Parks supervisor urges Vancouver hikers to obey closed trails after mudslide

Two popular trails and a park on Vancouver's North Shore were shut down this week after mudslides and heavy rain — but that didn't stop some hikers from setting out, despite the warnings.

Lynn Headwaters Regional Park is closed to visitors because of storm-related damage and blocked road access. The Lower Lynn Loop Trail and part of the Baden-Powell Trail, just west of the BCMC Trail at Grouse Mountain Regional Park, are also closed.

"We want to keep folks safe until we have the area assessed," said Tom McComb, an operations supervisor of regional parks with Metro Vancouver.

Some of the trails and the access roads to them are littered with mud, rocks and tree particles, making them "quite dangerous," McComb said.

"We call these debris torrents," he told CBC's Angela Sterritt.

"Basically, it's where the ground gets saturated by heavy rainfall and it brings down large debris off the hillside."

'The nature of the game'

The closed areas in the North Shore are prone to slide activity during torrential downpours in part because of their V-shape and steep slopes.

"The ground gets saturated and just starts to move," McComb said. "There is only so much we can do to retain all these steep slopes."

Geo-technical surveyors are looking at the area to gauge the current and future safety of it  and recommend preventative solutions during rainfall.

Despite the trails being closed, McComb said he's seen hikers and dog walkers entering the area.

"People do recognize that there are dangers — sometimes we get a little resistance, but that's the nature of the game," he said.  

"For the most part, we like to educate our visitors and not scold but let them know why we've closed."

With files from The Early Edition and Angela Sterritt.