Squamish Access Society

The Murrin Park parking lot is now open. What was to have lasted for a few weeks turned into an almost three month closure of the parking facilities. BC Parks informed the Squamish Access Society on April 25th that the park would be open for the weekend of the 26th-27th, closed again for the 28th-30th and then open for good. Unfortunately this information was incorrect and intermittent closures persisted. This was in part to the gate not being able to close and open properly because of the new grade of paving. Now, however, the normal park hours are in effect.

The present access situation in the Murrin Park canyon is focussed on the Nightmare Rock area. The highway in front of Nightmare is to be a new merging zone where four traffic lanes from the north merge into the existing two lanes through the middle of the canyon. The contractor, Peter Kiewit Sons’, is pushing back the sides of the existing highway in front of Nightmare to make way for the merge. Expect intermittent closures due to blasting (which currently has been on hold for some weeks, but there are obvious signs of more to come). Signs indicating periodic closures are posted on the north and south ends of the crag near the highway.

In the long term, the only change that is expected to the actual crag of Nightmare Rock is for greater proximity of the highway, the removal of some ground cover (roadside boulders and shrubs) and thus some higher noise-impact to contend with when you’re gunning for the redpoint on Sentry Box. The actual boulders that have been developed at the base should also remain intact, but may be affected by dynamite debris and the same sort of noise situation as the crag. There is some concern as to the effect on the Lost Boulders (on the west side of the highway, tucked in the woods) of a permanent south bound turning lane into the parking area. The crags on the east side will remain unaffected except for Browning Bluff at the far south of the corridor which will be re-enforced by steel rod.

A temporary alternating third lane is planned for the 2010 games, with reversion to two lanes thereafter.