It’s been a hot dry July and as the temperatures rose, so did the fire hazard risks. Crew adapted work to the conditions, choosing projects permitted within provincial work restrictions for the fire hazard rating.

At the start of July, the FVMBA Trail Crew teamed up with the summer trail crews from Recreation Sites and Trails and the Chilliwack Park Society to lead a trail day at the Devil’s Lake hiking trail in Mission. It was a fantastic day with 30 volunteers joining us. Everyone worked hard and had great fun digging in a new section of trail plus building four new bridges as well as prepping for a fifth. Special thanks to Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Abbotsford for providing lunch and to Wentings Cycle Shop for the volunteer support.

Trail Crew has also been busy at Sumas, doing some much needed repairs on Squid Line. Squid Line has over 30 bridges and boardwalks, many of which are original from when the trail was first built and are now showing significant signs of rot and wear. Replacement of these older bridges before they become a hazard to trail users is one of our current priorities. Previously prepped cedar, including rounds cut for for splitting slats, helped ensure crew was able to easily follow chainsaw restrictions for the work. Enjoy the fresh scent of cedar on the top portion of Squid! Shoutout to Specialized & their Soil Searching program for donating $10,000 to the FVMBA; funds from this donation are supporting this work on Squid Line and will also be used to repair and replace woodwork on Noah Fear.

Trail work isn’t always glamorous… most of what crew does is more mundane. Trimming back overgrowth, digging out ditches, repairing eroded sections of trail. It’s hard work, and hot sun or heavy rain, crew is out keeping the trails running great for all of us. And while most of the time we’re lucky to have pretty close access to the trails via forest service roads, sometimes the work requires long hikes in with tools and gear.

Over at the Woodlot, crew tuned up the drainage on Skidder, the short climb from the parking lot that takes riders to the main road climb. All of the drains and ditches were dug out in preparation for the next rainy season. A couple of short bridges were also added to help ensure the trail & water stay separated. Unfortunately an unhappy trail user pulled out the new bridges; crew returned as quick as they could to get them reinstalled.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased an FVMBA membership; your support of the trails through your membership dollars is a key part of what enables Trail Crew to care for the trails. Say hi if you see them out working!