With the hammering in of the nail of the last "Caution" sign,
Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society (WNMS) president Kevin
Sharman officially opened the Bergeron Cliffs Hiking Trail, just
north of Tumbler Ridge, on Sunday 18 May. This was the culmination
of four hundred volunteer trail-building hours.
This sensational trail gently ascends four hundred meters
over its 3 kilometer length (6 kms return distance), and roughly
follows
the cliff band through a variety of forest types. Towards the
end of the trail there are six view sites, and at one stage
the trail parallels the cliff edge for some distance, just
a few
meters from the edge. Dramatic views unfold of the cliffs,
the Rocky Mountains, the Murray River Valley, and the town
of Tumbler
Ridge way below.
Caution signs warn of the enormous drop-offs, which are not
protected with safety features, and special care is needed
with children
and pets. Handrails and staircases have been established at the
steeper sections and the entire trail is signed. The trail has
already become a favourite training route for runners preparing
for the Emperor’s Challenge Mountain Half Marathon, to
be held 9 August.
The trailhead is 15 kms from Tumbler Ridge, and the first
section of trail is shared with the 5 km long Bergeron Falls
trail, which
leads to the highest waterfall in northern BC (over 100 meters
high). The two trails can easily be combined into a day outing
by means of a connecting trail (total distance 13 kms).
These trails complement the other eleven trails which the WNMS
has built over the past five years, which have transformed
Tumbler Ridge into a unique hiking and wilderness destination.
Features
include waterfalls, alpine summits, caves, dinosaur track sites,
rock gardens, swimming holes, a canyon overlook, and a wilderness
cabin. WNMS is currently building its final 2003 trail, the
Bullmoose Marshes wetland interpretive site.
Brochures have
recently been created on all these trails and other Tumbler
Ridge hiking routes, and can be downloaded
at www.pris.bc.ca/wnms
For further information please contact Kevin (250) 242-4860
or
Charles (250) 242-3984.
