The TUAG is an advisory group only — a sort of go-between between the public and K Country.
We have little victories, such as putting more coat hangers up in Pocaterra Hut, and major failures, such as not being able to keep the trailhead at Volcano Ridge open during the closure of the Gorge Creek Road. It is in no way a secret society as Derek suggested; on the contrary, we try to disseminate information to the hiking and skiing public through the clubs, associations and through this blog site. So if you have suggestions, grievances or kudos you can either contact me or a club representative and we will raise the issue at the next meeting. Or you can also contact K Country itself: Steve.Donelon@gov.ab.ca

Re trail maintenance: The Friends of Kananaskis organizes volunteer trail crews. Contact them at trails@kananaskis.org. Usually, they work on interpretive trails and new trails. K Country allows people to go in and prune branches and shrubs. No problem there. But it the work involves using a chainsaw, then you have to email Bill at Bill.Johnston@gov.ab.ca who will put the trail on his to-do list. It’s a liability issue. Of course, this is for designated trails only. On undesignated trails, be they hiking, biking or equestrian, the clearing often gets done anonymously.

As for Chester Lake, I actually prefer the snowshoe trail (despite that mammoth uphill trek!). Others have told me they’ve been unable to find the turnoff in years past, but I have found the snowshoeing signage throughout PLPP to be much improved this year.

I would say- just do it.
Myself, and others I know, usually carry a small folding saw, and often hand pruners, when hiking. These are enough to quickly remove smaller blowdowns and keep encroaching shrubbery at bay.
As my fellow mountain bikers have learned, the quickest and often best solution to trail maintenance is “DIY”.
I have personally adopted Moosepackers trail and have cleared the trail of winter blowdowns for the last several years, simply by using a good sharp bowsaw. It, and Tent Ridge as well, are not official trails anyway and would not likely ever see parks trail crews anyway . Tent Ridge trail would really need some “two stroke smoke”, due to the size and extent of the fallen timber.
As for the official trails, be sure to let the appropriate parks personnel know of trail issues as sometimes they may not even be aware of current conditions. It does work.

I am not surprised that trail maintenance will be reduced once again. I would love to “make my feelings known to K Country and Alberta Transportation on this issue,” but a contact who can do something about it would be good. “Writing my MLA” (David Swann) has proved pointless in the past.

I’m curious: the same way there’s an “Adopt a Highway” program, is there an “Adopt a Trail” program? I would happily participate some manual labour a copule of times a year to help clear a trail or two, but don’t know who does this. In the last 2 years I have been up to my neck in grass on the overgrown Eagle Hill trail, clambered over huge amounts of deadfall on the Tent Ridge access, and arrived at numerous “vistas” that have been so overgrown as to be “not vistas”. This strikes me as an ideal project for KTUG to coordinate.