A year after the Ministry of Forests laid out five options for restoring access to Idaho Peak, no decision has been made.
The ministry said this week that they continue to work with the Ministry of Transportation to evaluate the options. None has yet been ruled out.
There is no timeline for a decision, but the ministry said once a decision is made it expects to prioritize finding the money to get the work done as soon as possible.
The road that leads to the old forestry lookout near Sandon has been closed since a washout in June 2020. It was one of the most popular hikes in the West Kootenay, given its spectacular views.
Three options call for a new bridge across Carpenter Creek downstream of Sandon and a new road to connect with the existing forest road. A fourth option is to repair the existing road, but the ministry said it would require acquiring land because the existing road trespasses on private property. The final option would be permanent deactivation of the forest road, leaving the lookout inaccessible.
