This was a first that local skiers & sledders unified against a cat ski operation which led to them moving out of that area then selling the business. I should also note that the Airy Cr drainage is a local watershed/supply and poking around that bee's nest will most probably result in a full closure to any motorized use. Please be smart people.
FYI :Airy Cr drainage and Russel Lake are not in either clubs riding area, that being said I have asked about signs in question last year and there is no official agreement between the Slocan Valley Snowmobile Association and the ski/hikers who use that area. There is however a loose gentleman agreement that some (local sledders) not SVSA have to avoid the Airy Cr. area until Jan as it is used by many ski touring people. The Shakers cabin was built by skiers/hikers around late 70's early 80's. As for the snow-cat operation (Valhalla Powdercats) previously owned by Lindsey Hoyt that tried to set up shop in the whole area including Russel Lake with several deliberate distasteful interactions and threatfull actions with both local skiers and sledders led to them getting a strong unified and justified response
That would seem to make sense to me also, but things in that neck of the woods are a bit different, there are several environmental activists/protection groups based out of the area. They have some lean with government as lobbyists at a provincial level, and it seems logical to work with not against other back county users that have a passion for the mountains like us. This isnt always achievable with the radical types but most folks are good with some compromise. Ive sledded in the area for around 15 years and Im aware that 98 % of the skiers use sleds to access higher elevation, back in the day I was thanked for putting in the access by skiers riding Tundra's now they have M-8's,Pro RMK's & Xp's also. I would like to add that the Shaker hut most probably would have burned down from the zero maintenance on the stove and stove-pipe that was rotten. Some local sledder friends bought and hauled up (all day event on sleds) then installed in their cabin as a warm fuzzy towards the skiers for the appreciation of compromise and respectful communication. As for the shake fisting haters up there, you might not want to be below me in the spring.Good to hear that cooperation between sledders and skiers resulted in public land staying public. Not sure what Airy ck being a watershed has to do with staying out of there on sled, Ladybird/Norns (as well as many others) is the watershed that supplies water to Robson/Raspberry and I believe many Passcreek residents. Shoudn't stop motorized use but definitely a reason to be careful with spills/pollution. If motorized use in watersheds was an issue there would be no logging in BC.
