Blog - Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association

Adaptive Mountain Bike Gift Guide 2022

Adaptive Mountain Biker cruising through wildflowers at sun peaks bike park

The ultimate Holiday gift guide for adaptive mountain bikers

From truly personal and unique gifts to tubeless set up and waterproof gear — we have something for every adaptive mountain biker on your list this year!

Wondering how to shop for the adaptive mountain biker in your life who has it all? We dove a little deeper into the world of mountain bike gear and found some unique products, innovative designs, and quality gifts to give. Whether you are shopping for your favourite mountain biker this holiday season or stuffing your own stocking, this list will get the job done!

1. 7Mesh Guardian

Price: $300 CAD

The 7Mesh Copilot is designed to be your go-to jacket when you need the peace of mind that comes with proper, seam-sealed weather protection, but don’t have the space to stow anything extra.

Thanks to the best-in-class breathability of GORE-TEX Paclite® Plus, with 100% recycled nylon face fabric, Copilot excels at balancing your temperature to keep you comfortable, even during intense efforts.

For the ultimate in wet weather versatility, Copilot features an over the helmet hood, cinched via 3-way draw cords. A dropped hem, elasticated cuffs and reflective logos complete the jacket. Keeping riders on adaptive bikes dry and ready to take on some of the harshest of BC’s weather.

2. Can’t Quit Cartel gear

Price: $10 + GBP

Stay Rad with anything Can’t Quit Cartel this season. We may be a little biased, but supporting our greater community is very important for us. CQC drops new merchandise constantly, stay up to date by following their socials.

A brand of clothing that inspires it’s wearers to never quit. To create their own game, no matter what hand they are dealt.
Clothing that’s created and designed with passion, positive vibes, and traditional yet original artwork focused on Never Quiting : Ink, rock, bikes and good times.
A clothing brand that’s working towards building a platform to help even more people in the future who have had a spinal cord injury get back on their (metaphorical) feet.
Can’t Quit Cartel

3. Atlas Neck Braces

Price: $329

If you followed along with the Dunbar Summer Series this year, you’ll recognize the amount of Atlas supported riders on tour.

The Atlas Air was found on most riders in the adaptive category and comes highly recommended by KASA for all downhill mountain bike races. Atlas Neck Brace’s are known for the Patented flexible design, providing maximum comfort and mobility. Combining a simplistic minimalist design with flexibility, suspension, and the largest brace-to-body contact ratio makes the Atlas family of braces a clear category leader across the entire range.

4. Muc-Off Bike Protection

Price: $16.49 +

Back again, keep them bikes clean!!

Clean, Protect and Lube with the Muc-Off product line. Mountain bike cleaners from wet application to dry, with an E-MTB specific line up that keeps your electronics clean and functioning. Adaptive mountain bikes are expensive(yes we said it again), but with Muc-Off products you can keep your hand-cycles looking good as new and running just the same.

Join our Virtual Series, where we will give a rundown of how you can best store your adaptive mountain bikes for the season.

5. Go tubeless

Bike mechanic inserting a valve for tubeless tire setup

Price: varies

This is one of the number 1 recommendations we have across the board for aMTB’s of all varieties. You will not regret this upgrade.

If you’re running an internal gear hub on your off road hand-cycle, you know how tough the on trail tire change can be. We recommend switching to a tubeless set up, even if it’s just for that problem tire. Tubeless advantages are wide ranging, from better grip, better puncture resistance, self sealing system, less rolling resistance and in the end it’s probably cheaper and less hassle.

We decided to leave price out of this one, as it’s usually best to take this to your local bike shop, prices can vary.

6. Bowhead Reach upgrade

Price: $1200 CAD

Does your Bowhead Reach need an upgrade? The 24” Wheel set lets you ride with more speed and confidence on descents and ascents. When looking for an upgrade that will make an immediate improvement in your riding 24” Wheels are the way to go. Take on the rocks and roots next season with this purchase.

7. Make it Personal

Support local creators and small business with some truly unique and personal gift ideas this holiday season. As always, support your local bike shop, now more than ever.

