Motorized vehicles are restricted from using the Wensley Creek trails between Dec. 1 and March 31, and there now new signs at access points to the trails letting users know.
“The reason for the restriction is to protect the integrity of snow on the trail systems,” Kathy Smith, president Arrow Lakes Cross Country Ski Club told the Arrow Lakes News. “Snowfall begins in early December and it is critical to allow the snow to build up, prior to setting ski tracks.
For many years now, there has been repeated problems with the ski trails being damaged by other people accessing the trails with motorized vehicles.The ALCCSC works hard to set track and maintain the trails over the ski season. There have been occasions that the damage to the ski tracks cannot be repaired during the ski season.
“It’s important for people to understand that this area has been managed for many years now, for Cross Country skiing in the winter time,” said Smith. “There has been a lot of hard work and money spent in maintaining and upgrading the trail system to facilitate the winter ski activity.”
The new informational signage has been installed in an attempt to inform unauthorized users about the restricted access.
The ski trail area is managed by the Arrow Lakes Cross Country Ski Club, who have a signed Recreational Agreement with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. This agreement gives the ski club rights to maintain and use the ski trail during this time line. If anyone has questions about the restricted motorized access to this area, they can contact Kathy Smith at 250-265-4950 or Justin Dexter, Recreation Officer at 250-825-1212.
