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WKNA newsletter

FROM THE TRAILHEAD by Gordon Hollingshead

Waldie’s wet, Columbia’s cooking and Brilliant is a bust . . . but the Kootenay River Trails have never been better!!!

The summer of 2007 has been highly enjoyable on our local trails. In the Castlegar area, it is always easy to find an interesting trail to explore; no matter the day’s weather, mood, or time constraints.

On Waldie Island Trail, high river levels were the norm this year, making the section through the “cottonwood jungle” often more suited to wading, rather than walking. Even at extreme water levels though, the back trail along the boardwalk remains high and dry.

A trek on the Columbia Trail, with its southwesterly facing aspect, benefits from an early morning start on sunny, hot days. As our maintenance crew can attest, the sandy slopes along the east bank of the Columbia River are very toasty on those sunny afternoons, making the cooler, shady sections a welcome relief. The improvements that Tess, Grace, and the Katimavik volunteers Erik, Jessica, Charles and Rebecca made to this and the other trails will be appreciated by all users for years to come.

It was disappointing to hear that Castlegar Friends of Parks and Trails will have to wait another year before gaining access to the Skattebo Reach Trail through the Brilliant Canyon. This is because of the ongoing construction at the Brilliant Dam. Countless hours of volunteer time by many Society members, in addition to the work of this year’s maintenance crew, were committed to the resurrection of the Highway 3A access to the Kootenay River Trails. In the meantime, these trails will remain accessible via the road to the Castlegar Golf Club.

On a brighter note, the Kootenay River Trails, consisting of Dove Hill, Elk Cutoff, Skattebo Reach, Brilliant Overlook, Doukhobor Waterline and McPhee Canyon, are in excellent shape and, from all reports, have been appreciated by local residents and visitors alike. Frequent users will notice improvements throughout the trail network, including widening of paths, footbridges over muddy spots and signage at intersections along all of the trails.

As the larch trees begin to turn to their stunning gold, the fall hiking season has many more treats in store. ENJOY!!!

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One way to value trails...$$$

• An economic impact study by PricewaterhouseCopers concluded that $2.4 billion will be brought into the economy in Ontario alone as a result of the Trans Canada Trail alone.
• According to the National Association of Homebuilders the most desired amenity of prospective home buyers is a recreational trail.

www.tctrail.ca

Trans Canada Trail website