Final Project Report

Mapping Recreational Trails Within The Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve

For: Heidi Walsh

April 2001

From: Tony Botica Patrick Kaiser Mark McGough

Table of Contents

Summary…………………………………………..……………………………………………………..1 Introduction…………………………………………………………..…………………………………..2 Procedure………………………………………………………………………………..……………….4 Results………………………………………………..…………………………………………………..7 Problems………………………………………………………………….……………………………..11 Conclusion…...…………………………………………………………………………………………13

List of Appendices:

Appendix 1: Access Road………………………………………………………………………………14 Appendix 2: Baselines 1,2,3……………………………………………………………………………17 Appendix 3: Blair Range………………………………………………………………………………..33 Appendix 4: Bottle Top…………………………………………………………………………………37 Appendix 5: CBC Trail…………………………………………………………………………………43 Appendix 6: Corkscrew Connector…………………………………………………………………..…90 Appendix 7: Corkscrew………………………………………………………………………………...93 Appendix 8: Cut-off Trail……………………………………………………………………………..102 Appendix 9: Dales Trail……………………………………………………………………………….106 Appendix 10: Dales/Blair Range Connector…………………………………………………………..120 Appendix 11: Fork Connector…………………………………………………………………………122 Appendix 12: Incline…………………………………………………………………………………..125 Appendix 13: Lizzie Lake Loop………………………………………………………………………130 Appendix 14: Mystery Creek………………………………………………………………………….134 Appendix 15: Mystery Falls…………………………………………………………………………...155 Appendix 16: Mystery Creek Fork……………………………………………………………………160 Appendix 17: Mushroom Lot………………………………………………………………………….164 Appendix 18: Mushroom Path………………………………………………………………………...167 Appendix 19: Mystery Creek/TNT Connector………………………………………………………..170 Appendix 20: Old Camp Trail………………………………………………………………...………173 Appendix 21: Power Line Connector………………………………..………………………………..176 Appendix 22: Ridge Runner……………………………………………………………….………….180 Appendix 23: TNT…………………………………………………………………………………….184 Appendix 24: TNT Fork……………………………………………………………………………....193 Appendix 25: LSCR East Side Trail Network Summary……………………………………………..197 Appendix 26: GPS Points Summary ………………………………………………………………….203 Appendix 27: Downloading Procedure (Criterion to S1 format)…………………………………...…205 Appendix 28: Conversion Procedure. (S1 format to RoadEng Format)……………………………....209

List of Figures:

Figure 1: CBC-Loop #2-Rock Stunt Front……………………………………………………………..68 Figure 2: CBC-Loop #2-Rock Stunt Side……………………………………………………………....69 Figure 3: CBC-Loop #2-Rock Stunt Bottom…………………………………………………………...70 Figure 4: CBC-Intersection #6………………………………………………………………………….71 Figure 5: CBC-Loop #3-Boardwalk 1 Side…………………………………………………………….72 Figure 6: CBC-Loop #3-Boardwalk 1 Bottom…………………………………………………………73 Figure 7: CBC-Loop #3-Boardwalk 2 Top……………………………………………………………..74 Figure 8: CBC-Loop #3-Boardwalk 3 Top……………………………………………………………..75 Figure 9: CBC-Loop #3-Boardwalk 3 Bottom…………………………………………………………76 Figure 10: CBC-Loop #4-Boardwalk Top……………………………………………………………...77 Figure 11: CBC-Loop #4-Boardwalk mid………………………………………….…………………..78 Figure 12: CBC-Boardwalk- 3-Step Section…………………………………………………………...79 Figure 13: CBC-Stairs Top – Under Construction……………………………………………………..80 Figure 14: CBC-Stairs Bottom – Under Construction………………………………………………….81 Figure 15: CBC-Banked Corner………………………………………………………………………..82 Figure 16: CBC-Boardwalk…………………………………………………………………………….83 Figure 17: CBC-Millennium Tree………………………………………………………………………84 Figure 18: CBC-Millennium Tree from afar……………………………………………………………85 Figure 19: CBC-Concession Stand Tree………………………………………………………………..86 Figure 20: CBC-Concession Stand Tree………………………………………………………………..87 Figure 21: CBC-Loop #6- Approach to Log Bridge……………………………………………………88 Figure 22: CBC-Intersection #13……………………………………………………………………….89 Figure 23: Dales-Blow-down Section…………………………………………………………………112 Figure 24: Dales-Blow-down Section…………………………………………………………………113 Figure 25: Dales-Cedar Teeter………………………………………………………………..……….114 Figure 26: Dales-Cedar Teeter-Top………………………………………………………………...…115 Figure 27: Dales-Rock Ride-Bottom………………………………………………………………….116 Figure 28: Dales-Rock Ride-Top…………………………………………………………………...…117 Figure 29: Dales-Rock Ride-Bottom 2………………………………………………………………..118 Figure 30: Dales-POT…………………………………………………………………………………119 Figure 31: Incline-POC………………………………………………………………………………..129 Figure 32: Corkscrew Entrance………………………………………………………………………..101 Figure 33: Mystery Creek-POC……………………………………………………………………….142 Figure 34: Mystery Creek-Bridge……………………………………………………………………..143 Figure 35: Mystery Creek-Boardwalk 1………………………………………………………………144 Figure 36: Mystery Creek-Big Bridge………………………………………………………………...145 Figure 37: Mystery Creek-Boardwalk 2………………………………………………………………146 Figure 38: Mystery Creek-Old Kettle…………………………………………………………………147 Figure 39: Mystery Creek-Boardwalk 3………………………………………………………………148 Figure 40: Power Line Connector-POT……………………………………………………………….179

