Community offering reward for missing Ashcroft Ascent logbooks

Jun 18, 2026 | 2:25 PM

ASHCROFT, B.C. — Community members in Ashcroft are offering a $200 reward for a pair of logbooks that have gone missing from the Ashcroft Ascent.

Roy Nicholas, the 75-year-old man who built the 528 wooden steps along the trail, said the logbooks were full of messages from hikers from all around the world who have completed the climb.

“The books were put in back in 2023 and it had a lot of popularity. People would come to Ashcroft and hear about the stairs and they would go and sign the books. There were a lot of names in there,” said Nicholas.

“It was a significant loss, just from the fact that you could look back and see how many people visited and where they came from.”

On June 7, 2026, Nicholas said the books were missing and replaced with rocks.

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“It’s just heartbreaking and there was a lot of history there,” said Nicholas.

“There’s no value in these books, that’s why [we decided] to offer this reward.”

Nicholas said he built the stairs to make the trail safer for himself, ultimately to the benefit of anyone else who wanted to make the ascent.

“I built it in a selfish way. I was exercising when I came up here and I went down that trail. I’ll tell you what, with that loose rock and all of that, I was on my butt a couple of times,” said Nicholas.

“Whatever spirit moved me told me I should build a set of stairs. 528 steps later, they’re all the way up to this metal sign.”

Nicholas is offering a $100 reward for the books, and 86-year-old Fred Kirschner, who climbs the Ascent every day, is offering a matching $100 for the safe return of these books, no questions asked.

by Elora McCormack

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Community offering reward for missing Ashcroft Ascent logbooks

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