8. Whitetooth Brewing

Price: varies

You may remember Whitetooth Brewing as one of our Dunbar Summer Series sponsors from 2021. The summer moon dust was intense this year, luckily we had always had a cooler full of refreshments! With a selection of award wining beer and delivery across BC, this could be the best parcel received ever.

Peruse their website and drop some hints with friends or family.

Want to Skip the wrapping?

Adaptive Mountain Biking at Sun Peaks resort with Kootenay Adaptive during sunrise

Guided cycling, Rentals, Clinics and Lessons

Give the gift of experiences this holiday season. Kootenay Adaptive offers a variety of personalized guided trips, rentals, clinics and programs. Beat those Winter blues by gifting the adaptive mountain biker in your life with good times! Get in touch with us for a personalized experience for a special someone on your list, or treat yourself!

New to 2022, our updated and upgraded Lessons page guides you along a pathway from your first time on an adaptive mountain bike, to your first race and beyond. This service is recommended for all riders, new and experienced.

Local Trail Advocacy Organization Membership

Price: Approx $40 CAD

Purchasing memberships to your local trail advocacy groups, personalized donations or purchasing trail passes for areas you plan to visit are all excellent ideas if you’re looking to give the gift of advocacy this holiday season. Your donations and membership fees will be put towards the purchase of tools, material, and equipment, as well as the labour for trail building projects. What better way to say thank you to the people who make sure we all have trails to enjoy.

For Trail Advocacy Organizations that actively build and promote adaptive mountain biking, visit these sites:

From all of us at Kootenay Adaptive, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Do you have any questions regarding specific gift ideas for the mountain biker in your life? Contact us any time.

As always, support your local bike shop!

Kimberley E-Bike Grant, a win for all

_{^{Content is a mix of original, as well as taken from the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE) press release.}}

The City of Kimberley, British Columbia, has received a provincial grant worth over $800,000 to create an ebike mountain trail network. Project partner Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association (KASA) is leading the charge in developing adaptive cycling recreation segment of the Provincial tourism sector.

This week the province of British Columbia announced it would help the East Kootenay city of Kimberley “Electrify the Mountains.” An $851,522 grant provided by the province’s Tourism Dependent Community Fund, will see the development of a world-class, e-bike trail network. This project will not only boost the region’s tourism sector but also open up mountain biking opportunities for those who were unable to navigate mountain bike trails, such as persons with disabilities, older generations, and those with adapted equipment.

Electrify the Mountains is a recent example of the fast-growing e-Recreation (e-Rec) industry. Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association is a not-for-profit focused on creating accessible outdoor recreation opportunities, specifically adaptive mountain biking, in British Columbia and beyond. Project stakeholders hope to eventually see a network of e-bike and e-trike accessible trails throughout the Kootenay region – a first of its kind in North America. The aim is to develop a unique destination development product that will boost the economy, increase tourist visits, and create jobs post-pandemic and beyond.

The plans the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE) has for e-Rec includes electric mountain bikes (e-bikes) and electric off-road vehicles (e-ORVs), such as snowmobiles and quads, and helping promote zero-emission e-Rec adventures by facilitating consumer and media demo days for e-ORV brands. KORE will be hosting an e-bike and e-adaptive industry/media event this summer to support and raise the awareness of the “Electrify The Mountains” project. The first stage of the project will include the development of 36 kilometres of new and updated trails designed for Class 1, pedal-assist e-bikes and adaptive trikes. The project will also see signage installation, solar charging stations on the trails (see rendering above), and accessible washroom facilities by its completion in September 2022.

“The opportunity for Kootenay Adaptive to join in collaboration with other stakeholders, in a project of this scope, is monumental for accessible outdoor recreation. “With Electrify the Mountains” as the foundation, this has the chance to become a game changing experience for so many people who face barriers to British Columbia’s outdoors.”
KASA CEO Mike riediger

ABOUT KASA

KASA advocates for accessible outdoor recreation, adaptive mountain biking sport development, camps, instruction and more, throughout BC and beyond. KASA is a recognized world leader in adaptive mountain biking, as well as fusing principles of Physical Literacy Enriched Environmental Design and Universal Design. It is through this work KASA is able to facilitate meaningful outdoor experiences and leave outdoor spaces open for use for even more people.

