Hiking Season Off and Climbing
- kc dyer
- May 8
- 3 min read
High numbers visiting as the weather warms up
It's been a glorious start to spring, and visitors are arriving to hike the area in record numbers.
According to Public Works Director of Operations Karl Buhr, hikers walking through the local watershed in April of this year climbed above 6000, the highest count for that month since recordings began.
Last year, hiker numbers just squeaked over 4000 for the month of April, hovering around 3000 in 2023, and 2500 in 2022.
These numbers continue to trend upwards, no surprise in a year where fewer people are heading to the US for their time off.
Buhr also noted that one of the trailhead visitor counters had been "tampered with" over the winter season.
While he was loath to label the actions as vandalism, he said that "someone from the 14,000 or so passing by between October and April" broke the padlocked counter box open. While he said the interior workings were carefully replaced, two desiccant packs fell out and the circuit board corroded over the winter.
As a result, a new counter has been ordered while the folks in the Works Department decide whether the current practice of locking the counters but leaving them in plain sight is the best method to use in future.
The newly relocated and refurbished outhouse facilities are also installed and in use. They were moved earlier this year about 200 metres above the Sunset trailhead to the first bend in the road, which should provide some relief from the smell for local homeowners.
Buhr says that, like last year's new water fountain and signage, "the intent is to help address the water regulator’s directive to 'minimize [human] fecal contamination in the watersheds'".
Lions Bay is not alone in facing an ever-increasing number of visitors. A recent article on the BBC website addressed similar issues faced by local residents in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England.
Entitled "Parking Chaos and Poo", the article examines the impact of increasing numbers of visitors on popular hiking districts in the United Kingdom.
Problems include local roads being blocked by inconsiderate and illegal parking, vast amounts of litter, and people emptying their campervan toilets into bushes, according to the article.
Similarly, Craig Best, general manager for the Peak District region of the UK's National Trust says that his local climbing areas are widely featured on social media. "We are seeing huge volumes of people arriving, really early morning, before sunrise, and those high volumes of people are continuing throughout the day into the evening."
Here in Lions Bay, Tunnel Bluffs trail owes much its recent fame to social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.
Increasing numbers mean more inexperienced hikers on the trails, leading to more risk. Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) has been called out several times this spring, and two hikers have died in separate incidents in the North Shore mountains (on Mount Seymour in April, and Hat Mountain just last weekend) due to icy conditions this spring.
Photos posted to social media by LBSAR and North Shore Rescue show that snow and ice played a large part in these treacherous rescues.
LBSAR provides rescue services without question or charge. Donations to help cover costs can be made HERE.
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