This December, you can take advantage of a new trail in the Brouse area. The crew of three hired by the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) who recently finished construction of a new trail in the Wensley Creek area were Rob Kozarchuk (foreman), Alex Myers and Joel Grant. Complete with signage arrows purchased from local wood artisan Lloyd Dennis, the trail is now ready and waiting for hikers, bikers, and snowshoers.
The west end of the trail starts just east of the Arrow Lakes Cross Country Ski Club (ALCCSC)’s equipment shed in Upper Brouse. Beginning slightly past the start of the Ptarmigan Loop trail, it bisects the existing cross country trail network before continuing east through a recently logged NACFOR cutblock and emerging on Wilson Lake Road just above Box Lake Lumber Products.
The new 3.5 kilometre single-track trail is best suited for non-motorized activities and although it features some steeper pitches, it can also be enjoyed by advanced mountain bikers. NACFOR encourages multiple types of users to visit the trail but asks that everyone follow regular trail etiquette and be respectful of other users, leaving the trail in the same state that they found it.
Funding for the project was obtained from the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), like many local ventures. NACFOR received $5,000 from CBT via local voting held for Community Initiatives/Affected Areas funding this past spring. CBT’s Community Development grant provided just under $10,000 which got the trail built to completion.
The newly formed Nakusp and Area Community Trails Society has offered to take on maintenance of the new trail network. After construction was completed on Halloween day, a number of the society’s members hiked the trail with NACFOR manager Jesper Nielsen and trail foreman Rob Kozarchuk.
“It’s a very nice and interesting walk through the forest, climbing up and down and enjoying some excellent vistas,” Trail society member Wulf Mense commented, “It’s a welcome addition to the trail system, which offers more options for summer use.”
Mense was one of several people who also believed that mapped and texted signage would be helpful to further enhance the experience, informing users of more options, and allowing them to loop back along one of the existing cross country trails if they so chose. Phase Two of the project will be aiming to do just that.
NACFOR will look to CBT for funding from its Environmental Initiatives project in order to expand the trail into an Interpretive Forest trail that will promote forest education for trail users. Signage and brochure information identifying different flora, fauna and other forest features will help users to better understand and appreciate the unique forest ecosystem they are experiencing.
Even though the trail is complete, it still remains anonymous. NACFOR wants you to take part in naming it, and is running a contest on its website to encourage participation. Visit the website www.nakuspcommunityforest.com to enter the contest, find information about the new trail, and see photos and an accurate map of its location.