ABOUT “ELECTRIFY THE MOUNTAIN”

“Electrify The Mountain” is a collaborative project, developed by four Kimberley non-profit groups including Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE), Tourism Kimberley, Kimberley Trails Society (KTS), and Sustainable Kimberley, along with the Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association (KASA) and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) and in partnership with the City of Kimberley.

Maintenance Tips | Battery Storage

issue #1 – How to store your eMTB Battery

This question comes up a lot, especially here in Canada, “How should I store my Battery over winter?”. When the riding season usually takes a break for a solid 4 months, this is a pretty important question. Proper battery storage will make sure your hand-cycle is ready to go come spring and will save you a lot of money on replacements in the future.

Modern Lithium-Ion batteries experience a phenomenon known as self-discharge; a gradual but inevitable loss of its stored energy. This self-discharge rate is extremely low (about 1% per month) but, despite its slow pace, the process has the potential to kill your battery. To avoid this happening while riding or during short term storage, most Li-Ion batteries are designed with discharge protection circuits that ensure that the battery voltage doesn’t drop below this safe, minimum level of charge. However, if stored incorrectly or for too long, the self-discharge phenomenon means that the battery will continue to lose voltage past ‘empty’ but, by now, this discharge is causing irreversible damage to your battery cells. Once the battery has entered this deep discharge state, it finally reaches a point of no-return, where it’s no longer recoverable and officially dead.

Storage Charge

Riding season is over, your hand-cycle is clean and tucked away for the winter, everything is good right? Unfortunately wrong, and we will get to the rest in the future. Storing your electric assist motor, which is key to good times, is incredibly important. Before we go any further, disclaimer time. Always check your manufacturers warranty and battery recommendations for storage guidelines. The first thing we do when we put away batteries for the season; is to charge them up so that they rest for the winter between 40-80% power. Storing your battery at 100% power or on the charger, can have negative effects on batter life. If you are planning on storing your batter for a number of months, it is wise to check in on it from time to time to see if it needs a bit of a charge to keep it within acceptable range.

Storage Environment

Keeping your battery within an acceptable charge range is step one. Step two of longer term storage is where you choose to keep your battery. Most eMTB battery manufacturers recommend storage in a cool dry place. Even short term storage in high or very low temperatures could damage your eMTB battery. Avoid temperatures below -10°C and above 40°C where possible; Shimano warns that even 4 hours in temperatures between 40°C and 60°C could have a negative effect on battery life. This could easily happen in the back of your vehicle or even in direct sunlight. At the other end of the scale, 20 hours when temperatures hit –20°C could also do irreversible damage. Your battery should be stored in a dry area, away from combustible material in a temperatures between 0°C and 20°C. Manufacturers agree that the optimum storage temperature is a constant 10°C as the decomposition reactions slow, reducing battery ageing rate.

We also recommend removing your battery from the bike and protecting the contacts from corrosion with a thin layer of terminal grease for any storage duration. Check your manufacturers recommendations.

Your First Ride of the Season

Winter is gone and it’s time to hit the trails once again. You’ve properly stored your equipment after last season and it’s time to go. If you chose to use terminal grease on your contact points, make sure that all excess grease is removed before your first ride. Terminal grease helps prevent corrosion, but too much attracts dirt. Charge your battery to 100% and join us for a guided experience.

Adaptive mountain biker gift guide 2020

The ultimate Holiday gift guide for adaptive mountain bikers

From truly personal and unique gifts to tubeless set up and the pinnacle of waterproof gear — we have something for every adaptive mountain biker on your list this year!

1. Raceface Conspiracy

Price: $162.50 CAD

Have a West Coast rider on your list? Extend your season with the Raceface Conspiracy Jacket. The internal waterproof pocket will keep belongings dry, bonded rubber overlay on the elbows help you if you hit the deck and closed loop cuffs help keep the elements from sneaking in.

