By Rachel Fraser
The Valemount & Area Recreation Association trail crew has completed a new 1km section of hiking trail on its recently acquired Swift Creek property. The new section offers a loop option through the forest back to Main St. for walkers or bikers enjoying the Dyke trail along the creek.
“There’s a junction at the base of the hill,” said Curtis Pawliuk, Executive Director of VARDA. “We put a picnic table there, to try to make it a bit more of a community space for now.”
Instead of continuing up the ridge to the lookout, or returning the way you came in, a hairpin left will take you back to exit behind the BC Hydro lot, about 40 metres from Main St., and another 40 or so from the #6 trailhead you came in on.
According to Pawliuk, GDA Contracting donated time for brushing, and the VARDA trail crew completed the work. The trail also passes through a historic dump site, with some old cans and discarded miscellany. Though there is no significant incline or elevation gain, the trail is rough and uneven, and not stroller- or wheelchair-friendly.
