With nearly 40 years in their history books, young blood is the Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club's key to success.
A member for the past 14 years, club president Nowell Senior said the group - populated by outdoor recreation enthusiasts - is attracting more young people.
"Which is what we like to see. We're evolving towards young people," he said.
The University of Northern B.C. has played a role in this evolution, Senior explained.
"Participants in the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management program have been involved in fundraising in our Ancient Forest project," he said.
And it's through of the group's younger membership that the club is also able to branch out to the public even more.
"Its because of having younger people we're actually able to develop a website," said Senior. The Ramblers' web page has been live for the past two years now. "It's a great way of sending information out to the larger community."
It's also the hard work of young people that Senior also credits with helping to make the goal of opening the universal boardwalk in the Ancient Forest this year a reality.
Members of the federal youth volunteer group Katimavik worked with the Ramblers for six weeks last year on the project, which will make the Ancient Forest more accessible for anyone with mobility issues.
"They worked 800 hours. We drove 8,000 km," Senior said. "It's due to Katimavik helping that we're able to complete Phase 2. We couldn't do it without them."
The group hopes to have the 400-metre boardwalk ready by October.
"The community and beyond has been very supportive of the project. We have funding coming and a range of volunteers," Senior said. So far more than 2,000 volunteer hours have been logged, with 1,800 more needed. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact [email protected].
On April 20, the Caledonia Ramblers will host their annual spring meeting at Artspace, above Books and Company at 7 p.m. Anyone interested in learning more about the club is invited to attend and perhaps join the roughly 100 members for the season.
The club welcomes participants of all levels of physical ability and you don't need a membership to join in on an excursion to take in the sights and the company.
"Being in the wild, experience the weather, the landscape the animals you might see... it lends itself to people opening up. You become more free about the social experience," Senior said.
The first summer hike takes place April 29. Senior said the group is interested in offering more than one trip per day so that those who want to do an easier hike can do so while another volunteer leads a more strenuous excursion.
But though they are already looking ahead to spring and hiking, the group is still taking advantage of the snow. Weekly snowshoe trips continue until April 22, with Ferguson Lake, Mystery Lake, Viking Ridge and the east summit of Driscoll Ridge on the calendar. There is also one more full moon trip on April 6, a visually stunning excursion that was introduced during the 2011-2012 winter season.
"It was something we wanted to try this year," Senior said.
Out of all the snowshoe trips since Dec. 18, the club president said his favourite was the Feb. 26 excursion through the Ancient Forest.
"Because of it being winter, you can do some exploring without damaging the forest. In the winter you're not restricted to the trail at all," he said.
For a full schedule of Caledonia Ramblers trips, visit www.caledoniaramblers.ca.