The Conspiracy jacket comes in a tailored fit, but if you are looking for a little more room for extra layers, the 7MESH Guardian Jacket might just be the jacket to end all jackets.

Price: $427.50 CAD

The 7MESH Guardian jacket is packable, helmet friendly, flexible and designed to take on riding in the Wet Coast. Pocket placement that eliminates bulk, generous rear drop that keeps you covered and extremely lightweight, what else could you need?

Don’t forget the bottoms! Both brands also have great riding pant options that will keep the adaptive rider in your life protected from the elements.

2. Can’t Quit classic riding jersey

Price: $50 GBP

Stay Rad with the Can’t Quit Classic Riding Jersey. Simple, bold, classic, breathable, this jersey comes in both black and red. Can’t Quit doesn’t just make rad gear, they are a brand with a cause as well.

A brand of clothing that inspires it’s wearers to never quit. To create their own game, no matter what hand they are dealt.
Clothing that’s created and designed with passion, positive vibes, and traditional yet original artwork focused on Never Quiting : Ink, rock, bikes and good times.
A clothing brand that’s working towards building a platform to help even more people in the future who have had a spinal cord injury get back on their (metaphorical) feet.
Can’t Quit Cartel

3. Ride Wrap

Price: $45+ CAD

Protect your steed with Ride Wrap protections kits. Adaptive mountain bikes are expensive, make sure that you or the rider in your life is protecting their investment. At Kootenay Adaptive, we have our own unique ways of using a product designed for two wheeled bikes. Drop us a line if you would like more information on how to adapt these kits for your own ride.

Custom Wrap coming soon for aMTB. Stay tuned friends!

4. Muc-Off Bike Protection

Price: $16.49 +

Join our Virtual Series, where we will give a rundown of how you can best store your adaptive mountain bikes for the season.

5. Go tubeless

Price: varies

We decided to leave price out of this one, as it’s usually best to take this to your local bike shop, prices can vary.

6. Make it Rad

Price: $33 CAD

It may seem like a top cap isn’t such a big deal, but the right one can add a lot of style to your bike. These hand painted beauties from Tony Baumann of Made Rad are the perfect gift for your mountain biking friend who has it all. An accomplished artist, Tony is best known for the unique and complex frame designs he has painted for the likes of Bryn Atkinson, Jill Kintner, and Tahnee Seagrave.

If you want to go big, get in line for your very own custom painted helmet or adaptive mountain bike.

7. Make it Personal

Support local creators and small business with some truly unique and personal gift ideas this holiday season. As always, support your local bike shop, now more than ever.

8. Protection from 661

Josh Dueck takes in the Sunrise at Sun Peaks Resort.

Price: varies

661 is a brand that embodies what it means to have fun on two, three or four wheels. Since 1999, 661 has been developing, testing and equipping riders across the globe and we are proud to represent their support of our programming. Quality protection at a great price, 661 has something for everyone on your list.

Peruse their website and drop some hints with friends or family.

Want to Skip the wrapping?

Guided cycling, Rentals, Clinics and Programs

Local Trail Advocacy Organization Membership

Price: Approx $40 CAD

For Trail Advocacy Organizations that actively build and promote adaptive mountain biking, visit these sites:

From all of us at Kootenay Adaptive, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Do you have any questions regarding specific gift ideas for the mountain biker in your life? Contact us any time.

As always, support your local bike shop!

Statement from our Executive Director

Kootenay Adaptive Executive Director Mike Riediger

Spring is a time of renewal. This statement is as true this year, as it was in the last. It’s been said more times than we can count now, these are unprecedented times. We, who are part of a network of organizations, that are pushing the development and access to adaptive mountain biking, are finding ourselves having to adapt rapidly to this season of change. We find ourselves on fortunate ground here at Kootenay Adaptive. Both our Program and Infrastructure projects are still moving ahead with funding. This means that we are in a fortunate space where we can continue to employ 17 individuals through this crisis. While our infrastructure project remains on target, we find programming is taking a lot more creativity to get us through the worst part of the pandemic.

