Seasonal staff have had a busy summer this year maintaining and upgrading Columbia Basin’s backcountry.
From May to August, crews in Cranbrook, Revelstoke and Nelson have been working a range of tasks from building outhouses and clearing trails to replacing a washed-out footbridge on the Mause Creek-Tanglefoot Recreation Trail.
The single-span bridge, located 20 kilometres northeast of Fort Steele, needed more support in the middle to form a double-span one, as the creek had shifted since the washout over 10 years ago.
“Having a safe bridge across a braided creek like Mause Creek is really needed,” said Recreation Technician Aaron Canuel. “People don’t have to wade across, and it helps protect the creek and its surrounding ecosystem.”
Each span was 30 feet long, with timbers weighing 900 pounds each. It took a three-person seasonal crew and volunteers from Rocky Mountain District South to position the timbers across boulders, brush and the creek bed.
-
- The Mause Creek footbridge was one of the biggest and most complicated projects undertaken this season and included the installation of 900-pound beams. / Source: Columbia Basin Trust
-
- The partnership between the Trust and Recreation Sites and Trails BC provides Basin residents with job opportunities, hands-on skills building and teamwork experience. / Source: Columbia Basin Trust
-
- The Rocky Mountain District South crew was one of three seasonal crews working this spring and summer thanks to a partnership between the Trust and Recreation Sites and Trails BC. / Source: Columbia Basin Trust
“This project used everything we’d learned,” said Seasonal Crew Lead Justin Wade. “A small mistake at one end could have caused big problems at the other. But our crew worked together, solved problems, and got it done successfully.”
The crew visited 40 sites and worked on seven bridges this year.
Columbia Basin Trust and Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) have partnered to create jobs for Basin residents since 2019, generating more than 80 jobs and training staff in areas like trail building, carpentry, first aid and more.
“This work is rewarding,” said Canuel.
“We all love the outdoors, and it feels good knowing we’ve helped more people access the backcountry. Thanks to the partnership with the Trust, the Basin’s backcountry is safer, more accessible, and ready to welcome residents and visitors alike.”
Comments