Words by Sharon Bader

The Shore scene started on Fromme many years ago when a dedicated group of trail builders engaged the steep slopes to create a new style of riding that used the terrain like it had never been used before. Instead of sawing apart fallen trees, they built a bridge to ride over them. Instead of riding beside the fallen log, they rode ride on it. And so it began.

Unknown to the land owners and residents, Mt. Fromme gave birth to a new breed of riders and a new kind of riding. Documented in magazines and movies it has become a destination and a model. But will its popularity be its demise?

Where you have recreation, you have cars. And where you have cars you need parking. But there is no parking near Mt. Fromme, except on the residential streets, and that had caused problems in the neighbourhood.

On any given day now there can be 50 cars parked on the streets that access Fromme. That means upwards of 100-200 people on these streets at any one time, and with a 3-4 hour turnover it's possible to see 400-500 people parking on these streets.

The numbers aren't a problem in and of themselves, but over the last five years the "10 per cent are obnoxious and boorish rule" has attracted a lot of attention from the residents near Mt. Fromme. Most of it is due to the lack of consideration that 10 per cent is showing for those residents.

Complaints of people changing on the street, smoking (not cigarettes) and drinking, and loud music has worn out the patience of the residents. After two years of complaining, they have finally convinced the District to ban recreational users from parking in front of their houses.

And who can blame the residents? Would you want a bunch of yahoos parking in front of your house all day, showing a complete lack of respect for your privacy? Probably not. Now it's Resident Parking Only in the areas north of Coleman Avenue. This is the first time parking has been restricted in a North Van neighbourhood not because of a need for more parking, but because the residents don't want recreational users parking in front of their houses. This sets a very bad precedent for other recreational users wanting to park on streets around soccer fields and community centers. What is to stop these residents from getting Resident Parking in front of their houses? Or by a beach? Or a hiking trail?

Sharon Bader enjoying the trails on Fromme - Photo: Duncan Napier

Some residents and councillors in the area would like to see the trails shut down to mountain bikes. They cite environmental, safety, and liability concerns. But there are also residents, councillors, and mountain bikers that would like the trails to remain as they are and indeed, for the District of North Vancouver to encourage mountain biking.

An example of the NSMBA's handiwork on CBC - Photo: Dave Diplock

A compromise will have to be found that will allow people in the area to enjoy living in their neighbourhood and mountain bikers to access to Fromme. One of the real problems for riders is that no official mountain biker numbers exist. Anecdotally, there are hundreds of mountain bikers riding on Mt. Fromme on a given weekend day, and slightly fewer during the week. For recreational users - hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers alike - this is a resource that must be preserved and in order to do that mountain bikers have to work together with the District. Since the trail network on Fromme grew without a comprehensive plan and the number of riders coming here has increased dramatically, the District of North Vancouver has proposed a Recreational Strategic Study. This study will "develop recreational goals and objectives for the DNV alpine area to address environmental impacts, parking, trail use, staging area, safety, and funding relating to formalizing Mt. Fromme as a designated Mountain Bike Area."

The North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) started in 1998 to address a rumoured threat to Mt. Fromme trails. This threat was never realized, but we have dedicated the last five years to maintaining the trails on Mt. Fromme and Seymour Mountain. We have also worked closely with the land owners to ensure the trails are maintained to a sustainable level and are accessible to riders of all levels.

The NSMBA has been active in a number of other projects on the Shore, re-establishing the CBC trail on Seymour Mountain, and working with the District of North Vancouver and Mountain Equipment Co-op to install a bridge over Abelard Canyon on the Baden Powell Trail.

Along with the ongoing maintenance projects, these efforts have kept the trails on Fromme and Seymour going. But it hasn't just been mountain bike trails that have benefited - the District of North Van doesn't even have the resources to maintain the Baden Powell multi-use trail, and NSMBA members have been maintaining it along with other trails. Joint E-Team projects with the District of North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Provincial Government have resurrected CBC and the Griffen Trails entering into Mountain View Park; the Griffen Trails are a popular

The bridge over Abelard Canyon - Photo: Dave Diplock

The NSMBA will continue to work with the District of North Vancouver to develop a Recreational Strategic Plan that will benefit all riders, and alleviate the residents concerns but we need your help as well to succeed.

Keep Mt. Fromme a world-class mountain biking destination by joining the NSMBA and coming out for trail maintenance days. By working together, we can keep the trails open and challenging for a long time to come!