While we have yet to formally cancel any events, we will be postponing our spring line up, until fall. We continue to follow the Directive of the Provincial Health Authority and advice from a network of experts in the Spinal Cord Injury Community. We urge everyone who is interested to keep up to date via social media channels and our website. As news and updates become available, we will share how we will move forward with future events.

Your support during this time is greatly appreciated. The messages and emails we have received from you, have helped us push forward in our mandate for “barrier free adventure”. The parallels between social distancing and physical barriers to the outdoors are too strong to ignore. Provincial Parks and Trails are closing and the general public, without knowing it, is starting to feel how devastating it can be to lose nature. This is not lost on us, moving forward, we will continue to advocate for inclusion in the outdoors and push people to reflect on a new shared empathy.

During this time, we want to hear from you. What are your priorities towards outdoor inclusion? How can we help? How can you help us? Where are we getting it right and even more important, where are we getting it wrong? During this time, we hope you can find togetherness in virtual and phone connections. Find comfort at home and with your family. Most of all, remember that you are not alone, we urge you to pick up the phone and give us a call, chat adaptive mountain biking or just take us to task. Do you have a suggestion or programming idea you would like to share? Now is a great time to be a part of a developing sport.

I would like to thank all of our sponsors, past and present for being with us over the years, we deeply appreciate your support and are wishing you and your employees all the best in these difficult times. To our participants, we truly miss you and we cannot wait to be back riding the trails together.

Be kind to one another, it’s important to remember that we are all going a little crazy right now. Extend grace to yourself and others.

Mike Riediger

Kootenay Adaptive | Response to COVID-19

Bikes sit empty, the world holds its breath.

This is not the space we, at Kootenay Adaptive, imagined ourselves being in when our 2020 project started in January. Staff, in Programming and Infrastructure, have been working very hard to roll our 2020 projects ahead of the global pandemic. We now find ourselves in a season of re-evaluation and planning. We are formally postponing all events up to and including April 10.2020. All rentals in this period are effectively cancelled until we can re-evaluate the current situation.

https://kootenayadaptive.com/adaptive-mountain-bike-rentals/

Rolling with the punches is never easy, but when it comes to staff and participant safety, we take this current crisis very seriously. We work with populations who are more vulnerable than most to the novel coronavirus. We have not cancelled any of our 2020 events series, but rather postponed to different dates in the summer and fall. The preparation and excitement that has gone into these events is still within us and we look forward to bringing them to you, just at another time.

Stay with us for further updates, engage with us on social media and write a review! While staff are putting some events on pause, we are still busy pushing this sport forward in every single way and engaging with our amazing partners.

Thank you for your continued support, we can’t wait to serve you in our rental programs and event series this year. Once preventative measures have passed, we will be back in action.

Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association | Sr. Management

Mike Riediger | Janis Neufeld

The Road to Collaboration | Part 1

As the biking season edges ever closer to its end, we were lucky enough to take a quick trip to Calgary to meet with Christian Bagg at Bowhead Corp and see first hand the production of these game changing accessibility machines. On the return trip we spent the night at Nipika Resort, just outside the boundary of Kootenay National Park. I have known Nipika as a destination for winter recreation for years, what I knew less about were its mountain biking trails and this Spring we were introduced to Lyle Wilson and his vision of having the largest network of adaptive mountain biking trails in the county. Our trip included a stay in Nipika’s accessible cabin, as well as a tour of the initial work in the resorts adaptive network. Our commitment to Nipika’s network includes making sure that these trails meet the standards that allow for a trail to allow for hand cycles. I was blown away by their thoughtfulness of trail design, which probably speaks to the breadth of their experience with single track and their attention to rider experience. We were shown future staging areas, communal halls, trails and some of the most stunning viewpoints one could imagine. We at KASA look forward to a continued partnership with Nipika into the future, but for now we were able to pose a few questions to Lyle which will help you understand their vision and legacy they wish to leave.

