Kolapore wilderness trails

The Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association has been able to find a commercial plowing contractor to clear the main Kolapore parking lot for this winter.  This will be moderately expensive, so we need continued support from members and trail users to be able to pay for this service.  We understand that Grey County has arranged a plowing contractor for the new parking lot at the east end of the County Forest trails, just west of Grey Road 2.  There will be ongoing updates about plowing on the Trail Conditions page.

It is with the deepest possible sadness that we share with the community the recent passing of our dear friend and fellow trail builder, Kevin Walsh. Kevin was a Kolapore-area resident, Kolapore volunteer, Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association Board member, and a keen Kolapore skier and biker.

A gofundme campaign has been started by Kevin's friends to support Lisa, Polly and Lea.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/kevin-walsh-memorial-fund?qid=c7640991900c63c783758b1e95ba371c

The parking area at the east end of the County Forest is closed until some time in July, because the County is significantly upgrading the parking area.  The new parking lot will be significantly larger and will be paved.

The Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association was advised January 17 that logging has been completed in the County Forest, and that the trails can be reopened.

Kolapore volunteers have done an assessment of trail conditions and some trail cleanup, but more will be needed in the spring.  Trails east of 6 and 7 were unaffected by the logging.  Although there was quite a bit of rutting by logging equipment, in most sections of the trail the snow has smoothed out the ruts.  Between 4 and 5 some skiers may prefer the lower, flatter, informal trail. Remediation work will be required in the spring to permanently fix the ruts. 

During the logging, a number of intersection signs and numbers were removed, and won't be reinstalled until the spring.  Temporary numbers will be installed at key intersections.

Just before Christmas, the farmer who has done snowblowing in our parking lots for several years advised the Association that he wouldn't be able to do it this winter because of the cost of liability insurance.  Since then the Association's Board has been looking for solutions.  We haven't found any long term solutions yet.  We obtained one quote but the price was unaffordable.  In the short term a Kolapore volunteer will be doing some plowing in the Kolapore parking lot on Grey Road 2.  We had been expecting to organize snow removal at the Metcalfe Rock parking lot on the 10th Line, but this is unlikely to happen.

The Association is continuing to look for snow removal services that we can afford in the longer term.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Send them to info@kolaporetrails.org    

The County Forest trails are still closed to public use because of active logging.  The logging operations are currently (Jan 10) winding up, so we hope that the trails will be reopened in the near future.  However, the logging equipment has left significant ruts on some of the Kolapore Trails, and these areas will require a lot of snow to have decent skiing conditions.  We will be working with the County to encourage trail rehabilitation in the spring.  

Logging has started in the western portion of the County Forest, and there are almost no trails available for public use.  The County has officially restricted public access to the area.  The current expectation is that logging may not be completed until early 2022. The Kolapore Trails Association will be working with the County to see if there is a way that sections of the trails could be reopened once logging has been completed.  However, remedial work will likely be needed on some segments of the trail, and we aren't sure when that will take place. 

The Blue Mountains OPP detachment has issued two recent news releases about thefts from vehicles parked at trail heads in December 2020 and January 2021.   These thefts have occurred at a variety of locations, and several of them occurred at Kolapore parking areas.  The thieves have gained access by breaking windows.  The OPP recommends that you lock your vehicle and conceal any valuable items.  Better yet, leave them at home.

A new Kolapore Trail map was released at the very end of 2020.  The trails have not changed significantly.  Information related to parking and some other issues has been updated. 

Because there are a substantial number of bridges on the Kolapore Uplands trail system, every year we try to do maintenance work on several of them.  In 2017 and 2018 we carried out repairs to the bridge at intersection 58, plus in 2018 we upgraded part of the bridge on the Kolapore Church trail.  In 2019 there will be several repair projects, although we are currently in the process of deciding what the priorities are.