Squamish Access Society

While highway construction at the Papoose is looming, we have not been informed of any permanent closures. When blasting begins, the current news from the contractor is that appropriate signage will be placed at the entrance way concerning the access situation. The newest way in to the parking lot of Shannon Falls Provincial Park has been moved to the north by a hundred feet or so because of work on the bridge. If one parks there, one has to walk south along the highway (the old entrance road is off limits) to access the new approach trail. The other option is to find ?alternate? parking and cross the highway at the lights and head straight up the embankment to the clearly marked trail. There is a ‘No Entry’ sign at the old entrance, but we have not been informed that this is to prevent climbers from briefly skirting the right side of that road before heading up into the woods on the approach trail.

Unfortunately, the trees on the buttress between the Papoose and the highway have been felled in preparation for blasting sometime in the next 12 months (read more below). When blasting begins, we will work with the contractor to provide appropriate signage and communication regarding access to the crag. Our objective is to have the contractor provide appropriate and timely on-site information; more so than was forthcoming initially at Nightmare Rock and what is currently available at Comic Rocks.

Some Background: Historically, the Papoose climbs have enjoyed a relatively sheltered exposure to highway noise and presence, and throughout MOT?s Recreation Focus Group process it was declared by MOT as an area where there would be no impacts. However, early in 2005 MOT curtly declared they would be four-laning below the crag, with the consequence that the protective tree and rock cover along the highway?s edge would be blown away, along with some climbs just off the current highway. The full impact of four lanes of traffic in full view below the crag will bring a new and unpleasant aspect to the Papoose climbing experience. Regrettably, neither BC Parks nor the District of Squamish offered objection to this.

This area has now had a de facto closure affecting it for some months due to highway construction The work seems to be near completion. The original parking spot (at the entrance of the access road which led off the highway) is currently filled with gravel and the new highway base is approximately 20 feet higher than before, and bordered on the right with concrete roadside barriers. Parking is still possible several hundred meters to the south at Britannia Forest Service Road , but it is not exactly welcoming, with a bumpy entrance and pylons obstructing easy access. If you can get in, park near the yellow gate, off to the side, and walk along the highway to the old entrance site. In addition to this info, which we received from the Ministry of Transportation, we have additional information from the contractor to contact Tim Rule at 604-999-7043 for access information (call at least 24hrs before).

In the long term, a right-in and right-out access point is indicated on construction plans. Climbers coming from the north will have to travel south to Furry Creek and turn around and head back north to this access point.

As of summer 2006, no access changes have yet occurred at the Chief as a result of the Highway 99 upgrade. However, major changes to the Chief frontcountry are upcoming, starting later this year or in early 2007 when Peter Kiewit & Sons’ begins construction in that area. These changes are positive news for climbers, so stay tuned for more information.

There have been some issues in the recent past around access during times when commercial filming has been allowed in the park, in particular, the bouldering areas. The SAS has offered its input to the ministry in charge of the park regarding appropriate timing and extent of commercial filming. The degree to which these are officially incorporated into guidelines is still pending.

On a further front, BC Hydro has recently blasted within their right of way under the Hydro lines for the purposes of sinking new poles. The degree of notice afforded the park administrators and affected user groups was completely unacceptable, considering not only park resources but safety of individuals was at risk. The SAS has met with Parks to voice its concerns on this development. During attendant upgrade work, the Apron parking area was closed for three days in the week of September 11th 2006. Park and BC Hydro employees were on sight to direct access options. The SAS, along with the Climbers’ Access Society of B.C., voiced its concerns with Park managers regarding the time and extent of this closure. We are unaware of any further work beyond this timeframe.

During the Climbers’ Access Society of B.C. climbers’ festival staged on the weekend of the 9th and 10th of September, a lot of great on-the-ground work was done at three different areas: Petrifying Wall at Murrin Park, the Smoke Bluffs and “The Squaw”. A new set of stairs was installed at Pet Wall (badly needed for many years), trail delineation was improved at the Bluffs, and, in an initiative specifically headed by the Squamish Access Society, the parking at “The Squaw” was cleared of two truckloads of dumped material, delineated by boulders as an actual parking spot, and the access and walk off trails more clearly denoted. Thanks are due the Climbers’ Access Society for their hard work in getting this weekend planned, in particular to Anders Ourom.