KASA: Nipika of 2019 is an impressive achievement by any standard. Where did the idea of Nipika begin for you?

Lyle: In the late 1970s I ran an outdoor leadership training centre for the government of Alberta called the Blue Lake Centre north of Hinton, Ab. I loved the work and the setting, but the civil service was just too stifling for my creative, off the wall, mind, so I started searching for a location for a private centre dedicated to all the natural outdoor activities. In March of 1979 I was looking at a property for sale up the St Mary’s River In Kimberley and on the way back to Hinton, I stopped for a coffee in Radium Hot Springs. A conversation with a couple of loggers in the Husky Coffee shop led me up Settlers Rd. to look at this old homestead that was for sale. I fell totally in love with it at first sight! I owned it two weeks later.

KASA: Sustainability is a big topic these days. When you look at the over all brand and direction of Nipika, what does sustainability look like for you?

Lyle: Sustainability is the soul of Nipika! We are out to prove that non-consumptive Recreation can be exciting, fun, affordable, family oriented, and that experiences are more important than “stuff”. We build everything we can by salvaging waste wood from the forest around us. All the cabins and most of the furniture is built in our shop utilizing materials that grew up on the site. We generate our electricity with solar panels, burn wood ( a renewable resource) for most of our heat, and we focus completely on self propelled, non-motorized activities. We are a non-shooting area, no firearms can be discharged on the entire Cross River Canyon Recreation Site. The most important aspect that helps us with sustainability is that because Nipika is a pedestrian site, we get people out of their vehicles for their entire visit. Wildlife conservation is a central theme at Nipika. We try to retain a simple and natural setting, respecting the wildlife whose space we have invaded. We are a working woodlot and through our forest stewardship initiatives we maintain a healthy forest surrounding the resort for our guests to enjoy for generations to come.
Sustainability is about doing what you do with a minimal environmental footprint. We take that into consideration with every decision we make.

KASA: Sustainable harvest of beetle kill timber on your property not only keeps the health of the surrounding ecosystem in check, it also supports building projects and trail creation. How do you balance wood lot harvest quotas with the environment and trail development?

As a woodlot we have an annual harvest quota to maintain. From the beginning we set that AAC ( allowable annual cut) at a Level well below the annual growth rate of the forest. That simply means trees are growing at a greater rate than we are cutting them down. Everything we do in our forest management plan has to meet two other criteria, improving the recreational values of the landscape, and improving ungulate habitat. We harvest primarily for forest health, focusing on mountain pine bottle eradication and recently the fir bark beatle infestation. All our logging is done selectively, no clear cuts at Nipika. We utilize dead wood for heating and construction of our facilities and furniture.

KASA: Nipika has a storied history, of which we were thrilled to hear about. When it comes to the future, what would you hope people remember about this era of Nipika?

If people remember nothing else about their Nipika experiences, my hope is that they develop a great love for nature, improve their health and fitness through self propelled outdoor activities, and have a better appreciation for family and friends by sharing life altering adventures!

KASA: Inclusion in outdoor spaces is a relatively new conversation and Nipikas commitment to adaptive mountain bike trails is something we hope to celebrate along side the resort. How do you see inclusivity, through the lens of outdoor sport, helping the Resort?

I believe that one in thirteen Canadians has some form of disability. Why on earth should they not be allowed to share the values and joys that we promote to the able bodied population. I don’t really know that inclusiveness will directly benefit Nipika, but it will benefit the Wilson family and all our staff simply in the knowledge that we are attempting something good for EVERYBODY!

KASA: Looking towards the future, what can we look forward to in Nipika Resorts continued evolution?

Our focus for the future is not to continue to grow the size of the resort as much as it is to continue to enhance the qualities of the experiences we provide for our guests. This looks like, more and better programs, improving our trails and surroundings, continued training for our staff, and broadening the range of abilities we can cater to with our services and amenities. The future is only limited by our energy and imagination!

