When it comes to building trails around the Lower Columbia Valley, we're intentional about our route choice. Many factors come into play when we determine where a trail is built into the earth. Yes, we factor in fun and playfulness, but we also look at the impact the trail has on the ecology. Our top priority for any trail build: leave the least impact as possible.

Look closely at the photos above and notice how there's no defined trail route. That means it's free reign to pick you route....right??

Actually, no. Take a peek at the photos below. Green lines = good. ✅ Red lines = bad. ❌ The red arrows indicate alternate lines that were never constructed by KCTS. These alt lines are a result of trail braiding. Also known as dollar-signing or short-cutting. And it's time to chat about why these are bad.

Trail braiding happens for a few reasons, but typically it's caused by someone who's wanting to bypass a feature, section or mud puddle to avoid a technical spot, wet shoes or losing their Strava ranking.

Unfortunately, one person's "new" tracks encourage another's, and within a very short amount of time, significant harm has already been done. Trail erosion, trail widening, destruction of water drainages or even irreversible damage to living species... It's some of the worst stuff that can be done to a trail, and it's a trail builder's nightmare.

Sadly, trail braiding doesn't just affect the earth. It also means KCTS needs to invest more resources into repairing these trails. That means less new trail builds, permanently closed trails, revoked land agreements, or ultimately a crappy experience for trail users. And in no way do we want any of that to happen.

But this isn't all doom and gloom. The problem is avoidable if we all pitch in and commit to a few simple guidelines.

Encountering a puddle?

Walk or ride right through it! Don't want to get your shoes muddy? Head back to the trailhead and try an alternate trail. (Or better yet, give us a hand and help us drain the puddle, as explained in our last post.)

Having a hard time navigating a trail feature?

Dismount from your bike and walk down the feature (not around it). Or invite a friend to session the feature until you nail it with confidence. (There are some awesome local bike groups to level-up your skills.)

Attempting the fastest timed ascent/descent?

Heroes don't win by taking shortcuts. We hear that our multi-use trails make for great cross-training to help you increase your speed and fitness.

What other tips do you have to prevent trail braiding? Leave your ideas in the comments below!

With snow rapidly melting at higher elevations and recent rain this spring, you may encounter standing water or puddles on the trail. As refreshing as it is to run or bike through a puddle on a warm day, these puddles contribute to trail damage and erosion—both of which require more trail maintenance in the long term.

If you encounter a puddle on the trail, we welcome to you to give us a hand by opening up small drainage along your way. How do you do this, you ask? Watch the video below and let one of our trail building crews show you how! All you need is a large stick and a few minutes of your time.

KCTS AGM

Please join us at our upcoming AGM on Tuesday October 25th, 7pm at the Rossland 7s Centre for Learning (red roof church) (2110 First ave, Rossland). There will be a report of what the KCTS has done in the past year and what we have planned for next, as well as a financial report.  Elections for three board seats will be held. If you're interested in running for the board, please send an email to vinceboothe@gmail.com or davediplock@bearenviro.ca to discuss what the position entails. Hope to see you there!

KCTS September 2022 Newsletter

Greetings from the KCTS! As the days are getting shorter and the temperatures cooler, we are anxiously awaiting the rains to bring back our favorite tacky fall dirt! Rolling into fall, the KCTS has a couple of dates for you to mark down on your calendars! October 1st Trail Build Day Next Saturday October 1st is the second all membership trail build day of the year! The last one was such a success that we are excited to make more progress on the lower section of Dukhobor Draw. We will continue where we left off at the end of the last trail day in an effort to build a new climb connecting lower King George Road with the start of Dukhobor Draw. Hard and Fast Details : Who : Anyone of any age who would like to get their hands dirty, learn about trail building and contribute to the local trail network! When : Oct. 1 at 9am Where : Meet at 9am at the Centennial Parking Lot for a quick safety and goals debrief then we will drive in a caravan down towards Paterson and walk to the dig site What to Bring : If yo have them, please bring along with you picks, metal rakes, shovels or clippers. The KCTS has many tools to go around an will kit out anyone who shows up ready to dig! Essentials to pack otherwise are weather appropriate clothing, bug spray, food and water. Church of Dirt Church of Dirt is back for the fall! Church of Dirt is the perfect opportunity to get out to contribute to the trail progression week after week. The first Church of Dirt build day happened yesterday Saturday Sept 24th.  Keep your eye on Bhubble and Facebook for further Chuch of Dirt build days which will be occurring approximately every 2 weeks through the fall. KCTS AGM Tuesday October 25th All active members of the KCTS are welcome and encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting. At the meeting, the KCTS will review trail management projects and successes from this past year. This year's AGM will be happening in person on Tuesday October 25th at 7pm. Location details TBD and will be sent out at a later date. We hope to see you there!

