FROSTY MOUNTAIN SIGNAGE AND SIGHT LINES APPLICATION FOR PEF FUNDING DENIED I submitted an application in June to the Park Enhancement Fund that was denied. The project would have nailed up orange, reflective trail diamonds at regular intervals. The markers will be nailed high enough so they are not buried by winter snow which is typically two or three meters in depth at higher elevations. Sight lines will be improved by trimming lower branches along the trail and cutting back encroaching...

Chris Ludwig, president of the B.C. Mountaineering Club, says the only feedback he has heard from his 1,200 members is frustration. "I haven't heard one positive review of this, sadly," he said. He says he supports limiting trail use but has problems with how it's been executed. Ludwig says hikers are frustrated by the Discover Camping booking portal, citing a cumbersome website that often crashes as passes sell out within minutes of opening. Multiple hikers told CBC News...

This may be of interest, although Grouse mightn't be considered backcountry. Still, governments spending $2 million+ on two trails on Grouse (OK, one is the 'new' BCMC trail, and the other the 'grind', which isn't exactly a trail). What do they plan to spend on trails at Hollyburn, Strachan, Seymour area, etc? Garibaldi Park?Full Article and Reference:...

PHOTO: MOUNT SEYMOUR "GATE" FROM FIRST DAY OF DAY PASS OPERATIONS LAST WEEK. A calculation supplied by A.W. of the fed goes like this. They have had at least three PFO staff people (sometimes five) standing around checking passes. By rough calculation, if you took the funds expended to have three people x 10 hr days who are going to be working 7 days a week, (ski area PFO staff, paid by the taxpayer) they could instead have a trail crew of five people working 8 hours for the normal 5 days a...

I was interviewed for and quoted several times in today's Globe and Mail article on Backcountry use, abuse and overuse. Canadians eager to leave pandemic worries behind are heading in droves to the country’s outdoor destinations, but some vacationers, shut out of booked-solid campgrounds, are setting up tents in sensitive wilderness areas and damaging the local environment. The influx of campers is being felt across the country, from Gaspé, Quebec, to British Columbia’s backcountry. Chris...

An Editorial in the Pique Magazine discussing the problems of displacement and the BC Parks day pass system. Extracted quotes:"...the amount of people paled in comparison to places like Lake Lovely Water and Watersprite. Advocates for both locations have painted a nightmare picture saying recent weekends have seen dozens of tents squeezed into every nook and cranny. Now, they’re asking people to stay away—or at minimum, follow backcountry protocols like pack in what you pack out, leave your...

PELION MOUNTAIN ICE LOSS 2014 TO 2020 Two pictures taken six years apart show the amount of ice loss on one flank of Pelion Mountain.

SQUAMISH (NEWS 1130) – An increase in chartered helicopter flights to Lake Lovely Water, northwest of the Squamish River, is raising some concerns. According to Chris Ludwig, the president of the BC Mountaineering Club and co-founder of Backcountry BC, there’s been a recent peak in interest when it comes to the lake. He shared a notice about the lake on Tuesday that says the area is seeing “huge numbers” of visitors “nearly every weekend and through the week days.” “By huge, I’m...

Lake Lovely Water overrun with hundreds of people and over 30 tents!?!?!   Good grief Charlie Brown. When are we going to start doing something about this chaos and sink some cold hard cash to support and manage this tourism free-for-all.   According to a Squamish Outdoor Forum hikers and helicopters are descending upon the remote lake like mosquitos from the air. And a very recent Trip Advisor review:   "Beautiful location- the hike is a tough grind up...

  From Darren Alexander of the Juan de Fuca Forest Watch A timely reminder, of the cost of clear-cutting. Timely, because here's what I know: Teal Jones, with Pacheedaht contractors, are cutting big wide roads into and out of a mountain headwater of what is probably the most lush and significant tract of standing old-growth forest that remains, in our south island region. They plan to clearcut the lot of it.   The work is underway. This is happening now,...

I was on the CBC Morning Show today discussing some of the current challenges of BC Parks's new Day Pass system and the state of overcrowding on our trails and the Backcountry. "Trail boss Chris Ludwig walks host Stephen Quinn through some of the issues around a new day-use park pass program on the CBC Radio Morning Show." Listen at the follow link: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-91/clip/15789153?fbclid=IwAR0s0vqUI6Zd-uOSB1zYGfZ0oDF6ALB0fiu_85Ea3TMofZj1IG4jD9EBaYo

The following News 1130 article features the thoughts and opinions of both Steve Jones and myself (representing Backcountry BC) on the current BC Parks Day Pass issue (and other issues as well). I received additional media requests as well on this issue. https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/07/23/bc-parks-day-pass-damage-other-trails/?fbclid=IwAR3cWXjJHqQ3esgKit0EXVi2SZ_RWszVG0Nzu7z7GT9LFaPye7grMSCRmhs#.XxnXTILDxrE.facebook  

The idea of day-use passes for provincial parks is something I am keeping an open mind to and am interesting in seeing how this will work in practice. One thing that drew my attention is that day-use passes are being applied to only Diamond Head, Rubble Creek and Cheakamus in Garibaldi Park. But why are not day-use passes being required and implemented for Vail/Whistler Blackcomb's lift access to the park (the musical bumps and their trails in the park)? Why the different...

