I hope nobody is waiting for the next election to sort this out. This issue will barely register.

BC Parks comes out in support of commercial interests to unreasonably restrict backcountry access to the Howe Sound Crest Trail. BC Parks posts a ranger to help the mountain resort enforce the policy. BC Parks posts signage to ensure compliance with the policy. The resort posts a guard at the base of the mountain to take the license plate number of anyone driving up the provincial road leading to the park prior to 7 AM. The resort threatens to tow vehicles violating the policy that restricts public access on a provincial road.

It is more than ironic that the Assistant Deputy Minister dares to mention the Hollyburn Hikers Access Trail as an alternative to the Howe Sound Crest Trail. It wasn't BC Parks that was on the front line in 1984 fighting for public access through the controlled recreation area to Hollyburn Mountain. It was the backcountry skiers and mountain clubs. They were the ones that staged an over 100 strong demonstration on the powerline that culminated with the arrest of leader John Beltz for allegedly trespassing in the park. BC Parks was shamefully absent, working behind closed doors with Cypress Bowl Recreation Ltd. to close Hollyburn Mountain to public access. Just as they are shamefully siding with the current tenure holder of the controlled recreation area at the base of Black Mountain.

It puts backcountry skiers on the Howe Sound Crest ski traverse at significant risk by delaying access until after 9 AM. An early start is required. So much for the concern with public safety. Those are hollow words coming from BC Parks. It reveals their total lack of concern with public safety - mouthing a concern for public safety as though they mean it.

Exactly right! Could not have put that better.

Recent Article in The Shore report:

Hikers claim backcountry access being limited

https://theshorereport.wordpress.com...being-limited/

— BEN BENGTSON (shorereportnews@gmail.com)

The backcountry around Mount Seymour can be added to the list of outdoor spaces hiking enthusiasts say they’re being restricted from accessing.

According to the Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia, park operators at Mount Seymour have been making hikers park their cars in inconvenient locations and imposing previously unenforced rules stating that hikers can’t begin a trek until after 7:30 a.m.

“It’s getting really hard for everybody to park up there,” said Jodi Appleton, executive director of the federation. “There’s been a lot more snowshoeing that’s started up on the North Shore Mountains and those people want to be able to access the parks and they want to use those parking lots.”

Backcountry hikers, however, feel their needs are taking a backseat to the profit-seeking model of Mount Seymour. “The ski lift operators need those parking lots available for their paying customers,” said Appleton.

In early January, members of the outdoor recreation community were in an uproar after signage was posted at the backcountry entrance corridor of Cypress Mountain that stated they couldn’t access the trails until after 9 a.m. Hikers claimed that starting a trek at 9 a.m., or even 7:30 a.m. in the case of Mount Seymour, can be too late in the morning to begin, especially if the person hiking is inexperienced.

“Some backcountry users like to get out really early, they like to not be around the crowd or they have a long distance they want to cover,” said Appleton. Having to start a trek later in the morning could mean the hiker is turning back after dark, which could put them in danger, according to Appleton.

Cypress and Seymour mountains lease public provincial land from B.C. Parks. In a recent response to an inquiry from recreational hikers, B.C. Parks Assistant Deputy Minister Jim Standen said that “B.C. Parks supports limiting the access to the base area from 22:00 to 09:00 to ensure public safety during the winter months when the ski hill is in operation.”

A plan of action has yet to be finalized with regards to how the federation will respond to hiker concerns on Mount Seymour. Appleton, however, said the federation is mobilizing to reach a solution, even though she didn’t offer specifics.

“We’re trying to find ways that we can work with them so that people can still get in. That’s the conversation we’re having right now with B.C. Parks and the ski hill operators,” she said.

It was learned that the wintertime enforcement of Cypress Mountain Resorts' backcountry access policy is parking related. Quite simply, early snowshoers are taking up parking spots meant for paying customers. How this works is that there is a short section in the controlled recreation area that snowshoers and other backcountry users must cross to reach Black Mountain, Yew Lake, Bowen Lookout and Howe Sound Crest trails. It is dead flat and wide open. The risk of avalanche must be close to zero if not inconceivable. The only possible risk is that a groomer might hit someone. In that case, a flag person could provide the level of public safety required - the flag person that is currently standing at the CRA boundary preventing park access.

Jim Standen, assistant deputy minister to Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Environment has previously written that BC Parks supports closing the access corridor to prevent park users from accessing the park citing safety concerns.

In a twist that just came to light, it was learned that the concern with public safety is a sham. An FMCBC representative met with Cypress Mountain Resorts and BC Parks last winter to advocate on behalf of backcountry users in Cypress Provincial Park. The reason that the resort is now enforcing the "no access" policy is due to parking not public safety. Snowshoeing as a sport has increased to the extent that the number of cars from non-paying customers of the resort has resulted in paying customers having to walk further. This inequity has resulted in the enforcement of the policy.

Evasive replies never lead to trust. Nor do unreasonable actions. Trust in government is something that is seriously lacking at this time and place.

This is what everyone suspected in the first place. Honesty on this topic would have worked wonders, perhaps even offering a limited number of early morning spots as a compromise (as in goodwill gesture). Thanks for all the work on this issue.

[QUOTE=LoveTheMountains;690066]
On Saturday 2nd Jan, 2016 at 8:15am, we had a very unpleasant encounter with a specific individual (Lyon) who informed us that "that back country access is not permitted before 9:00am". After questioning this, he stated that it was as a result of snow groomers still working on the ski slopes, and they had issue with people "walking up the slopes and almost getting hit by groomers".



