​Photo by Joe Lucas

OUR PURPOSE

OUR GOALS

1. Working with the provincial ministry responsible for recreation sites and trails to develop and maintain hiking trails on crown land

2. Working with government agencies and other organizations with similar ideals to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable use of the back country

3. Providing accurate information on trail and corresponding road conditions in the Columbia Valley

4. Working with government and industry to ensure road access remains open and passable to trailheads

5. Actively liaising with other groups to support achievement of STMS's goals

OUR HISTORY

The society was created in 2001 by a small group of hikers with a desire to "give something back".  At that time, an informal relationship was established with the B.C. Ministry of Forests. As STMS membership grew, their record of trail maintenance successes also grew, as well as their credibility with the government. By 2007, grant money from the Ministry supplemented the Society's membership income as the province relied more and more on groups such as STMS for assistance in managing the trails. A formal partnership agreement between the province and STMS was put in place in 2011 and current term goes to 2024.  Through government funding and other grants over the years, STMS has accumulated an inventory of equipment and developed a pool of skilled volunteers who greatly contribute to the happy hiking experiences available in the Columbia Valley and neighbouring mountain ranges. Although our society advocates for the hiking community, we are not a hiking society or club. We do not organize or guide hikes.

Our initial trail maintenance work bee was completed by founding members John Ashby, Brian Logan, Norbert Schab and Paul Stewart at Lake of the Hanging Glacier. 

The purpose of the society is to promote safe and sustainable hiking experiences by assisting in development and maintenance of back country hiking trails in the Upper Columbia Valley region.