The Federation of Mountain Clubs
of British Columbia
October 2017 NEWSLETTER
| Singing Pass access update
 Paul Kubik's Singing Pass parking proposal, which was endorsed by the FMCBC's SWBC Recreation and Conservation Committee, received some media attention this month. Paul was interviewed by both the Whistler Question and Mountain FM on the matter. Great job, Paul. We hope word of this proposal continues to spread.
In addition, we've received reports of trail work being done on the old access road to the Singing Pass Trail. We hope to post some pictures of that soon. However, this still does not meet our long-term vision of restoring road access to the old trailhead area. So, the Recreation and Conservation Committee is continuing to work on a strategy for promoting this important issue. We'll let everyone know as soon as we have more updates. (Photo is of the view looking east across Singing Pass to Cowboy Ridge. Credit: Bryce Leigh) | Letter to George Heyman from Dennis Perry
Dennis Perry, a former Green Party deputy leader who has spent decades spearheading the campaign to achieve protection for the Southern Chilcotin Mountains as a BC provincial park, sent us a letter he wrote to George Heyman, Minister of Environment. In his letter, he urges the new government to re-establish the 71,487 hectare South Chilcotins Mountains Park, which was rightfully declared by the NDP government in 2001. You can read the letter here.
| Cloudburst Fall/Winter 2017 preview
We just started putting together the Fall/Winter 2017 issue of Cloudburst and it looks like it’s going to be a great one! Thanks to everyone for your submissions. Cloudburst will be out next month, so until then, here’s a sneak peek at some great reads to look forward to:  Melting Ice and Tumbling Rocks - “Needless to say, we made it out surprised at the changes and difficulties but still thrilled with the challenge and the magnificence of the glacier. Will we be able to do it again? With the mud and rockslides, the rising water, and the increased vegetation maybe not. Or, maybe we won’t want to.”
Our Understaffed Conservation Service: a BC-Wide Issue - “If poachers and polluters don’t feel they need to worry about getting caught, then our environment is at risk even if, on paper, our laws are good. It is clear British Columbia has established a new normal for low environmental enforcement and that level continues to drop as convictions are well behind where we were even a decade ago.”  A Record-Breaking Ascent of Mt. Logan - “Taking my first steps on the Quintino Sella glacier, I knew I was about to experience the best three weeks of my life. Gazing up at the nunataks surrounding us, and staring down the enormous glaciers, I couldn’t believe where I was. I had imagined being there so many times. Yet thinking I might become the youngest person to climb Canada’s tallest mountain wasn’t where my mind was. I was too consumed by the beauty in which I was enveloped. None of the photos I had seen nor my imagination did justice to the magnificence of the St. Elias Mountain range. My first day in the Kluane National Park, I caught a glimpse of the glory that was the reality of those mountains.”
 The Cabin Stewards and Cabins of Tetrahedron Provincial Park - “Tetrahedron Provincial Park exists because of a dedicated group of local visionaries, and the trails and cabins have been used by thousands of locals and visitors. Like many other outdoor recreation groups, we’ve witnessed and suffered the skeletonizing of BC Parks, abandonment of FSR maintenance, burn-out by the small group of core volunteers and directors, abuse and vandalism, and the increase of users without a similar increase in volunteers. Sigh. But silver linings! Many, really, but the best has been the securing of Cabin Stewards for our 4 backcountry cabins.”
| A couple of quick reminders
Have you joined our public Facebook group? It's a group anyone can join, and it's a place where users can share information, discuss issues, and work together to improve backcountry access and non-motorized recreation in British Columbia. As well, in order to respect Canadian Anti-Spam legislation, we ask you to confirm your consent for receiving our monthly e-news and bi-annual Cloudburst magazine. This only needs to be done once, so if you haven't confirmed yet, simply click on the following link:
I consent to receiving email communications from the Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia | South Okanagan land developers support frontcountry access  There has recently been some great news for outdoor recreationalists accessing popular frontcountry terrain east of Penticton. For many years, locals and tourists alike have crossed private property in order to access the northern reaches of the famous Skaha Bluffs rock climbing area. For their part, the landowners of the time had been kind enough to take the approach of “no motorized vehicles please, other than that, enjoy the land until we develop it.” Recently however, the land in question has changed hands and the new owners/developers have proposed an offer unlike anything we could have hoped for.
