Gallery: Trail crew clears Bertha trail after Kenow

Waterton Lakes National Park

Wildfire effects on bats in Waterton Lakes National Park

Reducing human impact in the backcountry

Salamander tunnel fencing restoration after wildfire

Watching wildlife in the Waterton Valley

Red Rock historical

Rising from the ashes

Wildlife and wildfire

Archaeology in a burned landscape

Clean sweep for wildlife

In 2018, working on Waterton’s trail crew was dirtier than usual!

The trail crew worked to repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure; and assessed, cut and cleared fallen and burned trees to reopen over 50 km of trails.

Work in fire-affected areas can be challenging. Reduced tree cover, and loose ash and dirt add to the complexity of the task.

Parks Canada colleagues from Jasper National Park provided a much appreciated helping hand. Thanks to the hard work from all teams, Bertha trail reopened in late June of 2018.

Two workers are pushing a burnt trunk out of the way.
Teamwork! A trail crew member from Jasper joins a colleague from Waterton to clear a recently felled tree. The tree was burned during the Kenow Wildfire.
Three Parks Canada staff are using a wheelbarrow to transport rocks.
Moving heavy building materials is a demanding part of trail crew work. Teams move rocks by hand and by wheelbarrow. Heavy rocks are good materials for retaining walls.
A person wearing safety gear is using a chainsaw on the stump of a tree.
A Parks Canada trail crew member works on the base of a newly felled tree.
A view of Bertha trail, showing trees fallen over the edge of the cliff, and small green vegetation near the path.
Erosion occurred in new locations, due to a lack of vegetation to absorb melting snow and rain. This resulted in some trees tipping over at the roots.
A person wearing safety gear uses a chainsaw on the base of a fallen tree.
A Parks Canada trail crew member uses a chainsaw on a steep slope.
Two workers are digging in the soil to prepare for the construction of a new retaining wall on the trail.
Working on a new retaining wall. The wildfire destroyed many retaining walls that were constructed from wood.
A person is using a chainsaw to cut through a fallen tree.
A Parks Canada trail crew member cuts a fallen tree on a slope along Bertha trail.
Five people in Parks Canada uniforms stand on a cleared trail on a sunny day.
A joint effort! Trail crews from Waterton and Jasper stand at a newly repaired section of Bertha trail.
Parks Canada staff move a wheelbarrow of rocks across a damaged section of trail.
Rocks may be challenging to move but are great for repairing damaged trails.
Two workers are seen installing a new wooden bench on a trail.
The crew works to replace a wooden bench on Bertha trail that was damaged in the Kenow Wildfire.
Three workers are using ropes to direct the felling of a burned tree.
Technical tree felling: Trail crew members pull a tree down after the feller is clear of the area. Good communication is key!
A worker is seen using a chainsaw to cut through a felled tree.
Just another day at the office! The Kenow Wildfire has revealed more views of Upper Waterton Lake when hiking Bertha trail.

Date modified :