Summary

This report covers all aspects that are involved in creating a map and includes copies of the field information collected and of course the map. Our focus from September 2000 consisted of creating a detailed map of the Seymour area that is located in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (LSCR) on the North Shore Mountains.

From a suggestion of the LSCR staff and BCIT instructors, we narrowed the spectrum of the mapping project to cover just the recreational trails within the LSCRs East Side Trail Network (East Side). The LSCR felt this mapping would be beneficial in order to update a map of the area that had been created about one year ago based on estimations of lengths and locations of trails.

Information collected on the trails included: • Horizontal distance • Slope distance • Slope percent • Azimuth bearing • Pictures This data was collected using a Criterion 400 laser instrument and downloaded into “Softrees RoadEng” where it was manipulated to link all the trails together to form one map of the East Side. The trails were accurately located by referencing the beginning and endings points of the trails to Ground Control Monuments that we established in the East Side using a “Trimble” Global Positioning System.

A large portion of this report consists of the appendices, which provide field notes. Also included in the report are maps, elevation profiles, and pictures of some of the biking stunts on the East Side Trails. An excel spreadsheet that lists the trail names with pertinent information about them can be found at the end of the report.

Crewmembers Tony Botica, Patrick Kaiser, and Mark McGough provided the effort necessary to produce an accurate 1:5000 digital map of the East Side of the LSCR. Each member took on various responsibilities throughout the project to balance tasks both large and small.

Introduction

Background Our project consisted of mapping the highly used recreational trails within the East Side of the LSCR. This project was selected from a list of projects, which the LSCR wanted more information on. The LSCR staff felt precise mapping of the East Side area was required in order to update the existing map of the trails to provide a more accurate representation of where the trails were located and how they linked to each other.

Some trails had never been mapped at all, these included routes that had been recently discovered and trails, due to new and the ongoing construction of trails. We took this project upon ourselves because of the useful application it had to the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), LSCR and the numerous recreational users of the area. To add information on each trail we recorded the locations of mountain bike stunts as well as a categorizing them by type, for example “boardwalk.”

The LSCR is located within the North Shore Mountains where numerous recreation trails exist. Before even the notion of recreation potentials existed in the area, large-scale forest operations took place on Seymour Mountain. The old logging and skid trails helped provide some of the framework for the trails that exist today. Artifacts from old logging operations and living areas can still be found on some of the trails most noticeably “TNT” with the old dynamite shack.

The LSCR was established in 1987 formerly being known as the Seymour Demonstration Forest. Before 1987, the area was closed to the public because it part of the Seymour Watershed that helps supply all of Vancouver’s drinking water. The entire LSCR area is operated by the GVRD who allocated it for recreation and education purposes. The use of trails in this area has been on the rise since its opening to the public fourteen years ago. Activities in the LSCR include hiking, biking, roller blading, horseback riding, and fishing as well as plenty of other outdoor activities. Mainly the hiking and biking group of LSCR users uses the East Side trails.