Want to know more? Andrew Drouin, President of the South Okanagan Trail Alliance, filled us in on the details.
| Proposal for expansion of the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area  John Baldwin has put together a proposal to expand the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area. The expansion would include the adjoining area to the south surrounding Coquihalla Mountain, which is a beautiful, small pocket of wilderness that deserves to be protected.
He's reaching out to clubs, organizations and individuals to try and raise support for this proposal. Please consider supporting it by writing a letter to your government.
You can view more details of the proposal, including maps, a project background, and the positive impacts it would have on conservation and recreation at John's website. | Outdoor clubs release Singing Pass parking proposal - Whistler Question, Oct 2, 2017 BC Mountaineering Club wants changes to Singing Pass Trail access - Mountain FM, Oct 3, 2017 Whistler mayor not keen about day trippers from Lower Mainland - Oct 6, 2017 Climber Hayden Kennedy and Partner Inge Perkins Dead After Avalanche - Adventure Journal, Oct 10, 2017 A Message to Whistler Mayor: British Columbia Belongs To All British Columbians - The Runner, Oct 14, 2017 BC’s trails are as popular as ever, but what’s behind the latest trend is hurting the integrity of the outdoors - Capilano Courier, Oct 17, 2017
Bluffs project 'great' for city - Castanet, Oct 21, 2017 FrontCounter BC launches online park use permit application - BC Gov News, Oct 25, 2017 Efforts heat up to create a national park reserve in the south Okanagan - Global News, Oct 27, 2017 | FYI: Excess Backcountry in Whistler now has the machine to perform Pulse Function tests, confirm software functioning, and general performance tests for Mammut transceivers to ensure they are working correctly. (The manufacturer recommends having your transceiver checked every 3 years.) The Vancouver Island Backcountry Festival, hosted by the Vancouver Island Avalanche Centre, is taking place at Mount Cain on Feb 10–11, 2018. There’ll be a meet & greet, forecaster Q&A, raffle, live DJs, beer gardens, and of course an epic party! All proceeds go to the Vancouver Island Avalanche Centre to fund the 2017/2018 forecasting season. VIMFF announced their 2017 Fall Series dates: Nov 7–10. This year’s program features 3 Reel Rock 12 shows and 2 gripping Ski Shows. | Thanks to Chris George of the Alpine Club of Canada Vancouver Island Section for this month’s feature photo, which showcases the building of the club’s hut at 5040 Peak. Set on a spectacular ridge at 1350m, just above beautiful Cobalt Lake, the location offers stunning views of the Vancouver Island Mountains and, most prominently, Triple Peak. Construction started in late August with about 40 helicopter loads of material and supplies dropped at the construction site. About 200 volunteers, many of them skilled construction workers and carpenters, have since contributed their time and sweat to make this hut happen. They have experienced stifling heat, gale force winds, torrential rain, blowing snow, and hail, as well as beautifully quiet sunny days. Nothing stopped people from making that steep hike up to work on it. Two large dome tents have been set up to provide a kitchen and sleeping quarters. The spirits at the work site were always high and seemed to create their own energy field. One could almost hear it buzzing when coming close. Many people who came up just because they were interested kept returning, just because it felt so good to be part of this project.
The exterior of the hut is almost complete and currently made winter proof. The interior will be done next summer. 5040 Peak hut is expected to open for business in fall 2018 and then support winter ski-touring as well as summer hiking. The booking system will follow the standard for other Canadian Alpine Club huts in the country. This project is supported by local communities including the four First Nations in the area, the Regional District, Port Alberni, the rescue squad, Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Island Coastal Economic Trust, Vancouver Island University, the Alpine Club of Canada as well as many private donations. For more information, and to see this photo (and others) in their full glory, visit huts.accvi.ca.
| Click here to view our Spring/Summer 2017 issue of Cloudburst. Use our online form to report motorized recreation observed within BC Park boundaries.
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The FMCBC is always looking for volunteers. Click here to find out how you can get involved. | | The FMCBC is a proud member of: | As always, the FMCBC would like to thank Mountain Equipment Co-op for supporting the FMCBC through their generous contribution of office space from which to base our administration. | | Copyright © 2017 Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, All rights reserved.
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