Biking – long descent on section of historic Dewdney Trail. Good tread.
Hiking - significant elevation change.
This is a tiny piece of the original 700km Dewdney trail that crossed Southern B.C.. Referred to as
the “Dewdney Trail” within the local trail network.
Elevation change: 700m
Length: 5.4km
Biking: Intermediate
Hiking: Advanced
Trailheads:
To get to the top of the Dewdney Trail at Trailhead (T), you can either ride or drive the approximately 14 km from town, with an elevation gain of 400m, on provincial highways (mostly gravel).
Either way, start at the intersection of Columbia Ave. and Washington Street at Km 0.0, proceed west on Columbia Ave (Hwy. 3B/22) for 1.2 km to a T-junction, go left onto Hwy. 22 for 500m to a junction at Km 1.7 then veer right onto the Rossland-Cascade Rd. It’s a relatively easy hour-long climb on a well-maintained gravel road to the “Km 12” sign (for logging trucks), which is actually 13.8 km and 400m vertical from your start point. Turn left, at this summit on the road, onto a dirt track. The signed trailhead is about 30m distant.
{Note: the south trailhead of the Seven Summits Trail is on the other side of the Rossland-Cascade Rd.}.
Trail:
This section of the historic Dewdney Trail was built to provide an all-Canadian route from the BC coast, to the goldfields on Wildhorse Creek in the East Kootenay. It will entertain riders of most abilities. It has good tread and grades. It is a rolling descent on a combination of single track trail and parts of logging roads dropping from the ridge of land between Rossland and the Sheep Creek valley, down to Highway 22, 8km south of town and just north of the US/Canada border.
Many riders choose to leave a vehicle at the bottom of the trail. There is parking for vehicles just off Highway 22 at the Point of Interest sign about the Dewdney Trail, 8 km from Rossland.
Advanced hikers may use this trail in either direction.
Intermediate single track trail that begins high on the back of Kootenay Columbia Mtn. It descends to a crossing of Columbia Kootenay Road and then more beyond to join the Intermediate Green Door Trail just above the crossing of Hwy#3B.
Elevation change: 250m
Length: 2.0 km
Hiking, biking, snowshoeing, equestrian: Intermediate
Trailhead:
(C) Mining School (2.1 km; +50m & -60m) from downtown: E. on Columbia Ave 3 blk, L. up Monte Christo St 4 blk, R. down 4th Ave 2 blk, L. on Georgia St keep to R. shortly onto gravel road and along about 1.0 km to end. Kiosk. Limited parking about ˝ km from end.
Follow the signposted Intermediate Back of KC Trail along Columbia Kootenay Road for 0.7 km to a junction (Columbia Kootenay Road leads to right). Up wide road to left (Old Mining School Road) for 0.6km to Km 1.3 on the Back of KC Trail. There is a large flat area at the top end of the road.
Back of KC Trail goes to left. Signposted.
Milky Way Trail begins straight ahead off the large flat area. Signposted.
Trail:
Good single track trail. Drops down through open forest, then out into fields and onto the Columbia Kootenay Road. Left along this road for about 0.3 km. Then off Columbia Kootenay Road to right and follow it down to where it ends by joining the Intermediate Green Door Trail. This junction is where an old rough and rutted road is utilized to lead down to the crossing of Hwy#3B.
Trail Variations:
Milky Way can be ridden, or hiked backwards, or in a loop with the Green Door Trail.
The top of Milky Way can be accessed by coming up to the saddle between Kootenay Columbia and Monte Christo Mtns from the (A) Centennial or (B) Iron Colt Trailheads on the Kootenay Columbia or Techno-grind Trails, and then down the top “1/2” of the Back of KC Trail to the large flat area at the top of Milky Way. The “middle” of Milky Way can be accessed via Columbia Kootenay Road, or via the first part of Techno-grind, then Full Monte and Coffee Run.
Elevation change: 150m
Length: 1.9km
Hiking, biking, snowshoeing, equestrian: Intermediate
Trailhead:
(C) Mining School (2.1 km; +50m & -60m) from downtown: E. on Columbia Ave 3 blk, L. up Monte Christo St 4 blk, R. down 4th Ave 2 blk, L. on Georgia St keep to R. shortly onto gravel road and along about 1.0 km to end. Kiosk. Limited parking about ˝ km from end.
Trail:
An old moderately angled grassy road bed, with views down the Columbia Valley. Although a well traveled connector route with Gentle Kootenay Columbia, Intermediate Coffee Run, Intermediate Full Monte and Intermediate Milky Way this is a peaceful quiet trail where you shouldn’t be surprised to see deer or the tail end of black bear. Typically traveled in conjunction with other trails, but also a nice out and back trip from the Old Mining School trailhead.
The trailhead kiosk at Km 0 is about 200m past the gate across the road. Follow road, keeping to left past signposted junction with Intermediate Green Door Trail , etc. to the right at Km 0.1, and Columbia Kootenay Road (Intermediate Coffee Run Trail) branching off to the right at a signpost at Km 0.5. Up road on old Mining School workings (ramp) to a large flat area at Km 1.1. Intermediate Milky Way Trail goes off the far end.
Back of KC Trail is single track trail back to the left off the large flat area, and soon right and up onto a delightful old narrow road-trail. This takes you up through the forest to a saddle and a signposted 4-way junction at Km 1.9.
This is the end of the Back of KC Trail.
Left onto the Gentle Kootenay Columbia Trail and 500m more with +60m elevation gain to the summit of KC.
