View source for Roe Creek Ski Trail Application

=PROPOSAL FORM FOR TRAILS AND RECREATION FACILITIES=

An individual or group may use this form to apply to the Recreation Sites and Trails Section to construct, rehabilitate or maintain a trail or recreation facility.  The numbers on this form correspond with the explanations found in the following section titled “Forest & Range Practices Act, S57 and the Application Process Information Package".  If required, attach additional pages 

==Name of individual or group==

Varisty Outdoor Club
Address: 	Box 98, Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Mall,Vancouver, BC  	Postal Code: V6T 2B9
Contact Person:	Scott Nelson

==Overall purpose of the proposed work==

The purpose of the proposed trail is to provide safe winter access to the Brew Hut.  The existing hiking trail from the railroad tracks near Brandywine Falls is not suitable for winter use because it travels up several steep, highly avalanche prone slopes.  Also, the topography of the trail does not lend itself well to skiing, as there are many ups and downs and several places the trail is too steep to ski.  Traditional winter access was from a western spur of the Brandywine Creek FSR, but the road is becoming very overgrown now, and the avalanche hazard on this route can be quite high.  Also, the lower part of this route on Brandywine FSR presents major user conflicts between skiers and snowmobilers.

==Brief description of the proposed work==

The proposed trail will be used for backcountry ski touring and snowshoeing only, and therefore there will be no ground disturbance except as noted below.  High intensity reflective trail markers have already been put up along the route.  Work to be done includes clearing bushes and small trees from the trail to a width of 2 or 3 meters, and cutting low branches off larger trees that are adjacent to the route.  Bushes that are normally covered by snow will not be cleared.  The upper part of the route travels through open meadows and minimal work will be required.  We are also proposing to build bridge structures in 2  locations – at the trailhead and across a stream about 700m up the trail.  At the trailhead there is a ditch on the uphill side of the road, with an embankment above the ditch.  We propose to bridge the ditch with a small bridge and reslope a small part of the enbankment so that it is easier to negotiate on skis.  The area that needs resloping is relatively small – perhaps 2m by 3m.  The bridge would be built using dimensional lumber.  The second bridge structure would be located about 700m up the trail where the route crosses a stream.  This stream is usually open in early winter and has steep banks.  The bridge would allow easer access across the stream and reduce the potential for erosion of the stream bank.  A log stringer bridge made of wood from the site is proposed.  The span of this bridge would be about 12-15 feet and the bridge deck would be about 4 feet above the stream at the highest point.

==Location of the proposed work==

The trail location is in the Squamish Forest District in the vicinity of Mount Brew.  Access to the trailhead is from Chance creek FSR and then taking the branch road up Roe Creek.  The start of the trail will be at the first switchback of branch 200 of the Roe Creek logging road.  The end of the proposed trail will be at the south shore of Brew Lake, west of the creek that flows out from the lake.  The length of the trail is about 3.5km  Please see the attached map.

This proposal is for (please check):

*[ ] a managed trail or recreation facility
*[X] an un-managed trail or recreation facility
*[X] a new trail or recreation facility.        

Please ensure that:

*[X]  a map showing the project area is attached.

==Expected dates on which the proposed work will begin and finish (month or season, and year)==
The proposed work will begin as soon as it is approved.  I would like to complete the work by September or October 2006 before any snow starts to fall.  Trail clearing work will take priority over constructing any bridge structures.

==Expected use==
The expected use of the trail is for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing.  The season of use will be from early November to late May, depending on snow conditions.  Users will park at the snowline and ski / showshoe up the roe creek road to the trailhead, and then continue up the trail to Brew Lake.  Brew Lake can be reached as a day trip, or parties may continue on to the Brew Hut which is located on the ridge north of the lake.    The route has fairly gentle terrain throughout which makes it a good choice for beginner backcountry skiers.  In mid winter a fairly long ski up the road can be expected, but this is usually shorter in april and may.  The route was flagged in spring 2005, and in the winter of 2005-2006, the route received perhaps 100 user days, with most people staying overnight at the hut.
Summer use of the route is expected to be low, even though the route will offer a shorter access to Brew Lake than the existing hiking trail.  The VOC will discourage summer use of the route, and there are many natural obstacles that make summer use of the route difficult.  The clearcut section at the start has very dense, 6 foot high  blueberry bushes that will not be cleared because they are easily covered over by snow.  The route crosses a small lake at 1.1km and three boulder fields at (0.9km, 1.4km, 2.0km) that are poor travelling in the summer.


==Standards==
or other provisions to ensure that the trail or recreation facility doesn’t conflict with other resource values or uses, is  safe, environmentally sound, and durable, given the purpose and expected use:

I have consulted with Terminal Forest Products about their logging plans for the area and I did a site visit in spring 2005 with one of their foresters to assess the potential for logging near the trail.  The conclusion was that logging of the first few hundred meters of the trail was possible under good marked conditions.  However, Terminal has now designated the area at the start of the trail as an Old Growth Management Area in their new Forest Stewardship Plan.
Powder Mountain Catskiing conducts guided snowcat skiing near the head of roe creek.  There is a sharing agreement in place between PMC and the VOC with regards to reducing conflicts in this area.  PMC runs their snowcats up the roe creek road which makes skiing up and down the road much eaiser than it otherwise would be.
The Sea to Sky winter backcountry recreation forum has recommended this area for non-motorized recreation only.  (i.e. snowmobiling is not permitted), so we do not forsee skier/snowmobiler conflicts occurring on this trail.  Snowmobile use in the Mt. Brew Alpine area is effectively zero.

==Demonstration of capability and commitment to provide maintenance over the long term==

The VOC was established at UBC in 1918 and has a long history of outdoor recreation stewardship.  Club membership each year is typically about 350 members.  The club presently maintain 4 backcountry cabins, all of which are located in the Squamish Forest District.  Brew Hut was just rebuilt last summer and the club is planning a rennovation of the Burton Hut this summer as well.  Club members are always keen to volunteer for hut & trail maintainance events.  For example, last september a hard working VOC party of 20 people dismantled the entire old Brew Hut in one weekend, and cut much of the lumber up for firewood for the new hut.  The VOC has also maintained the hiking trail from Brandywine Falls to Brew Lake for many years.

==Actions or assistance requested of the Recreation Regional Manager==

Please check the appropriate box(es):

*[Y] Consent to proceed with the proposal
*[Y] Inclusion of the trail or recreation facility in the Recreation Iinventory
*[Y] Creation of the trail or recreation facility as a map notation
*[ ]	Re-establishment of the trail or recreation facility after timber harvesting or other development activities
*[ ]	Cooperative management of the trail or recreation facility
*[ ]	Inclusion of the trail or recreation facility as a managed facility on maps and the Recreation Sites and Trails website
*[Y] Establishment of the trail or recreation facility as a Recreation trail or site
*[ ] Establishment of the trail or recreation facility as a “Resource Feature”
*[Y] Other Forest Service actions or assistance; please specify:  We would like assistance in designing bridge structures suitable for winter use with a snowpack of up to 2m.