Quarterly Newsletter

November 2024

Greetings WNMS Members! Welcome to winter and another (hopefully) snowy season on the trails.

The past 3 months have been incredibly busy for the WNMS. In addition to our regular maintenance of the hiking trails, we were successful in completing two major projects:

1. Windfall Lake campground extension (including porcupine damage mitigation in the parking lot) and
2. The construction of a brand new campground at Bootski Lake.

Thanks to our numerous and varied volunteers, who act in many different capacities, we have been able to:

• keep our membership up-to-date through email, social media and the website,
• improve our volunteer expertise through courses, training and seminars,
• record and analyse trail usage data,
• formalize a lease agreement with the District of Tumbler Ridge to build a disc golf course,
• build and install several new green benches,
• remove fallen and danger trees on the trails.

Check out our Website!

What we’ve been up to:

Windfall Lake Campground Extension

On Saturday September 14, three experienced volunteers with construction skills, along with a helicopter and pilot from Ridge Rotors carrying all the materials, flew up to Windfall Lake and built four new tent pads at the existing campground to form a new “group” area. Concurrently, 8 other volunteers walked the trail from the parking lot, brushing, clearing and repairing boardwalks along the way. Four volunteers remained in the parking area to clear and expand the parking area, installing “porcupine” fencing on three sides. Rolls of “porcupine” fence to fully wrap vehicles were prepared and are now available at the TR Visitors Centre for the public to borrow. It is hoped that this mitigation method will prevent much of the damage to vehicles that has recently occurred due to porcupines chewing brake and fuel lines under vehicles that have been parked overnight.

Bootski Lake Campground

On Sunday September 29, thirteen volunteers spent the day building 8 new tent pads and installing a bear-proof food locker, food preparation table and a “green throne” toilet. Materials and construction volunteers were flown up by Ridge Rotors in separate loads from the trailhead on a snowy morning. Several non-construction volunteers hiked up to assist with the installations. Within four hours, all 8 tent pads were completed, the pit was dug, the toilet was installed and the table and food locker were secured. All 13 volunteers hiked back down to the trailhead and returned to Tumbler Ridge by nightfall. Photos are available on the WNMS.ca website and Facebook page.

Courses, Training and Seminars

Two of the WNMS Board Members have recently completed advanced courses and training on chainsaw operation and the evaluation of dangerous and sensitive wildlife trees, specific to hiking trail maintenance.

Two of the board members attended and participated in the Northern BC Tourism Summit in Prince George which highlighted the role the WNMS plays in the attraction  and development of local tourism.

Trail Counters

In cooperation with Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC), the WNMS has installed TRAFx infra-red electronic trail counters on almost every trail. These are small devices hidden strategically near the head of each trail that detect and record human (not wildlife) movement. The point data is collected by volunteers each season and analysed to provide insight on trail usage. The data and analysis is shared with RSTBC and the District of Tumbler Ridge. The WNMS uses the data to help prioritize work bees for trail maintenance. The WNMS and other user groups also use the data to support grant applications.

Disc Golf

During the summer, the District of Tumbler Ridge agreed to grant a lease of the land between the ball diamonds and the saddle club to the WNMS for the development of a disc golf course for the public to enjoy. The details of the lease are currently being formalized and the Disc Golf Committee is working out the final design for an initial 9-hole course which will replace the current temporary course. The WNMS plans to build the course next spring and eventually expand the course to 18 holes on the parkland between the saddle club and the highway.

Green Benches

You have probably noticed the green benches at several viewpoints along our trails.

Legacy member John Hoult has now built 33 green benches for the WNMS, and with WNMS volunteers, has installed them at spectacular viewpoints on the hiking trails. He also maintains them, periodically fixing them and touching them up with an extra coat of paint. They are known as 'Hoult benches', and provide perfect resting places for many a weary hiker. #33 was recently installed on the Quality Canyon and Mouth trail with an expansive view. For John, this has been a labour of love, and he enjoys the idea of helping to promote the TR hiking trails in this constructive way. So, next time you are out on the trails, perhaps spare a thought for our master bench-builder.

Lost Haven Cabin and the Wolverine Ski Trails

Every fall, a group of WNMS volunteers heads out to the Lost Haven Cabin to prepare for the upcoming Nordic Ski Season. The cabin is owned and maintained by the WNMS for use by its members and can be booked for overnight stays by emailing contact@wnms.ca. There is no cost for members to book overnight stays. Normally the cabin is used as a warming hut for skiers and snowshoers. Last weekend, we re-stocked the firewood shelter and cleared all the trails in anticipation of the snowfall. Unfortunately, the windstorm two days later knocked down at least 25 trees along the trails and several volunteers were needed to re-clear the trails. Work is on-going.

View

Upcoming dates:

Itchy Feet

The “Itchy Feet” presentation series is lining up a great group of people to tell their travel tales in 2025! If you would like to share your latest adventure, get in touch at contact@wnms.ca.

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