This is Bullsh*t!! Golden BC

[portgrinder]

The days of using backcountry roads may be coming to an end.....

Something needs to be done.

They are totally hiding behind the rock slide. The real issue is "liability" for BC Forestry in my opinion.

Edit: The guys at Chatter are cool. Not aiming this at them.

 

[Sparx]

So the whole season is lost? Brutal! Anyone have any pics of previous years of the area and conditions for the time of year they are open to sledding? Never can manage to get our times lined up to make that trip happen

 

[Taminator]

Thanks for the post, we haven't rec'd our letter yet but expect we will.
We use this road all year to access various rec spots along the B road. It's crap that such a small section of rock can affect the whole road and cut everyone off from these great recreational areas. The rock cut doesn't make up much of the road, you'd think there would be a fix of some sort and that the cost would be worth it to the area. With the economy, people are going to be recreating in thier own back yards to save $$$, there is already a shortage of rec sites/campsites as areas get crowded or taken away. That road has been in great shape when we've used it, a virtual highway- can't see why it's not worth a little work to keep it.
'Beautiful BC'- come visit us...if the roads are open, that is.

 

[SUMX162]

Does anyone know how to start one of those online petitions? Maybe with a spot to enter how many dollars you spend in BC on recreational trip to this area, and have it total this up as well? Might be too late for this year, but could help for next?

Portgrinder, were you out there around opening day last year? What do you ride?

 

[GSR]

It's a tough deal for all of us. We had close to 20 rentals heading to chatter for the month of april... that is a large loss of income, but think of chatter in a circumstance like this. They were booked solid for weeks, and had multiple bookings for the rest of the month. HUGE loss for them. I'm sure there are not stoked either....

 

[Snowman Laker]

Can we still stage on the B road at the harbor, ride down the lake bed and water skip the river? It's not that far from Chatter.

 

[portgrinder]

that would make for a long day. Question would be how much snow is on the lake bed and trail into chatter. You might be doing alot of stump jumping. the skip over the river is pretty small this year.

We were 'out that way' 2 weeks ago and it was +14. Frost allready coming out of the road well past the harbor.

Last year mid-late april from the unload spot, you would be doing more than a few km of straight mud/dirt riding until you hit the snowline. And there was way more snow last year.

 

[kane13]

The days of using backcountry roads may be coming to an end.....

Something needs to be done.

They are totally hiding behind the rock slide. The real issue is "liability" for BC Forestry in my opinion.

Edit: The guys at Chatter are cool. Not aiming this at them.

Ya between the MOE, the Ministry of forests, and the logging companies they will be shutting down as many roads in the Province that they can. It is a liability issue, for years the logging companies have been lobbying to shut down inactive roads they are responsible for them if someone gets hurt they could be held liable. The big problem is that the govt already deemed some of these roads for recreational use and now it seems they are reversing their decision with no explanation whatsoever. This is only going to get worse i don't know how they can do this to the people in the Province and get away with it every day i am hating this govt more and more they are so crooked, I already pay these bastards more a month than i pay for two mortgages you think i could go out on my days off and enjoy life a bit i guess not for long anymore. I am so sick and tired of the stupid decisions no lifes are making they all deserve a big bannok slap in the face, idiots get a life.

 

[YamaDoo PolCat]

I really REALLY know what you fel when you say frustrated by what the government is doing in the back country.

The problem is surprisingly enough, that the local MLA's like Pat Bell are just about as frustrated. When the MLA's were new they just banged some heads around in the cicvil service and told them what to do. But as the MLA's start to "owe" the civil servants for helping to get thing done, and the MLA's start to get tired, worn out, and depend on the civil servants - things start to slide away and out of control. I know Pat Bell was just as surprised and disappointed as the rest of us in PG that the caribou issue had the impact on our recreation that it did. The caribou are doing just fine in our area and logically this should be reflected in the Caribou "Recovery" regulations, but it wasn't. The civil service have their own agenda. And they know the MLA's are just human and do wear out if they get swapped with lots of "important stuff".

