
March is here and it doesn’t feel like winter will be over for a while! But despite the cold, the days are lengthening and the sun is brightening and hiking season is just around the corner.
My goal over the winter was to edit and re-format all of the 60+ hikes on this site. And while I made some progress, I also got caught up in some other community initiatives (hello, Cottonwood Lake Preservation Society!) and still have more work to do!
Work Completed – Winter 2018/2019
- Added 3 new snowshoe trips.
- Added 4 new shoulder-season hikes.
- Simplified trip rating system and updated all posts.
- Added yellow safety boxes highlighting significant hazards on hikes and routes (example Mt Loki).
- Added new map page with better functionality and summaries of hikes.
- Added new categories to find hikes (including 2WD low-clearance vehicle access).
Snowshoe Trips
Winter backcountry travel can have much higher risks with avalanche terrain, route-finding, cold temperatures and short days. I’ve had a few requests to post snowshoe routes on this site, but I’m reluctant to post trips that could lead inexperienced snowshoers into trouble.
The snowshoe trips I’ve shared all stay in simple avalanche terrain. I’ve added yellow safety boxes to highlight some of the additional hazards on these routes (see White Queen – Snowshoe Route). I welcome feedback about how to handle snowshoe routes and the trips I’ve posted so far! Please contact me if you have any suggestions!

2018 Financials
West Kootenay Hiking made a bit of money in 2018 through merchandise sales on Redbubble – thanks for supporting the project! You can review the 2018 Financial Statement on Google Sheets.
The $112.30 of profit from 2018 will be donated to the Friends of Pulpit Rock Society. Pulpit Rock is one of the most popular hikes in the region and was the first trail that I explored when I moved to Nelson in 2016.
Next Steps
Hiking season is around the corner! What’s next for the project?
- Continue editing and re-formatting older hikes.
- Expanding and re-organizing Resources section.
- Improving site navigation and search functionality.
- Lots of trip planning! Continue expanding the site with new trails in 2019, especially focusing on exploring West Kootenay places that are a little further afield!
Happy hiking!
-Abby