Restoration of Trails Willmore Willmore Wilderness Park in 2014
The Willmore Wilderness Foundation spent forty days in 2014 clearing trail in the western portion of Willmore Wilderness Park. Elder Tom Wanyandie and Bazil Leonard, long–time outfitter mentored the youth involved in the trail clearing initiatives.
A total of 127 km of trail were cleared in Improvement District #25 aka Willmore Wilderness Park in 2014. A lot of hard and dirty work was needed for restoration and development to keep the trails open and improve the infrastructure of Willmore Wilderness Park. Some of the initiatives included:
- Rehabilitation of the main Smoky River trail from the Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Muddy Water River.
– 15 km of moderate clearing required. - Clearing the Muddy Water to Boulder Creek Trail through the 2002 burn.
– 20 km of heavy clearing. Lots of downed burnt timber from the winter winds. - Restoration of Boulder Creek Trail to the confluence of the Jackpine River and Bazil Creek.
– 20 km of moderate clearing completed. - Restoration from the confluence of Bazil Creek to Ptarmigan Lake through the 2009 burn.
– 12 km of heavy clearing through the burn to Pauline Creek with lots of downed burnt timber. Moderate clearing from Pauline Creek to Ptarmigan Lake. - Restoration from the mouth of Bazil Creek to the avalanche area, which is the beginning of the tree line on the trail to Morkill Pass.
– 10 km of heavy clearing around the muskegs with a lot of downed timber. - Restoration from the mouth of Bazil Creek on the south side of the Jackpine River to Fox Lake.
– 12 km of moderate clearing completed. - Restoration from the Muddy Water River to Sheep Creek Cabin.
– 28 km of moderate clearing completed. - Restoration from the mouth of Sheep Creek Cabin to the mouth of Cote Creek through the 2009 burn.
– 10 km of heavy clearing with lots of downed burnt timber. Lots of cutting through very old burnt trees with large diameters. - TOTAL = 127 KM
After the 2014 trail-clearing initiative was completed, an early heavy snow came and flattened a lot of the trees over the trails that were just cleared. We managed to get out and clear to the Muddy Water River, but there will be lots of trail to restore next spring.
Infrastructure Improvement
Trail Clearing Expedition of the Smoky and Jackpine Rivers: Part 1
Trail Clearing Expedition of the Smoky and Jackpine Rivers Part 2
Porcupine for Supper: Part 3
Trail Clearing from Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Upper Sheep Creek Valley: Part 1
This photo album shows the beautiful country from the Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Sheep Creek Airstrip. It was a two-day trip with lots of cutting along the way.
Trail Clearing from Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Upper Sheep Creek Valley: Part 2
These are some of the images from the late August and early September trail-clearing expedition through the Sheep Creek Burn to Cote Creek, close to the Continental Divide. Stay tuned as we will have more posts on this trip; and a subsequent trail-clearing initiative in the near future ...
Trail Clearing from Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Upper Sheep Creek Valley: Part 3
This is another chapter in the fall trail-clearing initiative to Cote Creek, through the Sheep Creek burn, close to the Continental Divide. This album focuses on horse wrangling and trial clearing. Watch for our last album, of the homeward bound expedition coming soon ...
Trail Clearing from Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Upper Sheep Creek Valley: Part 4
This photo album details the beautiful country we travelled through from Sheep Creek to Kvass Flats this fall, during the 2014 fall trail-clearing expedition. This is second-to-last chapter of the story detailing the Willmore Wilderness Foundation work to restore and rehabilitate the trails through the 2009 Sheep Creek burn. Clearing this trail will ensure that travellers can continue to access the Continental Divide region of Willmore Wilderness Park.
Trail Clearing from Sulphur Gates Staging Area to the Upper Sheep Creek Valley: Part 5
The good news is that Willmore Wilderness Foundation trail crews cleared 127 km this summer. The bad news--wet heavy snow brought down a great number of trees on the trail again.