Climbers visiting the Smoke Bluffs this year may have noticed many new trail signs and a considerable amount of fine trailwork that is starting to make a positive mark in what has been something of an unkempt jungle for many years. It is the result of the work of the Smoke Bluffs Park Planning Group. This group of a dozen volunteers was brought together by Mayor Ian Sutherland as a result of an initiative by the SAS and Perry Beckham, and includes the SAS, the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, CASBC, and the Squamish Trails Society. Mayor Sutherland deserves full credit for breaking a 20-year logjam of local government disinterest in the Smoke Bluffs, and for providing the Planning Group with District staff to help manage what has been a complex and demanding task.

The mandate of the Planning Group has been threefold: to establish the Smoke Bluffs as a Municipal Park, (now done); to set in place an ironclad governing Commission with strong representation from climbers; and to complete the transfer over to the District of Squamish of the Smoke Buffs land that climbers and the FMCBC, with help from Mountain Equipment Coop, purchased long ago in 1988. The process is not yet complete, but all being well, by the end of 2006 the twenty-year odyssey to establish a public park in the Smoke Bluffs, with a governing body where climbers have a strong voice, will finally be over.

The SAS is represented on the Smoke Bluffs Park Planning Group by Kevin McLane and John Howe (both of whom were involved heavily in Park lobbying of 20 years ago), and Brian Moorhead.

Currently, there are no significant access issues affecting this area. The only exception is for climbers to be aware of the active heavy machinery coming-and-going from the gravel pit which serves as parking for the Rehab project, Ripple Tower, etc… and most recently for the Pleasure Dome. Park off to the side and near the highway at the south entrance point. [An aside: when you pull back onto the highway heading south, be aware that you are in one of three lanes merging into one, particularly at times of heavy “Whistler traffic”]

The Conroy Creek FSR has seen some great work by the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and the Arts recently. The road is very well graded as of the date of posting; so much so that you could go up on a two wheel drive, low-clearance vehicle. There is a new lower parking lot (a 100 meters or so shy of the top ) with toilet and graded “tent-spots”, and the upper lot has been filled in, with the addition of drainage pipes. The “swamp” of previous years should be a thing of the past. This area was the sight of a significant Climbers’ Access Society of B.C. initiative in the spring of 2006, which saw the building of the aforementioned toilet, two picnic tables at the upper parking lot, and a notice-posting structure near the entrance of the Forgotten Wall (which sports an area map). The medium- term plan is to have this area recognized by the Ministry as an official “Recreation Site”.

After a lengthy closure resulting from the Highway 99 Culliton–Cheakamus rebuild in 2003–2004, all of the climbs at the Gorge are now open to the public, including Star Chek. The new parking area is in the large public rest area 200 metres south of the new the Salt Shed. As of the week of the 18th of September, the SAS was informed of additional temporary closures at the parking site until early October. These however, do not affect, in a safety capacity, the climbing area itself. The contractor has provided a contact for climbers if they wish to get the newest update and arrange for parking and climbing in this area at specific times. Please contact Alan Stockwell at 604-926-3261 or 604-787-8076. There is a great new trail starting out of the parking area. Please be aware that an SAS re-bolting program (mostly belays) is underway, and the final 50 metres of trail down to Star Chek requires further improvement. Please also note that rappelling in to Star Chek is no longer allowed (due to danger of debris-fall to climbers below and on-climb crowd management), and rap anchors have been removed. The trail is the only way in.

At the Chief, there have been some issues in the recent past around access during times when commercial filming has been allowed in the park, in particular, the bouldering areas. Currently, there are no known plans for interrupted access, although the timeline for notice of filming is quite short.

The only other bouldering areas that may be affected in the near-to-medium term with access issues are certain problems in the Drive by Boulders (e.g. the The Dump) and the Lost Boulders at Murrin. Both scenarios are contingent upon still-pending highway development plans.

At the Chief, there have been some issues in the recent past around access during times when commercial filming has been allowed in the park, in particular, the bouldering areas. Currently, there are no known plans for interrupted access, although the timeline for notice of filming is quite short.

The only other bouldering areas that may be affected in the near-to-medium term with access issues are certain problems in the Drive by Boulders (e.g. the The Dump) and the Lost Boulders at Murrin. Both scenarios are contingent upon still-pending highway development plans.