North Shore Trail Riding Etiquette and Behavior in a Global Pandemic

Posted by: DanL

From DNV website :

Road closures and on-street parking restrictions

Upcoming restrictions, effective Friday, April 10

We will be implementing no parking and/or temporary resident-only parking on these streets near popular parks and trails:

Braemar/Dempsey area

Mountain Highway/Coleman Street area

Anne MacDonald Way/Old Buck area

Cates Park/Dollarton

Hyannis/Berkley area

We will also be restricting these roads to local traffic only:

Deep Cove Road at Mt Seymour Parkway

Panorama Drive at Gallant Avenue

Indian River Road at Inlet Crescent

Not a well thought out plan, but it's no surprise. 

Here one problem with the plan....it's not thorough enough. None of the adjacent streets are restricted. All that will happen, is those that still insist on riding as close to the trail head as possible, will park one block away....in neighbourhoods that don't typically have issues with parking. And there will be a slew of new complaints from new people.  And if the same stuff keeps going on, it will just be easier to shut down the trails. 

What kills me is the irony...those that are still insisting on riding tend to be pretty fit people. Why not get a bit extra and just ride a bit more? Or not ride for  a while.

Posted by: FLATCH

Not to highjack things here, but has anyone noticed how much more dog shit is on the trails? Fuck me.

Never mind covid, I need a full face shield to ride the Woodlot these days.

OMIGOD, yes! Pick up your dog's crap, ya lazy buncha arses!

It does say "area" on a few of these places so perhaps they will extend it to adjacent streets. 

Braemar/Dempsey area

Mountain Highway/Coleman Street area

Anne MacDonald Way/Old Buck area

Weirdly, there's a bunch of new no parking signs along Coleman & Ramsey for period Apr 15 to May 5 (but I suppose that could be construction related)

Thats for a fortis pipe fix.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Mt.Seymour road was open to riders heading up, just closed to cars. It was actually ideal, as it's super easy to keep distance from everyone, spin up the road at a mellow pace without exhaust, and it spread the numbers out quite well by avoiding most of the hikers in the lower circuits.

The parks site for Seymour says all trails are closed due to the park closures yesterday. Can anyone confirm if things are completely shut down over there? [Edit - Trailforks has updated maps of the closure areas, and which ones are open].

And the usual Easter gongshow will hit for Lynn Headwaters and Dempsey and every single resident along there - unless the DNV Dempsey restriction counts for the entire of that road or just where it abuts Braemar.

(Which land manager runs the Headwaters btw )

I just talked to my Mum in Greece and it's a different story there as they ramp up for Easter (which is bigger than Christmas).

Every house has had a census done, anyone extra in the house is a 1000euro fine. No BBQs unless it's for usual eating i.e. no lambs etc to cut out crowds and parties.

Shopping only in the morning or late evening and any other travel has to be logged with the Police.

The smartest move is that they swapped the local police force with the neighbouring force to try to eliminate family graft on the bans.

Posted by: mammal

As of Tuesday afternoon, Mt.Seymour road was open to riders heading up, just closed to cars. It was actually ideal, as it's super easy to keep distance from everyone, spin up the road at a mellow pace without exhaust, and it spread the numbers out quite well by avoiding most of the hikers in the lower circuits.

The parks site for Seymour says all trails are closed due to the park closures yesterday. Can anyone confirm if things are completely shut down over there? [Edit - Trailforks has updated maps of the closure areas, and which ones are open].

Most Seymour trails are on CMHC land no?

Yes, the parks closure affects the road, Old Buck and the east side of the BP. I understand the blanket parks closure, but it's a shame, as that was the absolute best way to climb while distancing from everyone and access the upper stuff where almost nobody was riding.

I am hopeful that no parking at Old Buck and no climbing of Old Buck will thin out the hordes a bit. Combined with the parking restrictions around Hyannis to make Seymour less accessible, maybe people will get the message to stay home.

The mailer that the DNV left for us was that they would put in the no parking signs, but wouldn't be able to enforce it since they are not providing parking passes to residents...so how could they for sure differentiate between a resident and a visitor parking there to use the trails?

Unless I see a bylaw officer walking around, I'm not expecting anything major to change.

No vehicle access to Lynn Headwaters or LSCR starting tomorrow. Pedestrian and bike use still OK.

https://www.facebook.com/MetroVancouverRegionalParks/posts/3653613078045403

At this point, they pretty much need to make Kilmer, and everything above it, residents only parking.  But yeah, who is going to enforce it?

Posted by: PaulB

No vehicle access to Lynn Headwaters or LSCR starting tomorrow. Pedestrian and bike use still OK.

https://www.facebook.com/MetroVancouverRegionalParks/posts/3653613078045403

At this point, they pretty much need to make Kilmer, and everything above it, residents only parking. But yeah, who is going to enforce it?

Finally. Rode thru headwaters yesterday. Douchebags speeding thru there with kids on bikes and walking folk around the blind corners makes me nuts. They should kill the parking in there permanently.

Posted by: mammal

Yes, the parks closure affects the road, Old Buck and the east side of the BP. I understand the blanket parks closure, but it's a shame, as that was the absolute best way to climb while distancing from everyone and access the upper stuff where almost nobody was riding.

People were biking up Mt. Seymour road today, I would assume with the blessing of the gatehouse.  As always with these things, lots of mixed messaging.  

Old Buck parking lot is fenced, as is the start of the trail, so no misunderstanding there.