Summit Trail Makers Society

08/31/2026

A massive shoutout to Ashlee Dearin and Nathan Livingston who gave 5 hours of hard work (each) and cleared over 100 trees from the Lake of the Hanging Glacier trail. There is still avy debris on trail but their efforts have made a significant impact on this trail. Thank you guys so much!

For more info on the rescinding of the Jumbo area restriction, please see the Regional District of East Kootenay RDEK pages.

If you were in the Valley today, you likely saw the fresh snow in the peaks. Fall is coming which means the chances of snow up high increase so make sure your bags are packed accordingly and you’re prepared for changing conditions.

Huge thanks to everyone who had purchased their memberships this season!

08/26/2026

A few updates to pass along.
There have been bear sightings out and about through out the valley so please make sure to brush up on your bear safety.
The fire related area restriction for Jumbo has been lifted as of today. Edit- please see the official posting on the RDEK page for more info.
Lake of the Hanging Glacier is still under avy debris and the bridge is still considered “use at your own risk” due to damage sustained before it was installed this year.
If you are hiking any of these 11 trails please consider purchasing your 2026 STMS membership to help us maintain them for everyone’s enjoyment.

08/25/2026

We have been asked to share this poster with our fellow hikers. If you have seen the elusive Black Swift, please report to the email on the poster.

08/13/2026

08/06/2026

We have a winner for July’s Stick to the Trail contest. If you would like to enter for August, hit the trails and show us your pictures.

🏔️ Stick to the Trail - Celebrating 25 Years of STMS 🏔️

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we’re launching the Photo Contest! We want to see where our trails take you this summer. While we think our trails are pretty top notch, the contest is open to any trail you enjoy this summer.

🥾 The Challenge: Grab a 25th-anniversary sticker, slap it on your favorite gear, and take it to the top!

🚫 Respect the Wild: Help us keep our trails pristine. Stickers are for your gear, not the landscape. Let’s practice Leave No Trace together!

🎁 Monthly prizes are up for grabs starting now, with a Grand Prize announced on October 15th. Show us your trails!

And don’t forget to grab your 2026 STMS membership from our website. Each membership helps us to maintain 11 great trails around the Valley.

Larissa Van Riet

07/31/2026

Jumbo trail is currently closed due to an area restriction in effect in Jumbo Creek. This is due to the fire in that area.

Brewer Lake is being advised as a weekend only hike at the moment due to logging in the area.

From previous posts…

Trail work has begun at Assiniboine this week. Some realignment is happening to soften some of the steeper pitches and to reroute the trail out of the muddy areas. All the work is done in hopes of making the trail more sustainable. While up there, some of the crew had a close but benign encounter with a large male grizzly. This trail is known for its bear activity, more so than other trails. Please brush up on your bear safety skills before heading out to enjoy this one.

Lake of the Hanging Glaciers….
The bridge is in but due to some damage sustained since it was taken out last fall, the install isn’t completely satisfactory and we are letting hikers know this one is use at your own risk.
The trail is also considered in poor condition. Despite putting in a huge day of clearing up to the bridge while installing it, there are still lots of trees down and avalanche debris covering the trail. We know many of you were excited to get this wish list hike checked off your list but it may be a good time to check out what else you’ve been waiting to tackle. If you do still head there, plan for extra time getting to the lake as there is a good deal of debris to contend with. Better yet, keep your eyes open for another work bee to this gem and come out and help get it back in shape.

And to everyone who is still planning to grab your membership, what are you waiting for 🙂. Help make days like this one possible and head to our website today.

07/29/2026

Trail work has begun at Assiniboine this week. Some realignment is happening to soften some of the steeper pitches and to reroute the trail out of the muddy areas. All the work is done in hopes of making the trail more sustainable. While up there, some of the crew had a close but benign encounter with a large male grizzly. This trail is known for its bear activity, more so than other trails. Please brush up on your bear safety skills before heading out to enjoy this one.

Lake of the Hanging Glaciers….
The bridge is in but due to some damage sustained since it was taken out last fall, the install isn’t completely satisfactory and we are letting hikers know this one is use at your own risk.
The trail is also considered in poor condition. Despite putting in a huge day of clearing up to the bridge while installing it, there are still lots of trees down and avalanche debris covering the trail. We know many of you were excited to get this wish list hike checked off your list but it may be a good time to check out what else you’ve been waiting to tackle. If you do still head there, plan for extra time getting to the lake as there is a good deal of debris to contend with. Better yet, keep your eyes open for another work bee to this gem and come out and help get it back in shape.

And to everyone who is still planning to grab your membership, what are you waiting for 🙂. Help make days like this one possible and head to our website today.

07/23/2026

07/21/2026

It’s that time of the season when wildfires need to factor into the planning of your hikes. The RDEK sent out their latest update which includes a new fire in the Jumbo area. At this time, we don’t have any information beyond what is pictured here.
There is an app by BC Wildfires you can download to view any known fires in your area before heading out for the day. Follow the Regional District of East Kootenay for more info on fires in our region.

07/20/2026

Edit- Muna has been found! If anyone happens to be in the area, please keep an eye out for this pup.