The outstanding conservation and recreation resources of the Chilcotin region has been understood and documented by settlers for nearly a century. The early 1930s saw a gold mining boom in nearby Bralorne and aptly named Gold Bridge, which prompted much of the initial interest in preserving the area. The first big conservation movement happened in 1937, when the Vancouver Natural History Society advocated for the establishment of a large wilderness area covering much of what’s now included in SCM and BCP. Charlie Cunningham, a wildlife filmmaker at the time, was a driving force in the original movement for preservation, and the original wilderness proposal even bore his name. The initiative largely targeted protection from mining and logging, and thus garnered the support of the guide outfitters in the area.

The BCP and SCM fall within the traditional territories of the St’at’imc, Tsilhqot'in and Secwepemc Nations. Their people have been caretakers of the land for thousands of years, and they lived in harmony with their natural surroundings until they were forcefully removed from their territory and sent to reservations and residential schools. Graveyard Valley, located in the BCP, holds particularly sacred value for both the Tsilhqot’in and St’at’imc nations, who for generations battled over this land that lies between their two territories. The final battle was believed to have taken place in 1898. According to oral history, the rivalry between the two tribes ended during a particularly harsh winter of 1900, when the Tsilhqot’in faced a terrible starvation. Despite the turbulent history between their tribes, a St’at’imc prospector known as Hunter Jack brought the Tsilhqot’in food throughout the winter, which eased tensions between the tribes. It wasn’t until 2003 that a formal peace agreement was made and leaders from both sides met to erect cairns to commemorate the graves of the fallen.

By 2010, conflict between user groups had resurged, but this time it was a bureaucratic battle. When the Spruce Lake Protected Wilderness area was introduced in 2001, all outdoor recreationalists could still freely travel through the area, the same way they can on the rest of B.C.’s Crown land. But after becoming a B.C. Park in 2010, the governing body, B.C. Parks, solicited comments from the public and operators on a plan for Big Creek and the SCM Provincial Parks Chilcotins. After this consultation, a draft management plan was proposed in 2014 that would diverge from the current limit outdoor recreationalist, with the majority of restrictions disproportionally targeting mountain bikers over other users. Lee Lau, an intellectual property lawyer and outspoken mountain bike advocate, published a thorough analysis of the The Draft Management Plan back in May of 2014. The full report can be viewed HERE .

In 2011, as part of the draft process, B.C. Parks conducted a survey and found that mountain bikers had grown to become the predominant user group in the Chilcotins, commanding 55 percent, while hikers made up 22 percent and horseback riding merely 4 percent. Some respondents did report taking part in more than one activity, especially mountain bikers also participating in hiking. Although the number of cyclists had grown in the last two decades, there was little concrete evidence to suggest overuse of the park beyond its carrying capacity. It was confounding to many that despite their own findings, B.C. Parks’ draft management plan was seeking to inordinately restrict the behavior of the Park’s major user group.

The draft period created uncertainty for the future of mountain biking in the Chilcotins. Cyclists faced pending restrictions from BC Parks that would have radically altered the way we access and use the Spruce Lake area and the adjacent Big Creek Park. Proposed measures included restricting the timing and location of bike activity (i.e., only allowing riders access between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., limiting the use to three days a week and curbing float plane access into the park. It was these curtailments, combined with poor rationalization by Parks, that sparked action from the mountain bike community. Dale Douglas, owner and operator of Tyax Adventures, a commercial tourism operator whose business relies on mountain bike access to the park, was so enraged by the drafting process he submitted a petition to the minister to have the plan re-examined. It’s quite likely that without the poignant analysis provided by Lau, the petition from Douglas and the resulting outcry from the mountain bike community, that our access to the park would have been different than it is today.

With the publishing of the original Management Plan in 2014, and the most recent update in 2019 the continued inclusion of unrestricted access for mountain bikes bodes well for future use of this stunning region and expansive trail network. However, we as mountain bikers must remember our access to these trails is a privilege, not a right. And it is imperative that we continue to be respectful to other users and wildlife, and to be sure to only go into the backcountry with proper knowledge and preparedness.

Lamonte and others acknowledge that it may have been the tremendous volunteer trail maintenance efforts performed by mountain bikers that has helped our community improve their relationships with hikers and horseback riders. There has long been a dedicated tight-knit group who have taken it upon themselves to actively maintain trails in and around the parks. A special mention to Douglas, Troy and the Tyax Crew, Geoff Playfair, Pat Mulroney, Lau, and many WORCA members who have all been instrumental over the years in keeping the trails clear of fallen trees, maintaining sight lines and generally improving the backcountry riding experience. Mountain bikers are not the only ones doing trail work, but we have been making significant contributions to the maintenance efforts in the Parks.

The number of mountain bikers venturing into the Chilcotins has increased steadily over the past several years, according to multiple sources, including Dale Douglas of Tyax Adventures. While the Trailforks app strongly suggests a steady increase in user numbers, Douglas, along with BC Parks officials, claims that there are now far more mountain bikers annually than even the app suggests. They estimate that now around 2,000 mountain bikers access the park each year, with roughly half of those assisted in some way by Tyax Adventures.

What we need now, as mountain bike users continue to grow, is further energy towards maintenance, perhaps from riders actively using the trails. Tyax Adventures, who have been doing trail work for their 22 years of operation are leading by example. Their staff dedicated over nine hundred hours of trail maintenance to the network in 2020, when you include flights, fuel, tools, staff wages, lodging and food, it is a $30K investment. Douglas says, despite the work, they are still losing trails every year to mother nature, and Tyax alone doesn't have the time or the resources to keep up with the work.

One would hope that the land manager, BC Parks, would be taking more responsibility for some of the necessary trail work. However, Parks are notoriously underfunded and spend the least per hectare of park of all the provinces in Canada at $2.80/ha - compared to Alberta’s $30/ha. I did reach out to BC Parks for a comment but did not hear back from them before submission. Douglas has noticed their increased presence over the last two years, and mentioned Parks have made improvements to signage and helped with trail clearing. They are also in the process of constructing a ranger’s cabin on Spruce lake to facilitate a more permanent existence in the future. Douglas believes between Tyax and Parks, their combined efforts were noticed by all those who rode this season adding, “I did a three day loop this season and it was the best shape it’s ever been in!” That’s a serious testament coming from a man who has been riding in the area for nearly 30 years.

If you want to get your hands dirty, here’s how to do it properly. Members of the public are not allowed to just head into a park and do trail maintenance, instead interested parties must submit and receive approval for trail work. Please contact a BC Parks Representative for further information.

For millennia, the St’at’imc, Tsilhqot'in and Secwepemc Nations have been caretakers of the lands containing the current South Chilcotin Mountains and Big Creek Provincial Parks. The feeling of solitude and wonder one receives when traveling through this pristine environment has been cherished by humans for generations. That same experience, nearly unchanged, is available to mountain bikers today. This is an enormous asset to our very fortunate community, an asset we need to enjoy responsibly and care for. Now it’s our turn to take care of Skumakun for future generations of riders to enjoy.