Talk to your MLA. But if you think the BC Liberals are bad , just you wait until you get a taste of the NDP! Better to get the BC Liberal MLA's back on line, or tell them to step aside for another party member to take up the job and rein in the real "government".

 

[NoSecondChances]

Can we still stage on the B road at the harbor, ride down the lake bed and water skip the river? It's not that far from Chatter.

LOL! Every notice how it looks a lot shorter than it is? FYI, they drop the reservoir from 30-40 ft in the winter. If you hit an ice shelf or a large chunk gives way as you ride over it, even a 20 ft drop is a long way down at 20 mph, nevermind if you slam your face into the other side of the ice shelf that didn't break off or end up underneath something. I have water skipped lots and its not crossing the water that's the hard part, its getting across the snow. "A few" stumps doesn't even begin to cover it, that place is a minefield. Later in the season as things get soft that snow is all rotten on the bottom, at times you will leave a 4ft trench behind you just from where it starts to punch out on the bottom or where the meltwater runs underneath and melts it away leaving big sinkholes that you only find when you drive over them.....it gives me the willies thinking about where you could land if you fell into one.

Seriously, I know it looks doable but it would be a wide open run the whole way and not good at all if something went wrong. Its not advised to try it. If you break something while sledding don't even think about trying to tow across the lake.

Besides all the safety issues, there is legislation for motorized vehicles and their use on water bodies and drinking water reservoirs. Not sure its application to the Kinbasket but I would realllllllly hate to be handed a ticket from the MOE or DFO for violation, because the fines can be pretty hefty. Just because they boat on it doesn't mean anything, your sled has coolant that a boat doesn't and sometimes this can make it classified as a potential contaminant (compared to fuel and oil) so boating regulations may not apply as this would make your sled exempt from the regs and open to all sorts of liability. The DFO are not people you want to mess with. They are the only government branch besides the RCMP that are allowed to possess sidearms and they have huge power.

If you sink your sled they can fine you for introducing a contaminant into the water, which isn't good, you don't want to get mixed up with DFO or the CCG (coast guard), both of which will have jurisdiction in this area, along with MOE since anything with "navigable waters" is under their umbrella as well. Not to mention that you could drown, lose your sled, and surely would find yourself on the news, as well as Like portgrinder says, once you get across the lake, you probably will be on gravel anyway.

Hope that helps.
NSC

 

[CSCHERER]

wtf....

what about all this infrastructure money coming available from the federal gov? Is there not some way to tap into this to use it for development? There must be a loop hole? Is the BCSF not looking into this? If sledding was my main income I would be all over this like a dirty shirt....good luck!!

 

[LID]

build a ferry.

 

[kane13]

I really REALLY know what you fel when you say frustrated by what the government is doing in the back country.

The problem is surprisingly enough, that the local MLA's like Pat Bell are just about as frustrated. When the MLA's were new they just banged some heads around in the cicvil service and told them what to do. But as the MLA's start to "owe" the civil servants for helping to get thing done, and the MLA's start to get tired, worn out, and depend on the civil servants - things start to slide away and out of control. I know Pat Bell was just as surprised and disappointed as the rest of us in PG that the caribou issue had the impact on our recreation that it did. The caribou are doing just fine in our area and logically this should be reflected in the Caribou "Recovery" regulations, but it wasn't. The civil service have their own agenda. And they know the MLA's are just human and do wear out if they get swapped with lots of "important stuff".

Talk to your MLA. But if you think the BC Liberals are bad , just you wait until you get a taste of the NDP! Better to get the BC Liberal MLA's back on line, or tell them to step aside for another party member to take up the job and rein in the real "government".

No way to NDP but yes to this govt making better choices and dealing with the issue's that are affecting our province, and making choices that are going to allow us to prosper in the future what they are doing is costing us money and has no economic spin-offs at all. I guess one can only hope that things will get better soon but they could be a lot worse thats for sure.