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This summer a crew of five will be shovelling, stamping and chopping Squamish's trails into shape.
Thanks to a $40,000 grant from the District of Squamish and $5,000 from the Canada Summer Jobs Program, the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA), Squamish Dirt Bike Association (SDBA) and Squamish Trails Society have hired a maintenance team to upgrade portions of Squamish's trail network.
The crew has recently been wrapping up work on the final section of the Squamish Triathlon course, under the B.C. Hydro right-of-way near Don Ross Secondary School, said Mike Nelson, SORCA's government liaison.
Scheduled work includes the bottom of the Ring Creek Rip, Fool's Gold, Angry Midget and other routes, Nelson said. The crew's contracted until the end of August.
"There is lots of stuff to do," Nelson said.
SORCA expects to open the trail it is building with its $30,000 Sports Legacy Fund contribution within the month, he said. The money is part of the $750,000 fund passed to the district by the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC).
The new track, in the Diamond Head Road area, aims to get cycling traffic off Garibaldi Park Road. It takes riders up to the popular Half Nelson trail. SORCA is hoping to secure funding from B.C. Timber Supply to take the trail to the top of Full Nelson, Nelson said.
The trails are an important outdoor recreation asset to Squamish, Mayor Rob Kirkham said in a statement. They also play an important role in tourism, he noted.
"This investment will support our volunteers in retaining our world class trail network," Kirkham said.
For more information visit www.SORCA.ca.