Objectives From the beginning of our project, we stated clear objectives, which were to: 1. Locate Ground Control monuments to tie into 2. Identify major trails to be mapped 3. Survey each trail for: horizontal distances, azimuth bearings, slope percent, bridges, boardwalks, jumps, trail crossings 4. Download field data collected from the “Criterion” to “Softtrees RoadEng” 5. Tag trail intersections with GVRD tags 6. Create a database with field work information 7. Digitize trails with Arc info 8. Overlay the map onto the existing East Seymour map

The finished product we wanted to produce included: 1. A 1:5000 digital map of recreational trails in the LSCR to be overlaid upon a pre-existing map that contains contours, trails, roads, and other features. 2. A map file to the GVRD so they can plot newly added trails at their discretion. 3. A final report explaining the project. Procedure

Preparatory work The initial phase of the project consisted of locating Ground Control Monuments (GCM’s) in the field. Each GCM contains information to the exact (X) Easting, (Y) Northing, and (Z) Elevation for the specific point at which there located. These points were used to tie into and located the beginning and end of every trail.

There were no existing GCM’s within the East Side area, which meant we had to establish these, so that the beginning and ending locations could be referenced. These points were established using a GPS unit (Trimble model) with the aid of Heidi Walsh (LSCR projects coordinator) employed by the GVRD. There were no errors in establishing the GPS points due to the “Radio Link” used by the unit, which corrects for scrambled signals. With our GCM’s in place, we could begin the reconnaissance of the various trails in the area, which was required to get time estimations for mapping and gain a better idea to how many trails existed in the East Side.

Field Work We decided to always work from the highest to lowest elevation trails to avoid possible problems with snow in the winter months. The Criterion 400 was the main device used to calculate and store the various distances and slopes for each trail. This instrument calculates these numbers using a laser, sighted through a scope, which reflects off an orange 2-inch diameter reflector. For our purposes we limited the maximum distance of shots to 60 meters, but we averaged between 20 and 30m. Also the slope distance percents within each shot were limited to a maximum of 30% before the compass bearing was unable to be read accurately by the Criterion. In this case, we would have to re-sight the reflector with an adjustable scope that allowed the Criterion to remain level while taking a compass bearing.

At the beginning of each trail, we allocated a portion of the memory within the Criterion for that trail by designating them with Survey and Unit numbers. For every new day of collecting information each trail would start with survey number one and the unit number would change to incorporate different side trails that were joined to the main trail for example Survey 1, Unit 1. For gathering data on a entirely new trail on the same day we would enter a new survey number so that the information would be separated example Survey 2, Unit 22.

With a three-person crew, the mapping of each trail was a team process. One person operated the Criterion; another held the laser reflector and the third person would record the information, in a field notebook, that was relayed from the person holding the Criterion. We collected field notes by hand as a precaution to data storing problems.

We focused on the new and highly used trails to create an order of importance because of the length of time allotted to fieldwork. On every trail, information was collected for stunts and bridges that can be found in the fieldwork section of the appendices. This information included lengths, construction materials, and the type of stunt. All intersections were tagged, with GVRD tags, and recorded to provide consistent locations for connecting the trails together. Each tag is a reference point on the trail, this information can be found in the field note appendices.

While mapping each trail, we also took pictures, using a Sony Mavic Digital camera, of all of the major obstacles and stunts on each trail. We did this in order to provide a visual representation of the features shown on the map. In some pictures, a notebook was used to give a better representation of the scale of the feature being shown. Not all of the pictures turned out due to the weather conditions, which affected the lighting available on the trails.

After each of these steps was completed for the field day we took all of the data and downloaded it onto a computer at BCIT. This was the first step in compiling our findings.

Compiling Findings Using “DNRaw”, an MSDOS program, we downloaded the saved survey data from the Criterion, into an S1 (Survey 1) format, which is saved on the hard drive of the computer. The S1 format is considered the raw format of the data and has to be manipulated in order to be readable in “RoadEng.” This procedure was undertaken within three days of data collection in order to ensure that no field data was lost by accident or by other BCIT project groups clearing the memory while using the Criterion.

The exact procedure from raw data i.e. that stored in the “Criterion” to a “RoadEng” readable format is very specific and can be found in the appendix. The major steps are: • Importing the S1 file into “RoadEng terrain module” and saving it as a terrain file (.ter) • Exporting the (.ter) file from “terrain” into “Survey_ Map” in traverse format (.db1) • Checked all of the traverse notes against our field notes for discrepancies and correcting. Following this procedure, we viewed the traverse documents as a “quick map.” Selecting “quick map” in the “Survey_ Map” module of “RoadEng” did this. This procedure was done for each traversed trail in order to check the digital map against what we perceived it should be.

