(All photographs by Mike Nash) Introduction I have hiked and backpacked in Canada for 50 years, many times off trail and in less traveled parts of British Columbia. My… 9 Women. 3 incredible guides. An iconic mountain hut. 6 days of adventure, epic meals, and camaraderie. The ACC Women’s Climbing Camp, sponsored by Marmot, is an annual event akin… Bears are hungriest in the fall—as hungry as they’ll be all year—save for their state of mind upon awakening in the spring. As such, it’s incredibly important to manage attractants… The Howe Sound Crest Trail project went ahead very late in the year, in the third week of October, as did the Black Mountain Plateau trail repairs and the third… At long last, it is now possible to book nights at the brand new Kees and Claire Hut in the Whistler backcountry. This incredible, passive house design facility is going… We’d like to thank Back Forty Lifestyle Co. for donating 5% of all house-brand sales to the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC! Their donations (and all donations, unless specified… Mountain Mentors is a mentorship program for self-identified womxn in Vancouver and the Sea to Sky Corridor. We’re excited to announce that Mountain Mentors, in partnership with the FMCBC, has… The name John Muir exemplifies conservation and recreation ideas of today, especially in his birth country of Scotland and his naturalized country of the U.S. to which he moved with… I am sitting at my computer this evening to put my thoughts in order for this issue of Cloudburst, as the results of our federal election begin to roll in…. We’d like to welcome the Prince Rupert Backcountry Society to the FMCBC! The Prince Rupert Backcountry Society is a nonprofit society that supports and advocates for non-motorized, outdoor recreation activities… Welcome to BC Whitewater, the FMCBC’s newest Associate Member! Founded in 2018, BC Whitewater is a non-profit society that was created to advocate for publicly accessible, free-flowing rivers throughout the… There has been in the last few decades an ongoing debate and dialogue about the differences between conservation and preservation, wilderness and wildness. There has also, inevitably so, been a… This is an important but profoundly disturbing work written by a west coast mountaineer, activist and award-winning journalist. Set against the backdrop of a rescue patrol on the upper levels… While we don’t maintain an office location that’s open to the public, we do require a space for storing important items and for occasional meetings. We recently moved to Taiga… Story by Dave King, with edits and postscript by Mike Nash The Caledonia Ramblers latest weeklong backpack into the Rainbow Range of South Tweedsmuir Provincial Park turned out to… Sunshine Coast Trail/Tin Hat Mountain: May 29–31, 2019 The Chilliwack Outdoor Club (COC) has done most of the Northern, Central and Southern parts of the Sunshine Coast Trail. We had… Many are the fine painters in Canada that have aptly and graphically focused on the mountains. The Whyte Museum in Banff was significantly inspired and brought into being by Peter… The SWBC Recreation and Conservation Committee and other FMCBC members have worked on a range of issues over the past several months. The following highlights some of this work. Increased… I began writing for Cloudburst magazine 30 years ago in the December 1989 issue with an article titled “The Ethics of Indiscriminate Cairn Building” (shown below). So it was with… Jocelyn Timmermans joined the Chilliwack Outdoor Club (COC) more than a decade ago, and in her initial years with the COC, she did many of the introductory and moderate hikes… People question the importance of forests in dealing with climate change because they do not understand the vital role of trees and plants—especially big trees—in capturing and storing carbon, cooling…Brazeau Loop: A grand tour of Jasper’s southern ranges
ACC/Marmot Women’s Climbing Camp – 2019 Jim Haberl Hut, Tantalus Range
Be Bear Aware
Southwest BC Trails Committee Report
Kees & Claire Hut Now Open
Thanks to Back Forty Lifestyle Co. for your support!