Trail Crew positions Available.

We have a couple of positions available on our full-time trail crew. We’re looking for individuals who thrive in the outdoors, love the mountains and trails, and are passionate about what they do.

We work 10 hour days, Monday through Thursdays (40 hours per week), until mid-October. Pay is between $18 and $24 per hour, depending on experience, skills, and responsibility. Tools, training, supervision, and transportation to and from the work-site will be provided. Any significant experience in trail building, mountain biking, endurance sports, physical laboring, chainsaw operation, and a vehicle that can be used (and compensated) for work-site access will all be considered favorably. Current WorksafeBC level 1 (or equivalent) first aid certification and a working cell phone are required. 

Send a letter of interest and resume in .doc or .pdf format to stewspooner@gmail.com .

June 4th - The 16th Annual Trails Day in Rossland

Meeting Place : Centennial Parking Lot at 9:00am June 4th

What you can expect from the day : 

9:00am - Meet at Centennial Trailhead for intro and safety information

9:30am - Drive down to Paterson & walk towards the target section of Doukhobor Draw for Trail Work

9:30am - 3:00pm - Trail Building and Digging Extravaganza!

5pm-9pm - Lions Campground Beer & BBQ Social with draw prizes starting at 6:30pm and music by DJ Bass Cat

All community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the Family Friendly Trail Building Day! The team will be working towards improving the existing lower Doukhobor Draw Trail to transform it into a smooth and enjoyable climb trail from Paterson. If you have them, please bring along with you picks, metal rakes, shovels or clippers. The KCTS has many tools to go around and will kit out anyone who shows up ready to get their hands dirty! Essentials to pack are sunscreen, bug spray, food, water and appropriate clothing to be comfortable outside. 

KCTS May 2022 Events Invitation

The KCTS has some upcoming events! Mark your calendars because we would love to have you out to support the Society and contribute towards expanding the local trail network. Here are the Deets : June 4th - The 16th Annual Trails Day in Rossland Meeting Place : Centennial Parking Lot at 9:00am-3:00pm on June 4th All community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the Family Friendly Trail Building Day! The team will be working towards improving the existing lower Doukhobor Draw Trail to transform it into a smooth and enjoyable climb trail from Paterson. If you have them, please bring along with you picks, metal rakes, shovels or clippers. The KCTS has many tools to go around and will kit out anyone who shows up ready to get their hands dirty! Essentials to pack are sunscreen, bug spray, food, water and appropriate clothing to be comfortable outside.  The trail building will be followed by a potluck, cold beverages and give-aways and is certainly not to be missed! Church of Dirt Meeting Place : Iron Colt Trail Head on Saturday May 28th 9:00am - 12:00pm The Church of Dirt has been making fabulous progress over the past month in building a trail which starts towards the bottom of Iron Colt and will connect around the front of KC and connect at the KC Ridge / North Star Junction. The Church of Dirt meets every other Saturday and all are welcome and encouraged to attend! Beaver Valley May Days The KCTS is very excited to be participating in the Beaver Valley May Days this year!  There are 2 hikes/walks planned, on Sat May 28th,to enjoy the recreational trails in the valley:          1. Antenna Trail in Montrose; meet at trailhead at 8:45 am           2.Webster Road Trail near Fruitvale; meet at trailhead at 8:15 am Please feel free to join us for the scheduled events or walk the trails any time! Afterwards there will be a KCTS tent in the vendor village at Haines Park. Stop by to say hello and learn about the planned new trails in the Valley!

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 1^st. 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 4^th

With opportunities for our community to gather seeming likely in 2022, the KCTS is planning our annual Community Trail Building Day on Saturday June 4^th. 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 30^th.  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

The KCTS has been building and maintaining world-class mountain biking and hiking trails in the mountains around Rossland BC for over 20 years, and we’re now receiving applications for positions on our 2022 trail crew. We’re looking individuals who thrive in the outdoors, love the mountains and trails, and are passionate about what they do.

We work 10 hour days, Monday through Thursdays (40 hours per week), from late April until mid-October (with a 2 week summer break). Pay is between $18 and $24 per hour, depending on experience, skills, and responsibility. Tools, training, supervision, and transportation to and from the work-site will be provided. Any significant experience in trail building, mountain biking, endurance sports, physical laboring, and chainsaw operation, will all be considered favorably. Current WorksafeBC level 1 (or equivalent) first aid certification and a working cell phone are required. We may be able to assist in finding local accommodation if required.

Send a letter of interest and resume in .doc or .pdf format to: jobs@kcts.ca

Dave Diplock - President

Erik Laithwaite - Vice president

Brent Kochan - Treasurer

Vince Boothe - Secretary

Rachael Roussin

Katie Spittlehouse

Brent Hahn

Doug Swanson