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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
391 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 07:52 AM
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| Hi all - if there would be a better place to post this question, please let me know. Anyway, my wife and I had planned on snowshoeing up to Brandywine Meadows yesterday via the trail (ie not the snowmobile road). Upon turning off the 99 and onto the Brandywine FSR, we were stopped by an older fella in a pickup, with a handmade-looking sign stating that there was a day use fee of $10 per carload for anybody going up to the Meadows, to pay for the plowing of the snowmobile road. Further to this, he said that we couldn't actually drive up the road at all, but had to park at the 99 pulloff and walk from there. I was rather surprised to hear that the snowmobile association(s) had been posting a sentry here for four years (according to him), since I drove most of the way to the summer parking lot last winter. Anyway, we didn't pay the $10 but rather continued up to Pemberton and hiked in to Joffre Lakes. Has anyone else come across this? Is it legit? |
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 Moxie scambler of pinnacles, tireless leader haunting the CDN/US border climbing everything in sight
Burnaby, BC
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 08:06 AM
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No, this is clearly illegal activity, and quite surprising to read about. Ministry of Forests and/or the RCMP should be notified. This would be the equivalent to someone just showing up at a local park, deciding to mow the grass, then telling everyone they had to pay him $10 to walk on the grass.
PB |
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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
391 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 08:14 AM
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| Thanks Peakbagger - that's what I thought too. At first, we gave the guy $10 (we didn't want to have driven all that way and then just turn around and go home) and he wrote us up a ticket/receipt. It was on 'official-looking' BC Ministry of Tourism (or something like that, anyway) carbon paper. After learning that we couldn't drive up the road, we got our money back and left. Unfortunately, I didn't think to get the guy's licence plate or take a photo. The sign he had is still hanging on the little hut that's there at the turnoff though. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1421 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 10:20 AM
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| I thought that the Brandywine Road was groomed for snowmobiling (not plowed) and that the $10 fee was for snowmobilers. I don't know if they are allowed to charge skiers or hikers who are walking up the road. If you want to find out what the real deal is (and possibly make a complaint), try talking to Tim Hoskin who is the recreation officer for the Squamish Forest District in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Arts. You can find his contact info on the BC government directory wesite. I think his email address is tim.hoskin@gov.bc.ca but I'm not totally sure. |
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 Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5464 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 10:48 AM
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Shadee and I ran into the same thing last winter. When the guy saw we had no intention of paying $10, he offered to "let" us park at the 99 pulloff for free. However, when we found out we couldn't drive up the road at all, we went snowshoeing somewhere else instead.
It all sounded very dodgy to me. |
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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
391 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 12:19 PM
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| Sorry ScottN, you're completely right. The road was groomed, not plowed. |
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Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5885 Posts |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1047 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 2:57 PM
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Here is the deal with that. The snowmobile clubs have worked with the Ministries of Forrest to keep these lots open and clear of snow. That is why they are there in the first place. I just called Nelson who is one of the two 70 plus year old people that volenteers their time each weekend to collect payments for the use of the lots and road access to Brandywine.
These lots would no be there unless the snowmobile community does what they do. The second lot higher up is not a public lot either as he mentioned to me and they have gotten the privilage to use it as they spent the money they collect to clear it and another one further up the road for when the snow recedes in the spring.
The reason snowmobilers pay this fee is that there would be no place to park and the road would not be groomed so it would be super whooped out and the grooming allows us to get to the areas faster and easier.
He stated to me that if anyone who skis or snowshoes shows up they never charge $10 per person as with sleds however they asked for $10 for your entire car load and or will ask $10 per carload for anyone else using that lot that they pay to have cleared. It is not illegal.
At first I agreed that no skier or snowshoer should have to pay. I also thought $10 bucks per person in your car is crazy. However $2.50 per person to park in a cleared lot on the side of highway 99 is pretty cheap in return for a safe place to park off the highway.
Nelson also told me that signage is set to go up this spring to better lay out all the areas that snowmobiles can and cannot go and this is awesome for the community so snowmobilers have no excuse for being in areas they should not be as has happened in the past. These will be huge maps and will describe the areas so snowshoers, backcountry skiers and sledders can all get along.
There is one way that you do not have to pay and that is either show up during the week as they are mostly their on the weekends or park down the road on the side of the highway. You will quickly notice how there are not any other spots to safely park. This is crappy but true. Then you can park 100 or so meters away and head off free of charge.
Backcountry skiers and snowshoers have an unlimited area in which to go....however very few of these user groups are doing their part to help with clearing these parking lots, helping create user frees to pay for signage and other things. The reason they asigned Tom to this new job was to help create more awareness for all users on where they can and cannot go. Sledders are only allowed to go in certain areas. Skiers and snowshoers are allowed anywhere as no snowmobile clubs insist they stay out of certain areas. It is all about getting along. That is why I phoned Nelson immediately to help clarify what is going on before people make stuff up and get agro over a situation.
You are not forced to pay anywhere but if you are going to use these lots the snowmobile clubs have gone out of their way to help create, build and maintain then you have to agree that helping with the costs in a simple $10.00 is not that bad. If this was a crown land parking lot like at Elfin or other parks you would be paying just as much.
I took the time to write this much to just inform people with what is happening. It is not to say what is right or wrong.
I really think you should not have to pay to park to go snowshoeing. You can do this in many areas. However after chatting with Nelson this is what he said and why it is that way. No one is trying to rip you off. I hope you do not feel that way and if you do then simply park just outside of the parking area they partole and you don't have to pay. Any parking lots that are set up anywhere will soon ask or require that you pay to park...we may not like it but it will be happening more.
Any questions on this matter can also be directed to Nelson...his e-mail is nbastien@blacktusk.org |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1321 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2007 : 3:42 PM
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I "had" to pay this fee last winter to ski up the road.
But the fee for us ($10 for the whole car) was so that we could park in the plowed "lot." I don't think they would have charged us if we had parked somewhere else (like, at some other highway turnoff) and then walked all the way to the road and skied up. It probably isn't so unreasonable to charge people to pay to park in a parking lot that you created. Whether it is "legal" or not, I don't know, but it is certainly not a one time occurence.
However, in my opinion this is mostly irrelevant. You'd basically be crazy to go up this road. The number of ridiculously loud and smelly snowmobiles is unbearable (if you are trying to have a quiet ski or hike anyway).
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Brandywine FSR fee?