Galena Trail Update

Weather, the story of any mountain project. This Fall has been a nerve wracking experience for the crew and management of the Galena Trail Project. Falling Temperatures and Concrete do not mix and thanks to our hard working staff and a crew of volunteers, the footings were ready to go just in time. A huge thank you goes out to KASA staff and our 5 amazing volunteers who put in a lot of hard work to get this done before the frost set in.

Local photographer Jesse Schpakowski joined the crew for our second help day, as High Terrain Helicopters expertly placed steel I-Beams for the bridge structure. Due to the location of this project, Helier drops have been key to the success of this project, eliminating a strenuous amount of labour and making the move to the site safer for our staff.

Having extra seats in the helicopter has been a great way for Kootenay Adaptive to say thank you to our supporters and outstanding community members and on Heli Day 2, we were joined by Kimberly Joines. Kim is a 2 time IPC Sit Skiing Champion, 22 time IPC World Cup winner and 2 time Paralympic Bronze Medalist. A West Kootenay local, spending time between Rossland and Rosebery, she can be found on one of the best Adaptive Mountain Bike trails around, the Spine Trail in Rosebery.

With Winter quickly approaching and the weather dependant milestones in the ground, the crew is on track for completion this December. Check back for updates on the trail and official wrap up dates. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more.

Galena Trail Project

The Galena trail is a historical trail which follows the path of the old CPR Nakusp to Sandon railway line, a remnant of the mining industry that prospered in this area in the late 1800’s and early 1900s. A major silver find on Payne Mountain, near the city of Sandon (now a ghost town) immediately grew the city, resulting in the CPR connecting this region with their mainline.

The railway received its charter from the provincial government in 1892 and was immediately leased by the CPR. By October 1894, the railway was completed from Nakusp, along Slocan Lake and up the valley to Three Forks. Decreasing traffic, high maintenance costs and railway deregulation saw services cut back and eventually abandoned during the latter part of the 20th century. The line between New Denver and Three Forks was severed in the 1950s due
to mudslides and rails were removed. The last rail car ferry on Slocan Lake was closed in 1988.

The trail was developed into a non-motorized recreation area in the 1990’s. It was at this time that the original boardwalk, located approximately 2km from the New Denver trailhead, was constructed using the old train trestles as its foundation. In April 2019, the Regional District of Central Kootenay, who manages the trail through a License of Occupation, closed the trail due to structural concerns. The old train trestles were badly rotten and no longer provided stability tothe boardwalk structure.

When funding through the federal ‘Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’ applied for by the RDCK and Galena Trail and Rosebery Wetlands Commission was postponed, members of the North Slocan Trail Society and the Village of New Denver Council approached KASA for alternative funding opportunities. KASA was successful in obtaining funds through a WorkBC Job Creation Partnership funded through the Government of Canada and the Province of
British Columbia, with additional funding provided by the Regional District of Central Kootenay and Columbia Basin Trust.

Galena Trail Boardwalk replacement Rendering

The Galena trail and boardwalk are already used for KASA/Kootenay Sufferfest‘s popular annual race the Idaho Peak Ultra and 10k Trail Run. In addition, the trail is an ideal opportunity for creating an inclusive outdoor space and trail for all non motorized recreational users, including those on adaptive mountain bikes (aMTB) or 3-4 wheel bikes. This fits long term vision for the Galena trail to be inclusive from Three Forks to Rosebery (and beyond), thus the Boardwalk is being built to standards which will not present barriers to users. The construction of the new 120’ Boardwalk will take place August – December 2019. The engineered design includes galvanized steel beams, concrete footings, and Douglas fir decking and cedar railings. It will resemble the historic old train trestle in aesthetics and will last for 50+ years with little maintenance.

KASA is proud to be a part of this legacy project on one of the most iconic trails of the Kootenays. The partnership is through a contract with the Regional District of Central Kootenay with KASA as the Project Holder with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. KASA has created 7 local jobs for this project, providing valuable on the job training and skill development for under or un-employed individuals and youth in the region.

The Galena Trail is popular with young and old, slow and fast, hikers and bikers and is the ending for numerous other trails coming down Idaho Peak including the Alamo Trail. There is a cable car crossing that is a notable experience by many visitors that use the trail. More information is available about the trail from the New Denver Visitors Center.