Once the individual trail maps information had been checked in “RoadEng” they were linked together one by one at intersections and beginning and ends of trail. This created a base map with all the trails on it without trails names or intersection tag numbers. Once this was completed, we could calculate closing errors, total trail lengths, and elevation change. Other information that was collected and added to the traverse notes include the trail names, intersection tag numbers, and stunt locations.

As a way of summarizing all of the data for each trail, an Excel spreadsheet was produced. Looking at the traverse notes and copying it over to Excel imputed this data. The information separated by trail into: • Trail name • File name • Point of commencement (POC)/ Point of Termination (POT) • Features • Horizontal Distance • Easting (X) Meters • Northing (Y) Meters • Elevation (Z) Meters • 2D and 3D Deviation • 2D and 3D Percent Error Results

This section will contain a brief summary of each trail with reference to their traverse notes and maps in the appendices. Each trail and it’s connector are colour coded by their label on our main map and should be referenced to when reading the descriptions. The descriptions will include a general location in the East Side network, the length of the trail, terrain of the trail, and if stunts are located on the trail.

CBC Trail

CBC trail was the first trail that we mapped. Due to CBC being the first trail there was a greater chance of error in the data that produced the map. The trail starts on the North side of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio tower at the Fifth switchback on the Mount Seymour Parkway. It travels for 1.4km in a West Southwesterly direction towards its ending at the Access Road which the joins the Mount Seymour Parkway at its third switchback.

The trail is still under construction so the stunts indicated in the notes are those that have already been constructed, there are many more stunts planned which are indicated on the traverse notes as North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) flags 1-4. The stunts that have been constructed along with the consistently steep and narrow terrain make it one of the most technical trails on the East Side. The stunts on this trail include rock drop-offs, boardwalks, stairs, and bridges that are shown in the pictures in the CBC appendix. The main CBC map shows the regular route down CBC and the loop trails provide a more difficult way to ride the trail.

GVRD staff, NSMBA members, and volunteers are periodically working on the trail. There are many variables that affect the timeline for completion of the trail, but it is hoped that it will be finished towards the end of the summer.

Dales Dales runs in a South West direction from its beginning near the top of Blare Range at the historic Mushroom lot. Dales ends at the power lines, which allows the option to head back up to start of other trails or to ride out of the East Side. If needed you can have a rough ride down the rocky power lines to the Seymour River.

Dales has outstanding opportunities for mountain biking and hiking with its short technical routes that have naturally occurred. Over its 934m length, it has two distinguishing stunts, which are a teeter- totter and a rock bluff. There are pictures of both these stunts in the Dales Appendix.

At GVRD, tag #20 there is an old trail that is overgrown that runs northward to tag #228 on Mystery Creek trail. Due to time limitations, this trail was not mapped but the tags allow the possibility to be mapped at a further date.

Mystery Creek Mystery is one of the major trails in the East Side and is the second longest at 2.1 km. It begins at the historic Mushroom lot and runs West towards its ending where it meets the power lines. The trail designation is not specifically for biking because of the history of other recreational uses that include horseback riding and hiking. There are not as many stunts and obstacles on the trail to impede the other recreational uses. However, there are still excellent opportunities for mountain biking on the trail that can be seen in pictures in the Mystery Creek trail appendix.

The trail parallels Mystery Creek, from where its name was derived. Due to it’s topographical location much of the terrain is composed of bedrock and till. There is also a steep embankment falling towards Mystery Creek that adds to the excitement and danger of the trail. A distinguishing characteristic of the Mystery Creek trail is a small loop that provides a choice of routes in the middle of the trail since they both join back together.

Lizzies Lake Loop This is a small part of the system of trails in the East Side. The loop provides a scenic route of the two small bodies of water. The loop can be located from traveling down Mystery Creek and is part of the route to either Bottle Top or Ridge Runner trails.

Bottle Top Bottle Top trail winds in a Westerly direction for 1.2km towards Twin Bridges and can be accessed from either Mystery Creek trail or Ridge Runner. The lower part of Bottle top provides some small views of the Seymour River and is ideal for mountain biking due to its limited accessibility and steep pitches.

Ridge Runner This 400meter trail provides a technical route out to the power lines or in from the power lines towards either Bottle Top or Lizzie Lake Loop.

Lower Mystery Creek This trail is the funnel for many of the trails and leads to Fisherman’s exit. The trail has deeply incised ruts from the many years of mountain biking down it. The trail is 430meters long and is very steep in certain places.

Power line Connector This 400meter section of the trail is an access point from Mystery Creek to the power lines. This trail s a good point for users to cross Mystery Creek to enter the Hyannis area.

