AGM on March 29th, 7 pm at Kaslo Seniors Hall

It's that time of year again! We hope you'll be able to join us on Thursday March 29th at 7 pm at the Kaslo Seniors Hall for our AGM.

We will be looking closely at 2 different bridge designs as the Trailblazers hope to start building the 5th Street Unity bridge this year.

The Trailblazers are also involved in the Kaslo Trail Alliance and may be registering some trails in the area above and below the airport.

We want your opinions so please come out and find out what we're up to in this exciting year.

There will also be elections, a review of trail guide book actions, membership numbers, past and future trail work and 2012 plans.

Fish Lake Ski-A-Thon

If you're participating in the Fish Lake Ski-A-Thon tomorrow then please meet at 8 am at the Community Garden by the 4-way stop in upper Kaslo. The course is the same as last year: about 30 km from Fish Lake to Kaslo on the old Wagon Road.

This event raises funds for the Kaslo and Area Outdoor Recreation Society (KORS). KORS is in the process of getting its own registered charity status but until then the Trailblazers will issue tax deduction receipts on their behalf for contributions over $20. More information about KORS can be found at www.korsbc.ca

There will be drivers at several exits along the route if you decide not to do the whole thing. Val would still like a couple more drivers so if you would like to help out then please call him at 250-353-2168.

Tracing the Columbia on Wed. Jan 18 at 7 pm at the Langham

The Kaslo Trailblazers Society is pleased to sponsor Tracing the Columbia, a 50 minute DVD of the 2011 David Thompson Voyageur Canoe Brigade by the Voyageur Brigade Society. The presentation will be at the Langham at 7 pm on Wednesday Jan 18th. Admission is by donation with refreshments afterward.

David Thompson's epic journey to discover a water route from Invermere to the Pacific Ocean 200 years ago was recreated in 2011 with paddlers completing 1700 kms in 45 days. More information about the journey, including the route, can be found at http://www.2011brigade.com.

The evening will also include a question and answer period with Brigade participant and Trailblazers director Val Koenig.

4th Annual Winter Solstice / Bridge Light Up on Wed Dec 21st from 4-6 pm

It's that time again! And that sparkling bridge will be just as pretty as ever when we turn on the lights at 5 pm on Wednesday. The bridge will then be lit up every night through the end of the year.

The lantern procession starts at the main trailhead at the end of Railroad Ave at 4 pm, so please bring your own lantern or use one of ours. Free hot chocolate will be ready by firepits at the bridge picnic area around 4 pm. There's limited parking at the New Denver Hwy pullout so please carpool, walk, or be dropped off.

We always need volunteers to set up starting at 2 pm, serve hot chocolate from 4 pm, and then clean up at 6 pm. Please e-mail us or call Val at 250-353-2168 if you can help out, or just show up at the picnic area after 2 pm. We need to put up the tiki lights, move the fire pits and tables down to the picnic area, hang up some lanterns and extra lights along the trail from the highway, and shovel snow if necessary (please bring a shovel for that).

It looks like it will be a nice night for it, so we hope to see you there.

Cougar alert

A cougar was recently spotted chasing a deer in the Valley, near the school and not far from the Kaslo River Trail.

Please be careful when you're out on the trails, especially if you're with small children or dogs.

Final work party of the season

This Wednesday November 9th will be our last work party for 2011. It has been a productive season and we have accomplished quite a lot.

Thanks to all you volunteers, we have been able to:

• have a regular presence at the Saturday markets;
• open a new 5km section of river trail extending upstream on the south side from the bridge that loops up to the airstrip and returns to the bridge;
• build some steps and handrails for the river trail loop;
• maintain sections of the K&S wagon trail and the Mt. Buchanan look-out trail;
• develop a new connector trail from Hwy 31 hill to Arena Ave;
• plant native species on eroding slopes to help stabilization;
• pull large quantities of invasive knapweed, burdock and other species;
• and repair trail damage caused by high water this spring.

On behalf of the Directors, a big THANK YOU to all who have been able to lend a hand during our work parties and market days.

This Wednesday we will be filling the gravel barrels with salted sand (donated by YRB) for winter trail maintenance. A few extra hands would be great, as well as someone with a truck for hauling sand. We will have a truck and it would be great to have a 2nd one so that we can complete the work on both the north and south sides of the trail. For tools, just a shovel, and wear work gloves. We will meet at 9am at the YRB yard entrance, located at the south side of the golf course.

Wednesday Nov 2nd work party 9am-noon

This week we will be planting shrubs and trees with Bill W. in order to stabilize some of the vulnerable slopes. As well, there are a few handrail stanchions to place and install handrail chain. We will meet at the north side trailhead at the end of Railway Ave. For tools, shovel, rake, polaski and clippers if you have them. Wear gloves.

We are just about wrapped up our work projects for this season. Over the next couple of Wednesdays we will be putting gravel into the barrels above and below steep slopes, which will finish off the season.

Wednesday Oct 26th work party 9am-noon

Val will be coordinating the work party this week. Meet at 9am at the north side trail head at the end of Railway Ave.

The project is trail repair due to high water erosion this past spring at the old generating station (at the old Pelton Wheel interpretive site). Wear gloves and for tools, a wheelbarrow, shovel, and pry bar if you have one.

Wednesday Oct 19th work party 9am-noon

This week we will be installing stanchion pipes and chain handrail along various sections of the River Trail on the south side between the red bridge and the Village.

We will meet at the south side trailhead behind the Village shop/yard. For tools: shovel, rake, polaski, clippers if you have them, and wear gloves.

Wednesday Oct. 12th work party 9am-noon

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

This week we will complete our section of the Kaslo/Sandon Rail to Trail / K&S wagon road maintenance that we started last spring. We were unable to complete the entire length during our last effort, so we need to finish that off to have the trail ready for winter use.

We will meet at the New Denver highway trail head on the north side of the Kaslo River above the bridge, and car pool from there. I will bring a chain saw and a brush saw. If you have them, bring clippers.