A hike from Yellowknife River to Hidden Lake? Ramblers club has it, and more trails, mapped
A group of avid hikers in Yellowknife have marked and mapped over a hundred kilometres of hiking trails along the Ingraham Trail.
Per Lunder is the founder of the newly formed Ingraham Trail Outdoor Ramblers Club.
Lunder has been walking in the bush around the Ingraham Trail for years.
He and others have mapped numerous trails, which the public can now find online at Trailfork.
"Initially I really didn't care if I shared it or not," Lunder said with a laugh.
"And then I thought, it's so good it makes sense to share it, right? I'm not trying to keep it for myself."
Lunder said there are approximately 25 access points for hikes along the trail.
He said the group has mapped 137.4 kilometres of trails and he has another 50 kilometres in his "back pocket."
This includes a trail from Big Hill Bottom to Cameron Falls, Hidden Lake, and all the way around to Plant Lake.
He also said there's a continuous trail from Yellowknife River to Hidden lake, which means the 52-kilometre drive can be turned into 110 kilometres of hiking.
"You get to see so many different versions of the North," Lunder said of the benefit to doing the journey by foot.
The trails are flagged with one-metre red and yellow markers in challenging areas.
Lunder said his favourite part of hiking is the tranquillity and the chance to disconnect from technology for a bit.
He said growing up, he was part of an outdoors club in his hometown of West Vancouver, but "the poor part, not the rich part," he explained.
"We would go on hiking trips up towards Squamish in the mountains every weekend," Lunder said.
He now wants offer Yellowknife that experience with the Ingraham Trail Outdoor Ramblers Club.
The club is hosting an inaugural public meeting at the Top Knight in Yellowknife on Oct. 2.
Lunder said this will be a chance for people to set up regular hikes as well as coordinate any maintenance the trails may need.
