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  • New Trails Completed – July 2019!

    Our trail crew have been working slowly yet surely on the proposed trails the CCF has planned for this summer. Earlier this month, we have completed brushing out the Sullivan Creek Trail – a decomissioned logging road spurring off of the 2km point on Mt. Thompson FSR. This trail provides hikers, runners, bikers, and horseback riders with a 10 km backcountry adventure along the Sullivan Creek drainage through beautiful alder and cedar-hemlock forests. Not only does this trail serve as a lovely day hike, but it also provides non-motorized users access to our proposed hiking trails that spur off of the Sullivan Creek Trail’s switchbacks. Such proposed trails include the Sullivan Creek Connector Trail and the West Ridge Trail. The Sullivan Creek Connector Trail will connect third big switchback off of the Sullivan Creek Trail with the upper portion of the Thompson Pack Trail, allowing hikers to complete a loop rather than walking down the Mt Thompson FSR! The West Ridge Trail will allow hikers access from the 4km switchback up the Sullivan Creek Trail all the way to the top of Mount Thompson, eventually connecting hikers to the Thompson Rim Trail. This trail will run up and along the western face of Mount Thompson, and passes through multiple scenic viewpoints, as well as beautiful old growth forests. This past week, we have completed the middle section of the West Ridge Trail! This ~1km section will connect the 6km and 7km switchbacks on the Sullivan Creek Trail. This portion passes through open old growth stands of engelmann spruce, western larch, douglas fir, and subalpine fir, with low-lying understory made up of twin flower and prince’s pine lining the majority of the trail. Please be mindful of the trail’s new condition and be kind to the switchbacks for it’s first few months! Maps of the proposed trail area coming soon! Our 2019 summer student, Brendan, working hard at the pulaski through a particularly rocky section! Our second 2019 summer student, Chelsea, looking back at completed trail!

  • Trail Building Work Bee – July 27th!

    This past Saturday, the CCF hosted a trail building work bee on the upper section of the proposed West Ridge Trail. Jerry Bauer, a community board member here at the CCF, gathered and led the seven volunteers on a great community event with beautiful views of the Creston Valley. A short write-up by Jerry describes the day’s events: The work bee on Mt Thompson was organized through the Trails for Creston Valley Society. They put a notice on their website and sent out emails to their members. Seven volunteers (plus myself) met in Creston at 8 on Saturday morning. Two vehicles drove to the top of Mt Thompson and started work on the new West Ridge Trail shortly after 9. Although this portion of the trail is in the alpine (no windfall to cut through), the trail building was difficult due to the very rocky conditions and the bear grass and low shrubs. After 4+ hours of work (and including several breaks and a short lunch break), we managed to build approximately 450 m of trail. We were back in Creston by 2. The day was bright and sunny and windy, and thankfully, not too hot. Actually, great day to build trail. Although the work was hard and slow, all were happy with the results and agreed to help again with another work bee. The seven volunteers included: John Dinn, Ryan McEwen, Tom Coveney, Andrew Stolz, Pascal Smyth, Adam Mjolsness, and Trevor Marzke. Thank you all for helping us bring more trails to the valley. Keep an eye out for future trail building work bees this summer. Volunteers packing down their work Volunteers enjoying a break from the hard work. Volunteers with the Rim Trail in the background

  • Help Restore the Logging Arch!

    On July 17th 2019, the Creston Community Forest donated $5,000 to the Creston Museum to help restore Creston Valley’s oldest skidder machine – the logging arch! This machine was used as a horse-drawn log skidder, and is a one-of-a-kind artifact dating back to at least 1913. Due to long-term exposure to weather, many of the machine’s parts are falling apart. The Creston Museum has developed a campaign to help rebuild the logging arch into one that is yet again fully functional. Currently, the Creston Museum is only ~$9,000 away from reaching the logging arch’s restoration cost of $30,000. There is still just under 2 weeks to go until the campaign is over. Help preserve the Creston Valley’s rich and impressive history by restoring the logging arch to it’s original state. To help restore the logging arch, click here.

