Slocan Valley Rail Trail

January 15th - The Trail is in good condition for skiing and walking since the big wind. Although there is debris along the way, a fine ski can be had. The trackset is better the further north you go up the RailTrail. With clear, cold weather the track can be very fast, so be cautious. If walking on our Trail between South Slocan and Crescent Valley, which we have plowed the snow off of, be aware that it can be quite icy. Shoe grips and walking poles are recommended. Enjoy and be safe.

Jan. 13th - big wind this morning. Let us know if you find any trees down on the Rail Trail.

JANUARY 11TH UPDATE - Crews were out getting some training on the the Trail from Passmore to Crescent Valley. Some of this section was trackset but poor weather is hindering things.

LEMON CREEK PARKING LOT - Jan.11th. Had a LOT of folks using the parking lot over the weekend. Hope you got a good ski in. If parking here, would you please park ‘nose in’, so we can advantage of our new expanded parking area? Do NOT parallel park. BTW. This applies to all our parking areas. Thanks

December 31st - grooming has been done Winlaw to Slocan Lake. Also underway in the south end of the valley. Stay tuned for more updates

We are teaming up with the Slocan Valley Heritage Trail Society this winter to mount an outdoor art exhibition along the rail trail. Designed to showcase our fa...bulous valley artists, allow for social distancing and all the while recreating outdoors in nature! Interested in participating as a featured artist? Visit our website (https://slocanvalleyarts.ca/call-for-entry-art-on-the-rails/) for details. #slocanvalleyartist #slocanvalleyrailtrail #slocanvalleyartscouncil

January 7th UPDATE - The Rail Trail was freshened up from Winlaw south to our Evin Rd station south of Slocan Park. A good trackset was laid down from Winlaw to Passmore, but the snow remains thin south of there. Get out there and enjoy. There’s fresh groomed track all the way up to Slocan Lake!

Jan. 31st Rail Trail Update - 9:45 a.m. crew grooming to Slocan Lake now. Hoping to groom as far south as Passmore today. Will update south end grooming when I get word.

December 30th - getting some snow today and hoping to get some grooming in soon. Let’s hope it works out! A reminder to folks that once the Trail has been groomed and trackset, horses and snow bike should ride on the sides of the Trail, avoiding the trackset. Thanks!

Dec. 27th - still not enough snow to groom the trail. There is enough to go for a ski though, but watch out for bare patches. This photo is north of the Winlaw Bridge.

Although these photos were NOT taken on our Rail Trail, we want to remind folks that trails are also wildlife corridors. Be safe and be cautious. You can still have a great time on our Slocan Valley Rail Trail

Sat. Dec.26th - got a bit of snow overnight and a bit more tomorrow. Might be enough to get out and give the Trail a pack on Sunday. Still great for a ski or walk right now though, so could be a great activity for Boxing Day.

The swans are returning to their winter home on the Slocan River. Weather is still good enough to ride your bike to enjoy them. The biggest concentration is at the Walter Clough Wildlife Sanctuary, north of our Lemon Creek Trailhead, or south of our Gravel Pit Road entrance. 50+ swans were counted today

Even Sasquatch love the Slocan Valley Rail Trail! This fine specimen recently showed up at the Frog Peak Cafe to present us with a $500 cheque. Board members Claudia Vogel and Cheryl Bonowicz summoned up their courage to accept the donation. The SVRT remains a sasquatch-friendly community resource.

Want to help out the Rail Trail? Why not put your pruners in your pocket next time you go out? Our volunteers are cutting the thimbleberry back that’s overhanging the Trail, but there’s a lot of it. Knocking this back allows us to quickly transition over to setting track for skiing when the time comes. Every little bit helps, so if you’re out for a walk or ride, take a minute to snip a few along the way. It all helps! Thanks..

Thanks to Brian Euerby for volunteering to run the leaf blower over our south end paved trail. When this smoke clear, folks should get out and enjoy the ride!

In anticipation of our AGM this Saturday, Sept.12th, we are attaching the Chairpersons Annual Report so folks know what we've been up to. If you are a member, please respond to the email sent to you if you wish to attend our Teleconference AGM. If you are not a member, you can find a membership form on our website. If you wish to just show your support for what we do, we have donation boxes at our Trailheads and PayPal can be used through our website Chair’s Yearly Report 201...9/2020 On the Slocan Valley Rail Trail, volunteers are busy year-round maintaining, repairing, improving and planning for the future. Here are some of the highlights of the past year and some plans for next year: Lovely mural paintings now adorn the outhouse walls in South Slocan and the Village of Slocan. Many volunteers lent a hand to the artist, Margie Bromley. Regular maintenance of benches, picnic tables and outhouses continues with more individuals, families and the Lions volunteering to sand and refinish Trail assets. Our two last events, Fall Colours Ride (October 2019) and Family Winter Fun Day (January 2020) were very successful. SVHTS partnered with local businesses and the Slocan Valley Recreation Commission to bring new and returning Trail supporters together. A new outhouse was installed in Slocan Park thanks to a Community Initiatives grant from RDCK and the Village of Slocan. New bollards were installed at 27 crossings along the Trail, which are proving to be sturdier, safer, more visible and easier for volunteers to seasonally dismantle. Thanks to Rec. Sites and Trails BC for the bollards and blocks and Heritage Credit Union for a generous grant for installation. We are looking forward to completion of the North Trailhead Project now underway. The project promises to enhance the dog beach access and gazebo, provide safer parking and a green picnic area. We have been working with the Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation that helped to repair some longstanding drainage issues in order to install a telecommunication cable on the Trail in 2121. Helene Dostaler Chair SVHTS

Hey friends of the Slocan Valley Rail Trail. Could you please be our eyes and let us know if there are any trees down across the Trail after Monday’s big wind?

If you’re on the Slocan Valley Rail Trail these days, you might catch some action as multiple choppers are filling from the river between Passmore and Lebhado Flats to fight the Talbott Ck Wildfire. Please use caution and keep animals leashed, or you may just have them running away!

MONDAY, SEPT 7TH - Sorry for the short notice. A cattle move may be taking place in the afternoon from south of Lebhado Flats to the Winlaw Bridge, then onto the Slocan River backroad. Please use caution. The noise of the helicopters may be unsettling to the livestock.

Some hard working folks out there. Well done!

FYI - As part of the process of the Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation(CBBC) laying the fiber optic backbone line along the Slocan Valley Rail Trail, an archeological assessment will be taking place. This will be happening between Sept. 8th and 30th at various locations along the Rail Trail.’

for those interested. Here's a map of the first Phase of the Rail Trail upgrade at our Slocan Trailhead

The new extended parking lot at Lemon Creek gets a watering this morning. It will then be compacted to help the material harden up. We’re still waiting for rain to help firm up the other Trail segments we recently re-surfaced.

Monday, August 31st, the Lemon Creek parking lot will be CLOSED until around noon. We will be watering and then compacting the new parking area. Also just a reminder that there are three short segments of trail that have been resurfaced between the Threads Guild and Winlaw. Slow going until we ghet some rain, but get on by it, the rest of the Trail is great!