November 18, 2017

An article in the North Shore News, Cypress Mountain 'dawn patrol' dispute resolved, prompted the following letter to the newspaper.

The British Columbia Mountaineering Club is one of the specific mountaineering group that requires early access to Cypress Bowl. A 9 AM opening of the backcountry access corridor placed a huge risk on ski mountaineering parties skiing to Lions Bay along the Howe Sound Crest. An early start is necessary in winter due to the short days and an increased avalanche risk on west-facing slopes during the descent later in the day.

I spoke with former Cypress Mountain Resort GM, Bobby Swain last winter to explain the risks we faced. Mr. Swain said early arrivals were taking prime parking spots and poaching ski runs. I wrote to Assistant Deputy Mininster Jim Standen of BC Parks and he alleged the issue was about safely crossing through the backcountry access corridor, which is wide open and well lit. If we discard Mr. Standen's arguments as being uninformed due to his being a remote mandarin in Victoria, the issue is solely about operational concerns of the resort such as parking and poaching. If Mr. Standen was informed and concerned with public safety he would have realized the safety risk placed on ski mountaineers was unacceptable.

The park master plan talks of year-round public access both to the park and up Cypress Bowl Road. It is the road that is closed until 7 AM and misconstrued by many that the park is closed. The closure incidentally prevents people from access to West Vancouver Upper Lands . The B.C.M.C. is looking into reducing or eliminating the road closure. We are the best judges of when our trips should start. Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure contracts snow clearing to CMR, stipulating the hours of operation are between 7 AM and 11 PM and that's the reason given for closing the road outside those hours. However, there is at least one irregularity such that CMR employees and private cabin owners drive the closed road. It highlights that the road closure is not about public safety in driving a highway but about protecting CMR assets. This is the curious nature of dialogue that is conducted in double-speak.

After all, on warm days in winter or in spring when days are longer and generally warm, there is no threat to public safety in driving the road. Like most competent drivers on the Sea to Sky highway to Whistler, ski mountaineers are insured and our vehicles are winterized.