Future of popular Exshaw mountain bike trails a step closer to protection

Traffic travels along the Trans Canada Highway past Mount Rundle of the Rocky Mountains near Canmore, Alta., Monday, April 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

EXSHAW — The gears are in motion to preserve a popular mountain biking trail network in Exshaw for generations of future riders.

The Prospector Trail, that has existed for years without formal recognition, is on its way to receiving official designation after Canmore Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) was recently approved as an official trail manager of the network.

“The goal is to protect long-term recreational access while improving sustainability, safety and stewardship,” said Chad Holowatuk, president of CAMBA.

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Working alongside Alberta Public Lands and Exshaw Trail Alliance, CAMBA says the partnership is step one in getting the trail sanctioned, meaning the network, situated on Crown land, would be formally recognized by Alberta Public Lands.

“Designation equals protection,” said Holowatuk.

“There’s a lot of other networks that have been well-loved and used in our community that are not designated and, as a result, some of them have been lost because of that. The designation of this network will ensure protection of this network, safety and enjoyment by all trail users.”

But before being stamped as a designated trail by Alberta Public Lands, Holowatuk says there’s work to be done on the network to bring it up to the land manager’s “standards” – a process that likely won’t be complete until next year.

“I think maybe people think that this is just, ‘Oh, it’s designated. It’s sanctioned. No, it’s not.’ We’re working towards it. CAMBA’s been authorized to do the work towards that designation, and that’s what’s begun now,” he said.

“It is a much-loved area and people have been riding out there for years. They’ve done a great job on many of the things, but 20 years of social trails and working in those areas, things need to be maintained and supported,” added Laura Quelch, CAMBA’s executive director, noting maintenance on Prospector has long been thanks to a grassroots efforts.

Until then, CAMBA is focused on planning, improving trail features, signage and wayfinding during phase one of the transition.

“On busy summer days, the trail can see up to 400 riders daily, and that level of traffic has significantly eroded sections of the network,” Exshaw Trail Alliance said in a post.

“When we do surveys of favourite trail areas … [Prospector] is always at the top,” Holowatuk added.

Beyond maintenance, the well-used trails, that require access through the hamlet, have raised concerns around traffic, parking and disruption for residents over the years.

“Our goal is to have more collaboration with the community and the MD (of Bighorn) to help ease some of the headaches that have occurred in the past,” Holowatuk said.

“That’s why it’s extremely important for us to work with the community, especially. They’re the ones that are affected. Not everyone mountain bikes and you gotta make sure that you do things to not just satisfy the trail users, but those that are affected by those trail users.”

“This is all part of the bigger picture, but it’s going to take some time.”

The Canmore Area Trails Master Plan and years of collaboration with Alberta Public Lands have paved the way for the partnership, Holowatuk says.

In its final stages of review by Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and Parks and set for release this spring, the trail master plan creates a roadmap for Canmore area trail networks, balancing recreational use with protecting wildlife corridors.

“These networks, they do require a duty of care to get them up to the standard the land manager is requiring, in this case, Alberta Public Lands, and this pathway is laid out in the Canmore Area Trails Master Plan,” said Holowatuk.

“It’s a lot of work to take on a new area … but it’s worth it,” he added. “This is why CAMBA exists, for these kinds of reasons – to provide ... protected trail access and build community.”

‘Fulfilling a promise’

Every kilometre of technical turns, sweet drops and wooden features that make up the Prospector Trail network are the work of volunteers and a result of Blue Falconer’s vision – a local trail builder who passed away in 2016.

Passing on the torch to another local and volunteer, Shaun Connor, you can’t ride Prospector without seeing the signs honouring Falconer, whose legacy is carved into the trail.

“When CAMBA started and Blue was still with us, we were talking to Blue and he’s like, ‘I love what you’re doing. I love the idea of a trail association. I just really want you to promise that when the time comes that this network gets protected,’” Holowatuk said.

“That’s the whole reason why it’s called Canmore and Area Mountain Bike Association. That “and area” purely came from conversation with Blue and saying, ‘we’re gonna need your help one day.’ We’re fulfilling a promise to do what Blue asked us to do 10 years ago.”

Holowatuk says the goal is to work in collaboration with Exshaw Trail Alliance, supporting volunteers who have been the boots on the ground for years.

“We want to recognize them for their hard work and we are working with them to ensure that the character of the area is not lost. We’re proud to say that’s what’s happening,” said Holowatuk. “It’s just the next chapter in it.”

Trail maintenance days will be announced on camba.ca.

“This is a much-loved network and it’s much loved by a lot of people in Calgary, too. Hopefully the fact that we’re involved will also create awareness and result in some donors stepping up to help get this project towards sanctioning,” he added.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.

Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook