Latest news with #trailclosures
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Bears feeding on berries force closure of part of K-Country trail
Bears feeding on berries have forced a number of partial trail closures in K-Country. A bear closure was announced for Bill Milne Trail in Kananaskis Country by Alberta Parks on Thursday . The agency reported on its website that there have been multiple reports of grizzlies and black bears on the trail, feeding on berries in the Evan-Thomas provincial recreation area. There was also a report of bluff charge on hikers. The impacted area extends from Kananaskis Village to Mount Kidd RV Park. The area between Mount Kidd RV Park and Wedge Pond remains open. That was the latest in a number of bear closures and warnings announced for multiple Highway 40 day use areas in Kananaskis Country over the past week or so, as a bumper crop of berries have brought bears onto trails to feed. One warning, originally posted by the province on July 30, extends from Canoe Meadows day use and campground, Widowmaker day use, Widowmaker trail, Kananaskis Visitor Info Center day use, Barrier Dam day use, and Barrier Boat Launch day use areas. Parks Alberta said a grizzly bear and cub were spotted in that area, feeding on vegetation. On Wednesday, a bear closure was posted for the area south of Gorge Creek Trail, west to Bluerock Creek Trail, east to Indian Oils trail gate, where a grizzly was sighted feeding on a cow carcass. Gorge Creek and Bluerock Creek trails remain open. Also on Wednesday, a bear closure was announced for Buller Mountain day use, including Buller Pond Hiker-Biker campsite, where multiple grizzlies, and cubs, have been sighted feeding on berries. For more information about bear advisories in Alberta, go here.
CBC
26-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Aggressive cougars shut down biking trails in Whistler, B.C., area
Social Sharing More cougar sightings in B.C.'s Sea-to-Sky region have led to trail closures in the resort municipality of Whistler and in the Garibaldi Lake area. After a cougar sighting went viral a little under two weeks ago, leading the popular Rubble Creek trail near Garibaldi Lake to be closed, sightings of aggressive cougars have been reported in the Whistler ski resort itself. The sightings, which happened on Thursday and Friday, have led to the closures of the Ascent hiking trail and all biking trails on Blackcomb Mountain until further notice. The Singing Pass trail area of Garibaldi Park in Whistler was also closed Wednesday evening due to the aggressive cougars. WATCH | Hikers capture cougar encounter on Rubble Creek trail: Hikers capture video of cougar encounter on popular B.C. trail 14 days ago Duration 0:15 In a video posted to TikTok, Max Stobbe and his hiking partner Margaux Cohen encounter a cougar near the popular Garibaldi Lake trail in B.C.'s Sea-to-Sky region. B.C. Parks has since closed the Rubble Creek trail for a week due to the "aggressive behaviour" of cougars. "The latest report follows multiple incidents over the last several weeks of two cougars acting aggressively in the Whistler area, including chasing, stalking and being in close proximity to mountain bikers and hikers," the B.C. Conservation Officer Services said Wednesday in a statement. "[Conservation officers] are continuing to monitor and assess cougar activity and will respond as necessary to ensure public safety." Adam Mercer, the senior manager of the Ski Patrol at Whistler Blackcomb resort, said it wasn't unusual for tourists to encounter black bears, marmots and other wildlife while out hiking or biking on the trails. "I've been here for decades, and we do see cougars transit the area," he said. "And so I wouldn't say it's unusual, but it's not as common as the bear encounters." Cougars being sighted on a regular basis is rare, according to Julie Thomas, a PhD student at the University of Northern B.C. who studies cougar ecology. "The cougars are certainly there, but they're incredibly elusive and shy around people," she said. Thomas said she has a few theories on why people are seeing more cougars in the Sea-to-Sky region, including human encroachment into the predators' natural habitats. She also says the cougars may be young and still trying to establish new territory for themselves, and they could still be figuring out what is prey and what isn't. "They might have these kinds of brief altercations with people ... where they're kind of just investigating humans," she said. "The other possibility is that the cougar... is sick or starving or injured," she added. Conservation officers are asking people to travel in groups while out in the backcountry to be safe, and carry bear spray if possible. They also say that people shouldn't make sudden movements if they encounter a cougar, and they should make themselves loud and back away slowly if they see one. In the event of an attack, people are advised to fight back by focusing on the cougar's face and eyes.
CTV News
24-06-2025
- CTV News
‘Public safety issue': Hikers, bikers barging onto closed trails near Squamish wildfire
A road barrier is seen in Squamish, B.C., as crews battle the Dryden Creek wildfire. The B.C. Wildfire Service is sounding the alarm about outdoor enthusiasts disregarding trail closures near the Dryden Creek blaze burning outside Squamish. Officials posted a public notice over the weekend urging hikers and mountain bikers to 'please abide' by the closures – both for their own safety and to avoid interfering with firefighting operations. 'There's the potential for fire-weakened trees to fall, and rocks that are no longer being held by tree roots rolling downhill,' said Jennifer Lohmeyer, fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre. Crews are also using the closed trails – which are considered worksites – and that could lead to 'public and responder conflicts' if people disregard posted signage telling them to keep away, Lohmeyer added. 'For example, mountain bikers travelling at high speed could collide with responders on the trail,' she said. Firefighters Firefighters are seen during Coastal First Nations Wildland Firefighter Boot Camp in spring 2024. (B.C. Wildfire Service) Officials acknowledged it is a 'challenging situation' given there are sometimes numerous access points to the trails, and crews are still working to get signage up at each one – but in many cases, hikers and mountain bikers are barging onto the trails on purpose. 'People even moved barriers that were put in place to indicate that the trail was closed,' Lohmeyer said. Firefighters have also had to waste valuable time turning scofflaws around, and in some cases have been forced to change tactics – such as delaying the felling of hazardous trees because members of the public might be nearby. Closed trails included those west of Jack's Trail toward Debecks Hill, according to a notice posted by the District of Squamish on Monday. Lohmeyer urged hikers and mountain bikers to check the Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. website for the most up-to-date information on closures before heading out during wildfire season. 'You never know if a new trail is going to be closed,' she said. 'If it is safe, we will open up the trails as we can.' The Dryden Creek wildfire was discovered on June 9, and spread to an estimated 59 hectares. The B.C. Wildfire Service has classified the blaze as under control, meaning it is not projected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
