CONTACTS

The climber should realize that the Columbia Mountains (Interior Ranges) of B. C. is a region of heavy rainfall and high growth rate of slide alder, devil’s club and other undergrowth, which makes access to valleys very difficult. No publication, including this book, can be up to date in this region because trails, if not maintained, can be overgrown in two to three years, and roads are prone to earth slides, rockfalls, tree falls, washouts and bridge destruction. New roads are being created.

Road and Trail Information
1. West Kootenay Hiking Access Group. A Facebook group for trail and road access.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/wkhikingaccess
2. Kootenay Mountaineering Club. Access the club publications and information on the club. To join the club, sign up at:  https://kootenaymountaineeringclub.ca
3. Kootenay Mountaineering Club Members Only. Good for accessing information.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/898626490338590
4. West Kootenay Outdoors Group. A Facebook group for trip information in the WK.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Kootsmc
5. Service Road Atlas. Shows a map to see all roads in a given area. It allows one to add their bulletins, a road page to download road waypoints, and view the last known road conditions.
https://backroadstatus.com/?view=49.983020/-122.124023/8
5. BC government Ministry of Lands, Forests, and Natural Resources Operations. Access the Rec site and FSR using a map. Tells the minimum required vehicle type necessary for the particular road.   http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ftp/dkl/external/!publish/RoadInfo/WebPageFSRConditionList.xlsx
6. BC Parks. Updated trail reports in the summer and notes about road access. See the “Hiking” section of each park.
• Valhalla Provincial Park
• Kokanee Provincial Park
7. Snow. The snow line changes with each year.
• Copernicus Satellite Browser shows recent imagery but needs sunny days
• Webcams for Whitewater and Red Mountain

BC Ministry of Forests
For the above reasons, it is a good idea to consult the B. C. Ministry of Forests before attempting access.
The B. C. Ministry of Forests divides its domain into Regions, each of which is composed of several Districts. Each District is concerned with information, such as roads and access, only in its area, so one must contact the appropriate District (or Regional Office).
Ministry of Forests Regional and District Offices
Nelson Forest Region
(250) 354-6200
518 Lake St
Nelson, BC V1L4C6
Kootenay Lake Forest District
(250) 825-1100
1907 Ridgewood Road, RR1
Nelson, BC V1L5P4
Arrow Forest District
(250) 365-8600
845nColumbia Ave
Castlegar, BC V1N1H3
Columbia Forest District, Okanagan Shuswap Forest District.
1761 Big Eddy Road 2501 – 14th Avenue
Revelstoke, B. C. V0E 3K0 Vernon, B. C. V1T 8Z1
(250) 837-7611 (250) 558-1700 (west side of river)
McBride Field Office, Headwaters District
300 Robson Centre 687; Yellowhead South Highway 5
McBride, B.C. V0J 2E0; Clearwater, B. C. V0E 1N0
(250) 569-3760 (250) 587-6700
It is advantageous to register for climbing in one of these offices to increase the margin of safety, but this is not required. If you register, please make sure to report back to the office upon your return from a successful trip to avoid unnecessary rescue efforts.
The B. C. Ministry of Forests brochures carry trail, road and campsite information and are available at the Ministry of Forests offices.

BC Parks
(250) 825-3500
www.elp.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/
4750 Hwy 3A, 19km NE of Nelson
Mail: RR3, S8, C5, Nelson, BC V1L5P6

Kootenay Mountaineering Club
www.kootenaymountaineeringclub.ca. You can visit the trip schedule if you like. Visitors are welcome, but must plan as hikes fill up and often have limited capacity. Could you email the leader of the trip and introduce yourself? Over a year, a few summits in the West Kootenay are not covered.

Environment Canada
(250) 352-1858
www.weatheroffice/free/regions/bc

Valhalla Society
(250) 358-2333
Box 329, 307 6th Ave
New Denver, BC V0G1S0

Government Agents
312 4th St, Kaslo V0G1M0
619 Broadway W, Nakusp V0G1R0
310 Ward St, Nelson V1L5S4

Golden
Weather 250-344-5665
BC Forest Service 250-344-7500; 600 North 9th St.
RCMP 250-344-2221
Ambulance 250-344-6226
Hospital 250-344-5271; 835 S 9th Ave.
Tourist Info 1-800-622-GOLD
Map of Golden: www.rockies.net/columbia-valley/town_map.htm

Revelstoke
Weather 250-837-4164
BC Forest Service 250-837-7611; 1761 Big Eddy Rd.
Ambulance 250-837-5885
RCMP 250-837-5255
Tourist Info 250-837-5345; 300 1st St W

IDAHO CONTACT INFORMATION
Bitterroot National Forest (Bitterroot Mountains, Clearwater Mountains)
316 North Third St, Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-3131
Idaho Department of Lands (Selkirk Mountains)
Route 1 Box 284, Coolin, ID 83821 (208) 443-2516
Panhandle National Forest (Bitterroots, Cabinet, Chilco, Coeur d’Alene, Purcell, Saint Joe, and Selkirk Mountains)
PO Box 310, Coeur D’Alene, ID 83544 (208) 667-2561
Idaho Panhandle National Forests Supervisor’s Office
3815 Schreiber Way
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815
(208) 765-7223
________________________________________
Priest Lake Ranger District
32203 Highway 57
Priest River, ID 83856
(208) 443-2512
________________________________________
Bonners Ferry Ranger District
6286 Main Street
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-5561
________________________________________
Sandpoint Ranger District
1602 Ontario St.
Sandpoint, ID 83864
(208) 263-5111