Trail society told to consider needs of all users, not just mountain bikers
Study cites ‘increasing concerns’ about bike trails in hiking/walking areas
North Cowichan council members served notice Wednesday that the needs of hikers and other groups — not just mountain bikers — should be considered during trail work in the 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve.
A trail study conducted by Vancouver Island University (VIU) for the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society and Tourism Cowichan shows that hikers outnumber mountain bikers in the Six Mountains.
But mountain bikers receive the lion’s share of funding for trail work.
Society president Rick Martinson presented council Wednesday with a 2023 trail update that dealt almost exclusively with initiatives for mountain bikers.
The update highlighted the sanctioning of 13 “high-speed, downhill trails” on Mount Prevost (Swuq’us). In contrast, hikers have zero sanctioned trails on Prevost and must pass through private property to reach the summit.
After Martinson’s presentation, councillors applauded the excellent work of the society and its mountain-bike volunteers, but also emphasized the need for trail initiatives for other users.
Councillor Christopher Justice observed that the VIU study showed the extensive use of trails by hikers and walkers, and asked whether the society had any “enhanced plans” to benefit those groups.
North Cowichan is the major funder of the trail society, contributing $172,969 in 2023.
Martinson said in response that work is planned on a 70-to-80-metre-long boardwalk for hikers near the former cross site on Mount Tzouhalem, with the help of $10,000 from the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC.
The VIU study covered the Six Mountains of North Cowichan — Prevost, Sicker, Richards, Maple, Tzouhalem, and Stoney Hill — as well as Cobble Hill Mountain in Cowichan Valley Regional District.
Individuals were asked to identify the activity in which they most participated in the 30 days before responding to the survey.
Hikers dominated at 34.4 percent followed by mountain bikers at 30.5 percent, and walkers at 24.5 percent.
Hikers also represented the biggest user group across all sites except for Mount Tzouhalem, where bikers prevailed by a slim margin. However, if hiking and walking are combined, they exceed mountain biking.
(Note: Stoney Hill is effectively off-limits to mountain biking, which explains a low score there of 4.3 percent for that user group.)
As the discussion continued, Councillor Tek Manhas reminded Martinson that “your name is not Cowichan Biking, it’s Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society, so looking after trails for everybody, so I appreciate that.”
Councillor Chris Istace, a former member of the trail society board, said he looks forward to hikers getting involved in volunteer work on the mountains. He added that while each mountain is unique, the majority of trails in North Cowichan are multi-use and benefit both mountain bikers and hikers.
But councillor Mike Caljouw said he finds that bike trails often meander and are not necessarily well suited for hiking.
“I’m a hiker and I’m up there all the time…and I will tell you the windiness of the mountain bike trails is a little bit frustrating…My point is, I’d like to see some more straight up and down trails for the hikers, too…."
Fact is, not all hikers are comfortable walking on trails used by bikers.
The VIU study quoted hikers saying they want trails to be separate from mountain bikers.
“I love the trails, but I feel unsafe when bikes are on the trails with me,” said one respondent. “Some bikers think they have right away. Maple Mountain is unsafe for hiking because bikers. This is upsetting. I am afraid to walk there.”
Other comments:
— “Too few trails that are hiking only are now leading to close encounters between bikers and hikers. It is difficult to enjoy a nature trail hike while needing to be hypervigilant for the sound of bikes.”
— “Bikers on hiking trails, with blind corners and people not respecting the usage rules.”
— “The most frequent challenge and issue that pushes me away from trails is overuse/busyness, especially in relation to mountain biking. Especially on Mt Tzouhalem, there are days and times that are extremely unpleasant to hike because of the amount of mountain bikers that descend on the mountain.”
The VIU study, authored by Aggie Weighill, concludes: “Hikers identified more inter-user conflicts than mountain bikers, and the comments revealed increasing concerns about expanding mountain bike trails into traditionally hiking/walking-only areas.
“While this was not ranked as a high-impact issue, it requires monitoring and ongoing consultation for future development and trail strategies.
“Additionally, off-leash dogs were universally identified as a management issue that impacted trail users and their perceptions of safety.”
The survey results are based on 1,010 participants, about 82 percent of them from the Cowichan Valley.
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— Larry Pynn, July 21, 2024