  • Trail Building & Maintenance 2019 News & Updates

    This summer, the community forest has been working on maintaining and developing a new recreational trail system on Mount Thompson! The pre-existing trails, Thompson Pack and Thompson Rotary, have undergone trail maintenance and are now ready for summer hiking. This includes freshly regraded switchbacks, thinned out areas with thick vegetation, as well as two brand new bridges crossing Sullivan Creek. As of July 5th 2019, the trail crew has finished opening up one of our newest trails – The Sullivan Creek Trail. This one-way 10 km trail will provide access to new proposed trails that will connect with two of our pre-existing trails on Mount Thompson – the Thompson Pack and Thompson Rim Trails! Current trail construction is underway on one of the proposed trails that will connect two switchbacks along the Sullivan Creek Trail. Current and proposed trails are open to all forms of non-motorized traffic, and provide great access to outdoor recreation nearby town! If you are interested in helping us develop these trails, stay tuned for upcoming volunteer-run work bees with the Community Forest! Our summer 2019 trail crew standing on the newly built bridge over Sullivan Creek. From left to right: Brendan (summer student), Chelsea (summer student), and Greg (trail supervisor)

  • World Environment Day 2019!

    This year’s World Environment Day was a great success with the Grade 4 & 5 classes from the Adam Robertson Elementary School! The field trip was held on June 5th 2019 at our completed fuel mitigation sites in Canyon, located at the end of Vance Road. This year, the two classes learnt how to plant trees, completed a nature scavenger hunt, and learnt the foundations of building wooden canoes using birch bark! The kids also took part in a discussion about climate change, ways to mitigate their carbon footprint, wildfires, and fuel mitigation. After several years, the kids will be able to look back at the trees they’ve planted and see the impact they’ve made. The Creston Community Forest is dedicated to providing forest education programs for high school and elementary school students, in an effort to share knowledge of our local forests, climate change, and the forestry industry. We look forward to more trips like this in the future! A big thank you to Adam Robertson Elementary School for joining us.

  • Search for Volunteer Board Members

    Interested? Submit your Expression of Interest along with a short summary of past experience/employment to admin@crestoncommunityforest.com by November 27, 2018. Please contact 250-402-0070 to coordinate an alternative method of submission. Have an impact on the Creston Valley forests!

  • Search for Volunteer Board Members

    Interested? Submit your Expression of Interest along with a short summary of past experience/employment to admin@crestoncommunityforest.com by November 27, 2018. Please contact 250-402-0070 to coordinate an alternative method of submission. Have an impact on the Creston Valley forests!

  • Big Bear Viewpoint

    Check out our newest rec site – the Big Bear Viewpoint, which is located on the Big Bear forestry road. At the viewpoint you will find a picnic table and a short trail which leads down to a rocky viewpoint. The elevation of the viewpoint is 1380m (600m above the Lakeview-Arrow Creek Road). Views of Arrow Mountain, Thompson Mountain and the Arrow Creek Watershed, as well as the Creston Valley and south into Idaho.

  • Name the Trail!

    Volunteers have been busy working to help make the Community Forest’s goal of a Summer 2018 trail opening a reality. The new hiking trail, which begins at the end of Helen Street (directly east of the Town of Creston public works yard), is now complete. Finalizations such as trail signage, the installation of benches and a trailhead kiosk have yet to be completed, but the trail itself is ready for foot traffic. The trail has yet named and we would like to invite the public to… provide input! Suggestions can be made by placing your idea in the suggestion box at the trailhead, contacting us through our social media platforms or emailing us at admin@crestoncommunityforest.com. Submissions will be accepted until July 1st. The Creston Community Forest would like to recognize the support of the Town of Creston, the Trails for Creston Valley Society, the PCSS carpentry classes and the hardworking volunteers, for ensuring the success of this project. The grand opening and name reveal is planned for August 2018, so watch for details in the coming months!

  • Wildfire Fuel Reduction Project

    Our 2017/18 wildfire fuel mitigation project is well underway! We are removing the thick underbrush and spacing the overstory in order to help reduce the intensity and rate of spread should a wildfire start in the area. The project area is located in Canyon, north of the highway’s gravel pit. The area is home to a network of beloved community recreation trails which CCF is ensuring remain intact during the project. This will result in an area that is enjoyable to recreate in, while also being resistant to wildfire.

  • Current Logging Operations

    We are currently logging up Birch Creek and will be there until summer 2018. Please be aware that logging trucks are actively hauling and exercise caution if you plan on using the Russell and Birch Creek road systems.

  • National Forest Week 2017

    This year was the third year we hosted a field trip for the grade 5 students of the Creston Valley. The trip was held out at our Russell Creek forest education site, as it has been in the past. This year was the biggest field trip yet, with 150 kids in attendance!

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