No. 1
"A Railroad From Nowhere to Nowhere": a summary of
early railroad development in this area.
No. 2
"Whispers in the Wind": history of early exploration
along the Columbia River.
No. 3 The
cement foundation in front of you is one of the few remnants of the
Waldie Sawmill. Here was located the repair shop. You can still see
the grease pit in the downstream end of the shop floor.
No. 4
"Steamships on the Columbia": the steamboat era is
explored.
No. 5 You
are looking at the remains of a grader from the Waldie Sawmill. This
machine was not self-propelled; instead it was pulled by a tractor or
even a team of horses.
No. 6 In
the river channel you can see Breakwater Island: its upstream end was
reinforced with log cribbing to which booms were secured so that logs
were guided through the chute into the Mill Pond.
No. 7
"Growth of Local Industry": this sign examines the
development and operation of the Waldie Sawmill.
No. 8 The
pilings in the water are remnants of the "jack-ladder". This
was a chain ramp by which logs were hauled from the Mill Pond into the
sawmill.
No. 9
"Nature Takes Over": this sign examines the web of
life that evolves on the site after mill operations ceased in
1961.
No. 10 At
this point, the lowest trail runs through the "cottonwood
jungle", a rather impenetrable forest whose dominant trees are
cottonwoods. In the past, numerous trees were felled by beavers.
Severe windstorms have also brought down several trees; especially
vulnerable are those trees that are poorly anchored in the saturated
soil. The remains of these trees form a trellis over which shrubs and
vines have established themselves (red osier, dogwood, blackberry,
wild rose, wild hop and nightshade). Other more robust shrubs
(hawthorn and willow) project through this matted
vegetation.
No. 11 A
boardwalk has been constructed here along the lowest portions of this
trail. A bridge spans the 200 metre long channel which beavers have
constructed to link the main channel of the river with their lodge
near the railway embankment.
No. 12 The
boardwalk emerges onto a grassy meadow, which is well sheltered by
clumps of brush. Deer and elk favour this area as it provides choice
food as well as shelter.
No. 13 The
trail now crosses the 30 metre long footbridge, which was designed to
accommodate varying water levels. After crossing the bridge, you can
turn left to complete a loop walk or turn right and follow the trail
towards Brilliant. From this stop you can study the diverse bird life
in the vicinity of Waldie Island. A prominent feature at the right
time of the year is a flock of Great Blue Herons, which can be seen
fishing along the shores of Waldie and Breakwater
Islands.
No. 14 A
short distance below the trail marker you can see the remains of a
narrow trail that has been overgrown. This may be a section of the old
pack-train route from the Sproat’s Landing steamer dock to the
Silver King Mine, used in the late 1880’s.
No. 15
"Pioneers": a comparison of the food gathering
practices of the two main First Nations that frequented the Columbia
and Kootenay Rivers.
No. 16 To
be developed
No. 17
"Sproat’s Landing": a summary of historical
sites in the area between the CPR bridge and the Kootenay
River.
No. 18
Along the return loop trail you can admire the complexities of the
seasonal marsh, which is formed here by a backwater channel of the
main river. Amphibians (frogs and salamanders), reptiles (turtles and
snakes), and birds are highly dependent on this habitat. You can also
observe evidence of beaver activity (cut shrubs, entrances to
dens).
No. 19 Here
you can see the old lodge at the end of the beaver channel. Since the
Keenlyside Dam began operating, the extreme fluctuations in water
level have taught the beavers to burrow directly into the riverbanks,
rather than to construct such elaborate lodges. A more recent lodge is
located in the swampy area below the trail.
WALDIE ISLAND
TRAIL
The Waldie Island
Trail was developed in 1996 by the Castlegar Friends of Parks and
Trails to reclaim the historical heritage of this important stretch of
the Columbia River and to introduce to the hiker the intricacies of
the complex riparian ecosystem.
The trail follows
the north shore of the river from the C.P.R. bridge to Brilliant, a
distance of 1.5 km. It is designed as a self-guided interpretive
trail, richly rewarding for the contemplative hiker.
Along the route
are spaced 19 interpretive stops; of these, seven are self-explanatory
signs, and the others are numbered stops explained by this brochure.
The brochure has been designed so that with one interpretive panel
open, the user can refer to the stops on the exposed section of the
adjacent map.
The
"cottonwood jungle" is traversed by two trails at different
elevations. If the lower trail is flooded, the back loop trail would
be useable unless the water levels are extreme.
The Waldie Island
Trail runs through a wildlife preserve and because of ecological
sensitivity, is meant for pedestrian traffic only. Dogs running loose
can frighten and harass the wildlife we are trying to
protect.
With the operation
of the Keenlyside and Brilliant Dams, water levels can change rapidly
(over an hour or two). Please exercise appropriate caution
and
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
CASTLEGAR FRIENDS
OF PARKS AND TRAILS is a registered charitable society established to
encourage the creation, maintenance and use of environmentally
sensitive, public trails.
WALDIE ISLAND
HERON RESERVE
Waldie Island, the
adjacent waterways and shoreline have been identified as sensitive
wildlife areas, which are critical to the preservation of the local
population of the Great Blue Heron, as well as other wildlife species.
The island itself is of special importance as a winter refuge for the
herons and as a summer nesting area.
Waldie Island is
owned by The Nature Trust of B.C. The island and the adjacent Waldie
Wetland are managed by the Castlegar Friends of Parks and Trails; the
West Kootenay Naturalists Association; and the Ministry of Water,
Land, & Air Protection for the preservation of the wildlife
values. For this reason, access to Waldie Island is prohibited and
users of Waldie Island Trail are requested to stay on the trail and to
keep dogs on leash.
The Waldie Island
Trail was made possible by the involvement of volunteers, local
businesses, local government, and other organizations. Project
development and construction by the Castlegar Friends of Parks and
Trails: Walter Volovsek, Project Coordinator, who also developed the
interpretive panels. Additional information on each theme covered by
the panels is available on Walter's Web site website:
