The Kootenay Columbia Trails Society (KCTS) has been working to keep up the area’s trails this summer.
Stewart Spooner, trails manager for KCTS, said the main focus of the society’s crews has been maintenance and upgrades to the 50 trails that make up the regional KCTS trail network.
“From the feedback I’ve been getting, it seems local mountain bikers are particularly appreciative of the work we’ve been doing on the Larch Ridge Monticola trails, located between Rossland and Nancy Greene Pass on Highway 3B,” Spooner said.
He said these trails provide a fun but unintimidating experience for a broad range of riders.
The society is also in the process of expanding the network of trails located on the rocky bluffs above the hospital in Trail.
He said new funding from the local industry has made it possible complete a new 2.8 km loop, called the Bluffs trail, on schedule.
“It’ll be a great walk to a spectacular view and should make for some great early season mountain biking," he said, adding that planning was underway for a possible new trail adjacent to the Columbia River in Waneta too.
This would be a downhill alternative to the popular Redtop trail and a re-route of the bottom section of the Whiskey trail.
Spooner also said the City of Rossland has also been busy expanding the urban trail network in the community.
Trail connections have been established between Second Ave and Georgia, 8th Ave and Charlston, and between Charlston and Columbia Kootenay.
The Lui Joe trail adjacent to Trail Creek is being extended down to the Redstone Clubhouse, and several new connections are planned in the Le Roi Hollow area, below Ferraro Foods.