trans canada trail

It can take quite a while for an organization or club representing a group of people to become an established part of the community. Especially when the club has to work with both local or regional governments, and at the same time establish a membership base which can support the activities and long term goals. Furthermore, when an organization is just starting out, the list of obstacles and challenges is often much larger than the lists of successes.

It's 9pm on Sunday night, and most of us have our feet up after a day of work or play. But what is our host, Rob Woito of the Athabasca Recreational Trails Association, up to? He's busy organizing his next trail project with some local equipment operators.

When we think about the sustainability of trails, we often talk about how they have a low impact on the environment, or how they are environmentally friendly. Sometimes we overlook the fact that a sustainable trail also considers how people use the trail in order to manage risk and ensure they have a good time.

Such was the case for our visit in Wakefield, QC. With a particularly challenging sideslope – often reaching 50% – gaining elevation was quite hard on both users and the environment.

Most mountain bikers are aware of the riding scene in Rossland, British Columbia thanks to the Seven Summits trail (an IMBA Epic). Nelson has a reputation for big lines and big air. However, located right between the two, in the heart of the Kootenays, is Castlegar which has mostly been overlooked until now. Their tourist information office used to receive a few hundred requests for trail information every year. Those requests now number in the thousands.