Adaptive Trek || “What IF?”

On July 2nd Executive Director Mike Riediger, along with Tanelle Bolt of Rad Society and Ethan Krueger embarked on a journey that took them from Revelstoke, BC to Nelson, BC, by way of Crank and Paddle. This adventure is part of a documentary short which will explore the idea of “What If”. This theme was chosen not only to help the broader public see past their initial stigma of persons with disabilities, but also offer inspiration to those dreaming of connecting or reconnecting with the outdoors.

When it comes to the outdoors, or life in general, it is hard to take into account how lucky the majority of us are to have access to the world around us. For many of the people we work with at KASA on a day-to-day basis, they too may have had the same thoughts of access as most, but sometimes life has other outcomes in mind. Injured in the pursuit of outdoor adventure, Ethan Krueger and Tanelle Bolt were joined by Mike Riediger, telling a story of pushing past ones perceived limitations and adapting to a new reality of Outdoor Adventure; its difficulties and the work being done to overcome.

Days 1-2 Were spent on Arrow Lake, paddling from Revelstoke, BC to Nakusp, BC. Joined by Adam Balls of Nakusp, the group had a great start to the trip as the skies cleared when they neared Revelstoke. The group first rode Miller Time, Revelstoke’s first adaptive mountain bike trail and were then treated to a great breakfast at La Baguette before entering the cold waters of Arrow Lake. Day one on the water started out smooth with a great tail wind and sunshine. As the day progressed cloud and a heavy headwind stymied the group as they neared Blanket Creek. Day two, the group departed Shelter Bay en route to Nakusp. Sunshine and sunburns were in order and this beautiful 10 hour paddle ended on the shores of Mt Abriel, just North of Nakusp. Mt Abriel is home to the Canada’s largest concentration of adaptive mountain bike trails.

Dawn broke on Day three with dark skies and rain. The cooler weather was a welcome break from the heat, especially with a long day on bikes from Nakusp to New Denver via the pass at Summit Lake. Joined for the rest of the journey by KASA President Janis Neufeld, the group showed their grit and determination by completing the 11 hour leg of the trip in sometimes torrential rain.

The halfway point of the Trek involved the hosting of Kootenay Adaptive’s 2nd annual Camp, this year being held in New Denver. This year mountain biking was top of mind for all who came, people were really here to get some miles on their tires. Full days at Mt. Abriel and the Spine trail in Rosebery had the group taking in the turns and views before heading back to the water for Day four of the Trek.

Day 4 began at the group campsite in New Denver, with participants on hand to wish the group well as they departed. After the previous lake day, 10 hours on Arrow Lake, the Crew was in for a fantastic day on the water and a relatively quick crossing of Slocan Lake. Calm winds and sunshine guided the group along the last leg to Slocan City.

Day 5 began early as the group made their way to the start of the Slocan Rail Trail. Spirits were high after a successful day on Slocan Lake and with 76 kms of pedal and crank ahead of them, they departed Slocan City en route to Nelson. Cool rainy weather was the mainstay of the first 40 kms along the Slocan River, as the group neared the end of the rail trail the clouds began to part and the sun was back to stay. Upon leaving the trail, the crew took the back roads over the mountains to avoid completing the journey on the highway. A particularly brutal climb was rewarded by a long descent into Nelson. When the group arrived at the Best Western Baker St Inn, the staff had prepared a welcome for Ethan and Tanelle, congratulating them on their successful Trek. With the Trek complete and no big days ahead, the crew celebrated into the night, thanks to Backroads Brewing and departed the next day back to Nakusp.

We would like to thank all of our Sponsors and supporters, listed and unlisted. Your generous support helped make this possible and we cannot wait to share the completed documentary with you!

For more stories, videos and images follow along with their journey on Facebook and Instagram.

If you would like to donate to the Trek, Documentary or to help with programming of adaptive outdoor sport in BC, please contact mike@kootenayadaptive.com. Tax receipts are available.