Happy Spring from the Kootenay Columbia Trails Society!
As the snow is melting across our region, we are excited about the 2022 trails season! The KCTS has had a busy winter developing plans and projects for this year, and we’re excited to share them with you!
Join the KCTS!
Annual memberships expired on April 1st. Please visit the KCTS website at http://www.kcts.ca/membership to renew your membership and ensure that it is up to date. Memberships help generate funding for the KCTS, while a strong membership base also demonstrates community support for the Society when applying for funding. If you are interested in joining the KCTS and have a passion for organizing events, please reach out as the KCTS would like to expand its member outreach and engagement!
Early Season Updates
The snow has disappeared from many of the lower elevation trails and the snow line is creeping upwards. A reminder to trail users to be cautious with early season trail conditions! If the trail is still saturated with water, riding it may cause damage to the trail’s integrity; please wait until it dries before riding. There were a number of windstorms throughout the winter and fallen trees are likely across the trail network while trail washouts and other hazards are also possible. Please be careful when using the trails and share your findings in the “trail reports” section on the TrailForks app to alert others and the trail crew.
Trail Crew
The KCTS Trail Crew is hitting the ground on Monday April 25th. The Society was fortunate this year to have been provided with funding for a Trail Crew of 8 members! The Crew will be starting the season with providing maintenance across the existing Trail Network. As the season moves on, the focus will shift to expanding the network through the creation of new trails.
KCTS New Trails Forecast
Mxiɬp Xewílh [Cedar] Trail : In 2021 the KCTS received a $172,800 grant to complete the Mxiɬp Xewílh trail. The vision for this trail is to complete an 18km trail route connecting Rossland to the Seven Summits trailhead. The 3.25km lower section of trail which runs from COG trail to Aqueduct was roughed in by the end of last year, and will be completed this Spring. Upgrades to Aqueduct trail and a connecting trail through Blackjack are being undertaken by the City of Rossland, starting this Spring. The new upper 7.8km section of trail connecting starting at Biathalon and finishing at the Seven Summits trailhead will be a major trail construction focus for the KCTS for the entire summer. We’re hoping that the entire trail will be completed by end of season 2022.
New up-track in Trail : construction of a new climbing trail to access the bluffs loop is underway! The trail runs approximately parallel to the current Raven’s Rock Trail and will provide new access to the Bluffs and Aspen Loop trails. Thank you to the Adventure Leadership Academy students at JL Crowe who have been volunteering on the project for the past couple of years.
New Trail off KC : A new trail is in the works and pending final approval in the KC – Monte Christo trail area. Stay tuned for further updates as the KCTS irons out final details!
KCTS Trail Building Day June 4th
With opportunities for our community to gather seeming likely in 2022, the KCTS is planning our annual Community Trail Building Day on Saturday June 4th. Save the date and mark your calendars as there will be an opportunity for everyone to get their hands dirty and help the KCTS dig into one of our exciting new trail projects! No experience is necessary and the Society will provide all the tools you need. We look forward to seeing you then!
Church of Dirt
The Church of Dirt is coming back in 2022! Thanks to Greg Matthews for taking the lead on this initiative! Church of Dirt is a weekly trail building opportunity for any community members who are interested and keen to trail build and contribute to the expansion of the trail network. This will be taking place every other Saturday at 9am with projected start date of April 30th. Keep an eye on the KCTS social media for updates and meeting places!
Keep in Touch
Reminder to show your support of the KCTS by purchasing your membership at: http://www.kcts.ca/membership
Weekly trail information and updates are posted to the KCTS Facebook Page and Instagram accounts which are found here:
https://www.facebook.com/kootenaycolumbiatrailssociety
@K_C_T_S
The Trail Crew provides updates to the TrailForks app as maintenance and work is completed