Squamish Access Society

The SAS is proposing a potential new lower section of the Apron descent trail. We’d love to hear your opinion on the idea. Click here to learn more and to access our poll.

The SAS AGM will be held on Thursday August 28th at 7pm at the Squamish Library meeting room. Everyone is welcome; come out and meet our directors, get updates of what we’ve been doing and what we have planned, including work on a greater Squamish climbing stewardship strategy. We would love to hear your ideas on what we should be focusing on and committing funds to. Casual banter at the Brew Pub afterwards!

Sections of the Smoke Bluffs, including Neat and Cool, will be closed to climbing for purposes of commercial filming on the two days prior to the Squamish Mountain Film Fest running July 16th-20th. The SAS has registered its strong opposition with the District to the timing and notice process leading up to the filming. Local news reports indicate that the filming is being done with the sanction of the Squamish Access Society; this news is incorrect.

According to information from the District, climbing will be restricted/not permitted on the following days in these locations to enable Dragonsteel Filming to shoot:

• Tuesday July 15th: filming at Zombie roof; ATV’s on trail
• Wednesday July 16th: filming at Zombie Roof, Krack Rock, Burgers and Fries, and Neat and Cool; ATV’s on trail

Greens crews will be doing some prep work at Zombie Roof a few days in advance; according to the information we have “climbing will not be restricted”.

A further closure for another production will be at Neat and Cool from 7am to noon on August 5th 2008.

The following information was forwarded to the SAS regarding access on the Shannon FSR:

The following road closure may affect hikers and climbers attempting to enter or exit the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park or adjacent areas by way of the Shannon Creek FSR. The Shannon Creek FSR will be closed (0km to approximately 3km) to all public due to active logging operations (road re-construction, falling, yarding, and hauling) from May to the end of July 2008. Activity is not expected to be occurring on the weekends or evenings but it is possible that operations may be occurring during any daylight hours and access. EXTREME caution is advised, DO NOT approach active equipment or tree fallers. Notices will be provide to Parks for posting at the start of the chief trails and will be removed upon completion of operations. The logging contractor will have additional signs posted closer to the active operations.

The SAS has coordinated with BC Parks staff for an additional toilet at the Chief bouldering area. While the current toilets at the existing parking lot will be relocated to the new upper parking lots, the additional toilet location will be on the old highway bed between the entrance of the Grand Wall trail and the trail leading into Animal Magnetism. It is hoped that additional toilets may be added to help out in the increasingly popular bouldering corridor, however the locations are limited due to pump-vehicle access. Currently (as of early July) the rough-in work and cement platform has been completed; Hopefully the walls and the “throne” will arrive shortly!

The Squaw now has a new name, one suggested by the Squamish First Nation: Slhanay. It will be adopted by the various governmental agencies with jurisdiction in the area. Recognizing the undercurrent of implications with the word “Squaw”, some climbers have been working toward a long term solution that was acceptable to the Squamish First Nation. Most recently, Kevin McLane on behalf of the SAS, was able to spearhead an initiative to reach that solution. Check out the following article from the Squamish Chief for more information.

It’s been a long spring in our continued efforts to bring a basic level of appropriate signage and communication to the climbing public from the highway improvement contractor around the status of the current Chief parking lot and new access road to the upper parking lots. We did manage to get trailers removed from the lot, but signage remained elusive.

As a result of the lack of signage (or inappropriate signage, among other things) there was a substantial degree of confusion during the May long week-end as the contractor attempted to get paving done. This has continued until recently (and to a certain extent still exists). The SAS met with parks staff again in June, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Transportation. We at least now have had a sign re-erected (from its ignoble state laying on its side indicating the Chief was somewhere up in the skies) just short of the traditional/current parking lot acknowledging the park is there and an entrance is approaching. The vague status of the new approach road remains; many people are using it to approach the upper parking lots.

Regarding the fact that the upper lot is now being used by climbers wanting to access the Grand Wall, some preliminary thought has been given and a lot more thought and work will be needed to the concept of enhancing a trail-way past Titanic boulders on toward the Grand Wall area.

With regards to the Apron parking lot, we have indicated to Parks and the Ministry of Transportion that it ought to be brought up to the original size, as well as a concern that a significant part of it is often used up by vehicles and trailers of trail motorcycle users whose traditional area of parking opposite the Apron lot has been removed for highway construction. Stay tuned.

As a reminder for those driving the Sea-to-Sky during the current construction, the following link gives a some information regarding closures and other construction related issues: http://www.seatoskyimprovements.ca.

The SAS wants to acknowledge the kind donation by the Varsity Outdoor Club of a variety of field work tools, from handsaws to picks to a generator. These will be added to the SAS tool chest for Squamish Crag Keeper events.

As part of the Squamish Mountain Festival, there will be a Crag Day sponsored by Mountain Equipment Co-op, Squamish Access Society and the Climbers Access Society of BC on Friday July 18th 2008. Meet at the Squamish Adventure Center at 8:30am for coffee, registration and a briefing. We’ll then break-out into teams, cross the road to the Bluffs and put in an honest days work of trail and landing improvements (mostly from Penny Lane to Ronins Corner) and then meet up again in the afternoon for a voly-prize give-out.

Bring water and lunch, gloves, sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for the forecast. Please bring your own tools if you are willing to use them (shovels, picks, pruning shears, etc…) however the Squamish Access Society tool chest will let those without tools get just as sore! We look forward to seeing a great turnout.