The following is the Paranoid Creek Falls Trail Section 57 Application which has now been submitted as a replacement for the recently rescinded Darling Lake Section 57 Trail (original formatting has been altered):

Application for Authorization to Construct the Paranoid Creek Falls Trail According to Section 57, of the Forest and Range Practices Act

Part 1. Proponent Name and Contact Information

British Columbia Mountaineering Club

P.O. Box 20042

Vancouver, BC

V5Z 0C1

Part 2. General Proposal Description

1. Purpose of proposed trail

The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail (3.2 KM in total) will provide consistent, high quality non-mechanized access to the beautiful and scenic area of Paranoid Creek Falls and the Skookum Valley.  The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will also provide the critical foundation for the new Watersprite Lake Trail currently in the planning stages.

The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail is intended strictly for non-mechanized use.

2. Brief description of the proposed trail or recreation facility

The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will follow 1.1 KM of recently cleared abandoned Logging Roads that begin just North from the Skookum Creek Power Project Water Intake Dam (starting at 49.755306,-122.930918).  A short 300 meter long connector trail will be constructed to connect this lower road system to the abandoned upper ‘S Line’ logging road (East) through second growth forest that was heavily logged decades ago.  This junction (The ‘S’ Line) will be the future location of the new Watersprite Lake Trail.  Once on the ‘S Line’, the Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will follow the old road North for 100 meters until its junction with the abandoned ‘S2’ Logging Spur (49.761475,-122.920983).  The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will then follow the recently cleared ‘S2’ Logging Spur for exactly 1 KM until its end in a clear cut.  From the end of the ‘S2’ Logging Spur, the short pre-existing 300 meter trail to Paranoid Creek will be upgraded/improved.  A footbridge will be constructed to cross Paranoid Creek utilizing a large recently naturally fallen cedar (A primitive footbridge was constructed and existed here in the 1990s but rotted away 10 years ago) to provide access to the best viewing location of the falls.  Remnants of that bridge still remain.  Once across Paranoid Creek, the trail will parallel the creek down the valley for 100 meters and terminate at the viewpoint of the falls (49.768654,-122.912545).

3. Location of the proposed trail or recreation facility

The Paranoid Falls Trail is to begin near the Skookum Creek Dam (49.755306,-122.930918) in the Skookum Watershed, approximately 20 KM East from Highway 99 in Squamish, B.C. on good quality permanently maintained gravel access roads (parking is plentiful at the proposed trailhead).  It will provide year round non-mechanized recreational opportunities to the scenic area around the Skookum Dam and Paranoid Creek Falls.

4. Managed trail or recreation facility

The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will be based on 300 meters of refurbished old/traditional trail, 2.2 KM of old logging roads, and a limited 400 meters of newly constructed trail.  

5. Will you be seeking designation of the proposed recreation site or trail under section 56 of the Forest and Range Practices Act? (Yes/No)

Yes

Part 3. Detailed Trail Description

1.    The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will consist of 2.2 KM of abandoned logging roads that have recently been cleared by B.C.M.C. volunteers in 2015, 300 meters of refurbished trail, and 400 meters of newly constructed trail.

2.    Width:  The 2.4 KM of old logging roads will be cleared half-width to allow for year round use (ski and hiking).  The short 400 meters of trail after Paranoid Creek will be built to a minimum Grade IV (.3 m wide) standard. 

3.    Being that the 2.4 KM of logging roads necessary for the successful construction of the Paranoid Creek Falls Trail have been pre-cleared by the B.C.M.C., it is feasible to fully complete trail construction within a calendar year. 

4.    The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail is intended strictly for non-mechanized use.

5.    The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will not fall within any community watershed.

6.    Standards:  The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will be a wilderness hiking trail (a well graded, Grade IV standard).

7.    The Paranoid Creek Falls Trail will require the construction of a footbridge over Paranoid Creek (49.76861, -122.91262) to facilitate optimum viewing of the falls.  The crossing is in a remote, rugged location at 1026 meters elevation.  The bridge will utilize a large recently naturally fallen cedar, and a ½ inch industrial steel cable wrapped around live trees (and braced to protect the health of the trees).  Decking will be comprised wood carried in or cut from deadfall.

4.  Mapping Requirements (Purple Line Paranoid Creek Falls Trail).

GPX and map files have been attached to electronic correspondence. 

Photo of Paranoid Creek Falls and Paranoid Creek in Summer 2015:

Thanks Chris for putting this together. There is a concerted strategy between the government agencies in Squamish to prevent access to Mamquam Mountain. That is the reason the Darling Lake Trail application was denied. But, it is not part of the 1990 Garibaldi Master Plan to obstruct access to the wilderness conservation zone in Garibaldi Park, yet that is apparently what is going on.

Keep up the good work.