Biking up Grouse Mountain Service Road Permanently closed

Hi there,

Grouse Corporation put a manned gate in the middle of the 7th and 8th switchback. Today I was stopped by the gate guy to be told that no public access. Well, I wanted to talk to some bosses about it, just could not believe it. They tried to stop me also after that. I switched to pushing bike to be a hiker. On the top more corpo employees were waiting for me. I asked to talk to the main boss. He came and told me to leave their private property. This is what I was told:

1. They are building biking trails and bikers are not allowed to be there anymore. The only access is/will be via gondola.

2. This is not a temporarily closure caused of a construction in progress (there was no activity today). Permanent.

3. Next summer they will open the new trails there and expecting day tickets $30-$50 via the gondola.

I have biked this road hundreds of times in the last 20 years. This is my way to stay healthy and fit. I'm in general cross country biker. I seek sustained elevation gains.

They rather put people like sardines to the gondolas, and make money. There is no understanding that blocking people from healthy activity that is good for everyone.

I'm not sure how many are disappointed like me. Maybe there could be a possibility for NSMB community to negotiate with them. I would be OK to sign wavers, even pay for yearly access say $100. My life is devastated.

How long is it going to be until there is a cut trail in the woods that bypasses said gate.....reminds me of the old saying "janitor, janitor give up hope. We have more ink than you have soap".

Kind of makes you understand why now no official trails above Seventh were allowed......curious exactly where the gate is.  Is it before or past the dump?

The gate is like 70% up from 7th to 8th. There is there a wider area next to a rocky wall.

Posted by: bogdank

The gate is like 70% up from 7th to 8th. There is there a wider area next to a rocky wall.

So if going up you pass the dump before you get to it?

Dump, meaning the quarry? After that.

I don’t see how that gate ends up being a full time manned gate.  How many cyclists go up that far a day?  On a busy weekend, maybe a couple?  Even with a bike park, are e-lazy-bikers gonna bother?

Hmmm, this directly contradicts what I was told (seconds hand).

A couple of days ago I hiked up to the top of Fromme and then dropped down to Mountain Highway approx 1km north of the dump/quarry. Anyway, I got chatting with guy on a bike riding down who had been turned around but he had been told by the construction crew that the ban was only temporary as their doing active construction across the highway...

But, anyway, once the construction is over, there's no way on earth that Grouse is gonna pay for a full-time "guard" at any gate....

This is private property, Grouse Corporation property starts about 10 meters after the picnic table next to Ladies Only, when riding most of the trails on Fromme, we are guests on their land.  Don't be mistaken, they tolerate recreation on their lands and I am grateful for it - there is no community right of access here. There are lots of trails and lots of XC options below the new gate. So please, @bogdank, check your privilege and realize that sometimes good things do come to an end.

I'm just happy that they didn't decide to put their gate between the 5th and 6th switchback, also on their land.

^ interesting that the property encapsulates that chunk of fromme:

https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/25_268_2023

I've seen that sign saying it's Grouse private property forever, didn't know how much of Fromme they actually own though.

Posted by: bogdank

Dump, meaning the quarry? After that.

Good, I only go to the dump to ride Per Gynt, so anything after is no matter.  I can see why they are doing it with the bike park coming in to play.  You would have to reason that with the alternate (non Skyride) option that is free they would find some way to eliminate the freebees.

Posted by: rnayel

This is private property, Grouse Corporation property starts about 10 meters after the picnic table next to Ladies Only, when riding most of the trails on Fromme, we are guests on their land.  Don't be mistaken, they tolerate recreation on their lands and I am grateful for it - there is no community right of access here. There are lots of trails and lots of XC options below the new gate. So please, @bogdank, check your privilege and realize that sometimes good things do come to an end.

I'm just happy that they didn't decide to put their gate between the 5th and 6th switchback, also on their land.

If they did the fight on their hands would not go well.  And they know it.

no right of way laws in canada?

Posted by: Sethimus

no right of way laws in canada?

There are for edges of waterways and accesses to water. Not for privately owned land though, get off my lawn!

Edit: whoa BC has a lot of right of way laws, I doubt but have not confirmed if they apply to recreational use of private land. Seems unlikely. Get off my lawn!