We explained that we were experienced back-country users, had read, understood and agree with all the limitations of liability printed on the tag, had read and understood all notices posted in the hut relating to back-country access, and had reviewed all information on the B.C. Parks website. We were comfortable that we were within our rights to access the corridor, and that Cypress staff had no authority to restrict access.

Lyon became very aggressive and confrontational, threatening to physically prevent us from proceeding, and placed himself in our path. He stated that the BC Parks website and the posted notices made it quite clear that he had this authority. Our group wasn't comfortable proceeding, as not everyone was clear on the regulations. After going back to the hut, reading every sign, checking the BC Parks website, one of our group then spoke again to Lyon and informed him that he was incorrect, and that he had misinformed us that information supporting his position was posted. The response was "well it should be posted".

After all our group felt comfortable that we were within our rights, we then again approached the area, when Lyon told us "the groomers are done, you can go now".

I'd like to get thoughts and recommendations from this community on this situation.[/QU


Hi, i was searching the interwebz for help, when I stumbled upon this thread.
I was/is actually a member, but when I tried to log in it didn't work.
just trying to figure out how I can fight this?


My car slid off the road going up to Cypress. It was barely stuck.
As I was trying to dig it out, a good Samaritan stopped in a big truck & offered me a tow out. Of course I said yes.
As we were hooking up the ropes to my car.

That Lyon guy pulled up in his green Cypress truck.
He told the good Samaritan it was illegal for him to help me & that he would get a ticket.
Then said he was calling the police.

I told the good Samaritan that it wasn't illegal, but he got spooked & said "sorry, I don't want to get involved"
Then as we're unhooking the ropes, after he gives the police my plate number on the phone we hear him on the phone say to the police "I need assistance"

The police show up & Lyon flags him down. They talk & the one cop is on his side before he's even talked to me.

When he does come up to talk to me, he's totally mean.

The cop says my car is too damaged to drive & says i need to call a tow truck. I'd been digging for about 20 min it would've only taken 10 more min to get it unstuck digging by myself by hand.

I tell the cop there's nothing wrong with it.
He says I don't have good enough tires, that it's getting towed
I tell him I have chains, they just weren't on cause I was basically at the top, no more hills. (the roads were clear, it just started to snow at base elevation)

The cop then says it must be leaking fluids, it's getting towed.
I tell him it's NOT leaking fluids, it was dug out underneath & I'd had it running a few times. It wasn't leaking fluids.

The cop then says "I'm not arguing about it, it's getting towed"
Not much I could do @ that point.

I tried to get the tow truck driver to drop it right there, but he said it had to be a residence, with an address.

Cost I think $247? maybe more, can't remember the exact number, but it was a huge bill. That cause a whole bunch of problems that I'm not gonna get into.

The next time I went snowboarding, that Lyon guy jumped out & told me he was suspending my seasons pass for a month, because I was "upset that my car got towed"
I got in an argument with him about it, because I was upset about it.
When it happened, he never got out of his truck.
This was the first time I got a chance to talk to him.

As I'm asking him why he told the good Samaritan, that it was illegal for him to help me.
He threatens to call the police if I don't leave.
Since I know he's gonna lie & say I'm being hostile.

I leave. I didn't have my pass with me that day, it was in a different jacket. I couldn't give it too him, he wanted it though.

I wasn't able to go riding that much because of the huge hole that tow bill put me in.
More than a month later, Lyon walks up to me as I'm sitting on the old chairlift that's outside of the lodge.
He sits down & asks me what I'm doing.
I says trying to go snowboarding.

He says he suspended my pass.
I tell him you suspended it for 1 month & it's been way longer than a month.

He says no I said the rest of the year.
I call him on the total bull shit lie, tell him "you said 1 month"

He then says he's banning me for life.
Threatens to call the police if I don't give him my pass & leave..



Sorry for the huge off topic post.
I just don't know how to fight this?
It is so wrong.

I had a group sales account last year & sold more than 100 seasons passes on my first year of doing the group sales thing.
My account made Cypress just shy of $47,000

Didn't realize until I started searching for a way to fight this, that the top sales leaders got prizes. Someone I know who sold less than I did, got a V.I.P. parking pass. Nowhere in my emails is there any mention of prizes being awarded to me.

I love Cypress, I've been going there forever, I'm friends with lots of people that work there & even more that ride there.
My whole life revolves around snowboarding.

Cypress is part of it, lots of people are asking me about buying a seasons pass. And to be honest, I don't like Seymour, I broke my tailbone there.
Kinda hold a grudge, lol


Is there a way to fight this?
There has to be a metric tonne of complaints against that Lyon guy.
Just my account should be able to justify the the cost of firing him & hiring someone that isn't incredibly rude & doesn't blatantly lie to paying customers & the police.

https://vimeo.com/156967693

This is about 2 months later, when he banned me for life
https://vimeo.com/170315605

You should try contacting the General Manager of Cypress Mountain and inform them of what happened. It sounds like they have a bad employee that should be brought to the attention of management. I just noticed that Cypress is operated by Boyne Resorts which is a US based company. I hadn't noticed that before but now its obvious on their website. As with most American companies I expect you wouldn't get very far contacting their corporate office as they would know little about the local environment.