Skagit Valley Road - New Regular Seasonal Closure / Gate - October 15 - April 14

[Sylus]

Hey All,

Hope everyone's season is off to a good start.

I was looking at the road report the Silver Skagit Road report (linked below) and I was wondering if they are closing access to the Valley over the winter. Before the 2021 floods the road would be unmaintained over the winter, but you could drive to the gate near Chittenden Bridge. The link below makes it sound like they have closed the whole thing on the 14th of October.

Interested if anyone knows what system going forward will be for that road.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/t...er-skagit-road

Sylus

[caddisguy]

Hey All,

Hope everyone's season is off to a good start.

I was looking at the road report the Silver Skagit Road report (linked below) and I was wondering if they are closing access to the Valley over the winter. Before the 2021 floods the road would be unmaintained over the winter, but you could drive to the gate near Chittenden Bridge. The link below makes it sound like they have closed the whole thing on the 14th of October.

Interested if anyone knows what system going forward will be for that road.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/t...er-skagit-road

Sylus

I have been wondering the same.

The website has always said something similar with regard to the seasonal "closure"

Historically it was not truly a closure as you mention... simply not maintained

I was thinking this year might be different because they do have a lot of equipment back there and they are still working.

Figure there's a good chance they want to go full tilt with the road construction, logging, chipper trucks and whatever else they might have lined up without interruption from other road users

Hopefully someone here can give us a first hand reported as to whether or not it is currently gated or blocked off with security like it has been most of the last few years.

[caddisguy]

Update:

I have two reports now (from strangers I don't know, so take it with a grain of salt along with a sour grape like I am) that the mainline is closed at 6km as well as the turn-off to Silver Lake / Sowerby / Mine Road

Huh... I wonder if the days of being able to hunt the Skagit during the rut have officially come to an end

Maybe if we get a change in government things will turn around... but otherwise I am starting to think hard closure on October 15th will become the norm where they shut it down and go hard on resource extraction.

Seems like any excuse to gate anything these days... North Emory FSR being another... in that (different scenario) case was told by the CO's / Ministry etc, "this all goes to the top government, our hands are tied" ... so yeah, maybe we need a change in government for any of this to turn around

[Vortex hunter]

Was there few weeks ago nothing gated

[caddisguy]

Was there few weeks ago nothing gated

Yeah I was there Friday - Monday the 14th.

October 15th was the slated closure.

Was hoping it was the typical (pre 2021) soft closure but apparently it's a hard closure with gate and security.

Now I wish I'd shot that spike for the double header back in September with the 3x2. At least I'll get to see what the rut looked like on my trailcams when I check them in the Spring if they don't log them LOL

Figure I'll just go mushroom hunt in East Harrison the rest of the season, even though most of my favorite spots are gated up that way now, take a rest and rattle here and there because you never know

I know some Chilliwack spots for blacktails but can't really camp and hunt out of any of those places... kind of park your rig for the day and hope it still has windows and wheels when you get back... not my thing... maybe I can get someone to drop me off with my pack and pick me up when they get the Inreach text... solo trip with a tarp and a fart sack type deal... that might work

Might still get out to Boston Bar or something but looks like the snow is gonna fly pretty hard soon. We'll see.

One thing I know for sure is wherever I invest time into there will be a gate there soon after LOL

[Sylus]

Well that sucks. Thanks for the intel Caddis.

I would hope they'd open it back up after the equipment is out in years to come, but I won't hold my breath. Backcountry access is way low on this Province's priority list.

Sylus

[Vortex hunter]

Skadgit gets good amount of snow soon to great spot in there for snowmobiling before the gate

[caddisguy]

This is a response on the Hope Facebook page from a fellow who has some inside scoop:

"Yes will be closed for season. I am also making a motion with council we work with FVRD to close the rest of the road with a gate during off season. (Keep from a camp forming again)."

"still work to do i believe and the park is closed up there so it helps keep rift raft out. Sucks for us that use the back country but it's going to be the new norm I think everywhere to keep them out unfortunately. Seeing this on many FSR roads too now."

So it does seem October 15th closure for Skagit will be the new norm, perhaps coming to other FSR's too

[j270wsm]

Is that area crown land? Would be a piss off it is crown land and they block public access

[caddisguy]

Is that area crown land? Would be a piss off it is crown land and they block public access

Yes it is crown land up until around 36km mark and then it becomes Provincial Park.

The gate is on Crown Land at 6km

It is blocking access to the following:

- Mine Road FSR
- Sowerby FSR
- Silver Skagit Road main line (and countless FSR's Yola/Cantelon, Upper Silver, Maselpanik to name a few as well as countless other logging/spur roads)

...making all the surrounding crown land inaccessible

To put it in perspective, the Silver Skagit mainline alone is 60km long... it is a ton of land being blocked that will be affecting many outdoor users... hunters, hikers, mushroom pickers, 4x4ers, campers, etc.

I had a suspicion after they blocked North Emery Creek FSR and more and more gates popping up this trend was going to accelerate.

Their reasoning is "to keep homeless camps out". Instead of enforcing laws we already have on the books, they opt to neglect it, thus creating the problem, then subsequently propose the "solution" which is "nobody is allowed in the bush".

This is all setting quite a precedence and to hear it from someone who is somewhat of an insider (that this is coming to other FSR's) I would not be surprised to see the same for Chilliwack Lake road or Harrison next.