Much of the North Vancouver backcountry is now off-limits until the spring or summer of 2024.
Metro Vancouver announced Monday that, effective immediately, the trail into the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park backcountry has been closed due to winter conditions.
The area, which includes the Hanes Valley and the trails leading to Coliseum Mountain, Dam Mountain, Lynn Lake, Crown Mountain and Goat Mountain, becomes treacherous in winter with rapidly changing conditions, rough and slippery terrain and avalanche risk.
The closure follows a warning from North Shore Rescue after the first two rescues since winter conditions set in.
Crossing into the closed area is a matter of life and death, said North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks. In 2015, the body of hiker Liang Jin was found under a boulder on the Hanes Valley Trail. Two years later, 24-year-old Carl Couture disappeared while hiking in the area, prompting a massive search.
“To this day, we still have no sign of him whatsoever,” Danks said. “It just makes me think of speaking with their parents, and trying to let them know the situation that they were in and how quickly the weather changes from exactly what we have now to completely blanketing that area in a couple of feet of snow.”
Metro Vancouver typically closes its backcountry trails this time of year and re-opens them after the snow and ice melt.