ACCESS TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF PINECONE BURKE PROVINCIAL PARK IS SCUPPERED BY DISPUTE BETWEEN KATZIE AND THE PROVINCE Access to Grant Narrows and the boat launch is gated according to Maple Ridge News. The next closest public boat launch appears to be in Pitt Meadows, 14 km away. The Widgeon Marsh gateway to Pinecone Burke provincial park is now a 14 km paddle instead of 500 meters. Debeck Creek would be a 70 km round trip instead of 40 km. ***Update July 2020*** - The boat...

How nice that the one time the provincial Government decides to increase funding for BC Parks, that nearly all the money is then immediately transferred to private for-profit park operators to compensate them for Covid closures. No new trails, no new rangers, just bailouts for private companies. So much for saving money through privatization and capitalism. This from Steve Jones.   "Some interesting notes from the Hansard today: The Ministry of Environment applied for and received...

A sad article summarizing the personal experiences of a BC Parks Ranger. But as usual, the only solution I see being presented (by her and just about every other organization in the non-motorized community) is the call for increased funding for BC Parks. Time and time again, I point out that throwing money at the problem of a broken organization is not a solution in and of itself. In fact, additional money without change and mindfulness could in fact make the problems in our provincial...

AN ORDER IS MADE REGARDING WINTER NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION ZONING IN SEA TO SKY DISTRICT The zones, which have served as provincial policy, were legally implemented by the district manager of the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District on April 3, 2020. The order is made under the authority of section 6.1 of the Land Use Policy – Permission. It rescinds permission for all motorized recreation in RA1 zones, and all motorized recreation except air access in RA1-A zones,...

Privacy Policy Personal information of all users is collected, used and disclosed by Backcounty BC (BBC) as follows: We receive and store any information you enter on the BBC Web site or give us in any other way. We collect personal information such as your e-mail address, name, home address and telephone number. We may also collect demographic information, such as your postal code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favourites. We use the information that you provide for such...

I received a communication from the  Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC  that Madeley Lake road is blocked by Whistler Olympic Park a few hundred metres after it leaves the Callaghan Lake Road. This means there isn’t any driving access to Madeley Lake or the Rainbow-Madeley trailhead about 5 km from the start of the FSR. The accompanying map shows the commercial tenure of Whistler Olympic Park. The FSR down the centre of the photo is the Madeley Lake FSR. For some reason, the...

From the Village of Lions Bay mayor, June 26, 2020 Parking facts: · Capacity - Sunset and the CN lots have 16 and 24 maximum one day metered spots respectively. The Municipal complex has 12 parking spots available all weekend. The Park'N'Ride area has 7 parking spots (currently permit only and under review.) During the summer and after classes return on the weekends there are 10 spots at the school drop off area. The school gravel lot should hold at least 25 cars. Mountain Drive...

Province quashes Crawford Creek hut proposal by B.C. Mountaineering Club Last month, the BCMC was advised by the province in its decision letter that both BC Parks and RSTBC "remain unsupportive of the application at this time." Both agencies had earlier brought forward broad-ranging concerns regarding wildlife impacts, lack of a designated trail to the hut, financial burden on the province and impacts from recreation.The decision letter stated, "FLNRORD is not in a position to continue...

Outdoor Recreation Council of BC position: No new hiking trails within 160 km (average) of Vancouver "until a wilderness survey is complete." In a sweeping arc from Border Lake in the upper Pasayten River to Princeton, Tulameen, Merritt, Spences Bridge, Hurley River, Earls Cove down to Vancouver the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC has called for no new hiking trails to be developed "until a wilderness area survey is complete." The area encompasses approximately 40,000 square kilometers. For...

On June 15th, the BC Government posted the Online Survey Results for the Meager Creek & Keyhole Hotsprings Visitor Use Management Project. It can be viewed at the website below or directly at: https://landuseplanning.gov.bc.ca/api/document/5ee7b68a0d08e6001bcd14d7/fetch/WhatWeHeard_SurveyResults_HotSprings_May2020.pdf A summary of results from the public online survey conducted in Winter 2020. The purpose of this survey was to help the Province and Líl̓wat Nation understand what people...

Black and White thinking in Outdoor Recreation and Conservation A recent phenomenon of western countries seems to be a growing polarization in both politics and in personal and institutional ideological belief. This narrow and rigid world of absolutes and all-or-nothing thinking seems to have spread to our local Outdoor Recreation Groups. The concept of balance, flexibility, open-mindedness and a world of grey/many colours appears to be, in some instances, a distant memory. In this post I...

A massive ski resort has been proposed in the Central Selkirk mountains between Kaslo and New Denver. The public comment period has begun; this is your chance to speak up. The proposal would cover 55 square kilometres of the mountains north of Highway 31A, bordering Goat Range Provincial Park. The developer says he wants to make these wild mountains like Switzerland: a ski resort for up to 1,500 skiers daily, a real estate and village development in the middle of the mountains, and year...