I think it’s going to be family-friendly, beginner-friendly, while including skill development features that are going to be exciting for all abilities,” he said.

Such dirt compounds are notorious for degradation, as they require regular maintenance. Water, dirt, shovels and rakes are used for reshaping and smoothing worn and torn tracks. That’s why concrete venues have become trendy.

But the idea at Cresta was to “take advantage of the natural terrain,” Sutela has said. “More mountain bike-feeling, rather than a pure sort of BMX track.”

He said the city has pledged to keep a pair of water tanks full at the site, while Medicine Wheel and the high school cycling team have pledged to provide volunteer labor and haul in dirt when needed.

“On one hand, you could say a dirt track like this, it could be a bottomless pit for maintenance,” Sutela said. “But I think actually in this situation, it’s really good to have something that a community can gather around and take care of. We’re feeling very optimistic.”