Mountain Mentors 2019 Grant Update
Book Review: Travels in Alaska: Three immersions into Alaskan wilderness and culture
President’s Message – Fall/Winter 2019
Welcome to the Prince Rupert Backcountry Society
Welcome to BC Whitewater: FMCBC Associate Member
Book Review: J.B. Harkin: Father of Canadian National Parks
Book Review: The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption
Thanks to Taiga Works for your support
Rainbow Reprise: Caledonia Ramblers repeats a favourite weeklong backpack
Two Trips: Sunshine Coast Trail/Tin Hat Mountain and Tonquin/Ramparts
Mountains and the Arts: Banff and Whistler
Southwest BC Recreation and Conservation Committee Report
Cairn Ethics
103 Hikes: All Done
Fabrications and Reality on the State of BC’s Forests and Climate Change
I have known Jay for seven years while both of us were involved with non-motorized trails in BC. Jay, through his work with the Alpine Club of Canada (Vancouver) and Director of the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC; and, I, as former President of the Outdoor Club of Victoria, President of Vancouver Island Trail Association and President of the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC.
Jay’s love for climbing led him to explore the Coast Range and advocate for protection of, and public access to, our wilderness. Jay introduced many to our mountains through trips, climbing camps and skill workshops to develop their competencies. Jay’s passion for the Chilcotin started in the 1980s, when mountaineering ventures took him to Chilko Lake. In 1991, Jay joined the Chilko Lake Study Team to develop land use recommendations for Chilko Lake. After two years of gathering information and negotiations, the Team produced a consensus report, recommending protection for much of the area. In 1994, Ts’ilʔos Provincial Park was declared. The Team received the Minister of Environment award in 1994 for their contributions.
In 1979, Dennis Perry and Jay formed the South Chilcotin Mountains Wilderness Society to protect the expansive Southern Chilcotin-Spruce Lake Wilderness. Through lengthy processes, significant portions were protected. The northern half became part of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Commission on Resources and the Environment (CORE) negotiations in the early 1990s. Jay represented the Society and the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC in the CORE process. Big Creek Provincial Park was created in 1995 at the completion of the process. The southern half became a central issue in the Lillooet Land and Resource Management Plan (Lillooet LRMP). For over 5 years, Jay represented the Federation at the Lillooet LRMP Table of stakeholders. Unable to reach consensus, the LRMP Table presented two options to the government. In 2001, the government selected the option leading to the creation of Spruce Lake Protected Area, which became South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park. During the park management planning process, Jay advocated for protection of the park’s intrinsic wilderness values and measures to mitigate conflicts among recreation users.
Jay has worked tirelessly to improve access to wilderness recreation opportunities, particularly in heavily populated southwest BC. Projects include obtaining federal funds to construct the popular Howe Sound Crest Trail (Cypress Provincial Park), efforts to restore access to Singing Pass (Garibaldi Provincial Park) via a new access trail and bridge; advocating for more resources for BC Parks; and auditing trails in provincial parks to prioritize repairs. Jay’s efforts to restore access to Singing Pass and protect the Chilcotin reflect Jay’s commitment to building relationships and engaging respectfully with volunteers, First Nations, civil servants, elected representatives and commercial and resource interests.
Even after his terminal cancer diagnosis in October 2021, Jay continued his advocacy efforts. He created BC Trail Tracker, a trail database to collect trail condition reports from the public to help volunteers focus on repairs and identify trail champions.
Since the 1970s, Jay has shared his love of BC’s mountains by leading climbing and ski touring trips. He has introduced people to BC’s wilderness to learn about and value their natural heritage. He has also taught essential skills to allow others to safely explore BC’s wilderness.
In recognition of his service, Jay received the Alpine Club of Canada’s Distinguished Service Award (2001) and Silver Rope Leadership Award (2021); the Tim Jones Community Service Award and Honorary Membership in the BC Mountaineering Club (2022). I’m sure there will be more awards for Jay, to be presented posthumously.
Should anyone wish to make a donation in his name, Jay’s family asks that it be made to the Alpine Club of Canada, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation or the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC.
Please join me in extending our sincere condolences to Jay’s wife Lucy and his family. Thank you for sharing this incredible man with us. Jay, you will be missed.
Liz Bicknell
FMCBC President