Blair Range This trail serves as a connector trail to Baden Powell trail and all of the Southern Provincial park trails as well as the North Vancouver trail system. The trail is straight and runs down from the Mushroom lot and ends at the power lines. This 500meter section is ideal for mountain bike cruising. This trail has a connector called the Blair Range/ Dales connector, which can be used as a short cut from Dales to Blaire Range and eventually the Power lines.

Corkscrew Corkscrew is a short and challenging trail beginning at the Mushroom lot and finishing near the bottom of the Incline trail. It has numerous boardwalks and log rides that makes it a fun and interesting alternative to the Incline trail which its Parallels. The total length of the route is 425 meters of which none is too steep.

Incline This is a trail is meant as a quick link between the Mushroom lot and the Power lines. The major feature of this trail is a ramp used for jumping across the narrow. The length of this fast track is 495 meters and is relatively straight throughout.

TNT This trail is by far the longest route on the East Side of the LSCR at 2.85km. TNT provides the opportunity for a variety of recreational activities. The trail starts at the Access road and runs West- Southwest to where it joins Mystery Creek trail. The route is a good option for those looking for long and less challenging way to get to the power lines near the Hyannis Park. Some sections of the trail are composed of logs and large angular rocks since it was built around old logging roads and spurs. This provides challenging terrain for both hikers and bikers in wet conditions due to slippery logs and rocks.

Mystery/TNT Connector This connector trail is 350 meter long and joins Mystery Creek trail and TNT. This trail is unsuitable to ride on due to the old and decayed sections of boardwalk.

Mystery Falls This route connects TNT to the Mushroom lot. It gained its name because it crosses Mystery creek just below Mystery Falls. The length of this trail is 820meters and is ideal for a variety of recreational uses.

Mushroom Path This trail 395meter trail provides the main access to all of the trails that begin in the historic Mushroom lot and it can be accessed from the third switchback on the Mount Seymour Parkway. All of the trails start from this point because it was historically a parking lot for the recreational user of the area. In addition, a large stump was carved in the same of a mushroom and was meant for those who wanted to post the itinerary of their plans for the day in case of an emergency.

Problems Because of the scale of our project and since it was a relatively new method of Surveying and mapping to us we encountered some problems.

Equipment The first problem was the total failure of the Criterions batteries. The Criterion came equipped with two rechargeable batteries for its only power source. During the first day of mapping in mid October, we drained both fully charged batteries within 15minutes of use. We accounted this to the fact that the batteries were old and were unable to hold a proper charge anymore. This promoted us to have the batteries sent away to have the cells replaced in them with the idea that it would take one to two weeks.

However, the batteries were not sent back to the school until early January. Due to this piece of equipment being required for the major portion of our fieldwork we were set back by three months. It is possible that our project objectives would have substantially changed had we known the real length of time it would take to get the batteries back. To make use of the time allotted for project work we carried out a reconnaissance of the trail locations and their lengths to gain an idea of how much time they will take to map.

Unit and Survey Numbers The next problem was getting an efficient and an understandable procedure to enter data in the Criterion’s memory and make sense of it after it was downloaded. The difficulty arose from entering different Surveys numbers in the Criterion for each section and loop of that trail. It became very confusing to interpret the downloaded data verse the data that we took by hand because different trails would have the same Survey numbers.

It was solved with a system that each trail would start with a Survey number and that unit numbers would be added going up in 10’s according to the number that the Survey started with. Example the trails Survey number was 1 and as loops and intersections were added, the Unit number would start at 11, then, 22, 33 etc. This cleared up the problem of overlapping trail Survey and Unit numbers.

Downloaded Data When comparing field notes against the downloaded notes there was a discrepancy in the version of the Slope percentage to what the version of downloaded data that “RoadEng traverse notes” had. Each set of slope percentages in RoadEng was consistently out between one to four numbers. This difference was because it was using the “Inclination” as the “Slope Percent” number.

This problem was because there was a glitch in the download procedure we followed. When we were downloading the “Raw” data from the Criterion to an S1 format, we needed to select what data would be imported. Since we required “Slope Percent” in the traverse notes, this is what we selected. However, what needed to be selected was what the Criterion would send to the computer. The Data within the Criterion was stored as “Inclination” but we told the computer to recognize this as “Slope Percent.” It therefore mistook the downloaded data as the “Slope percent” although it was really the “Inclination.” We realized this and so we changed our input from “Slope Percent” to “Inclination” which solved the problem.

There were no other major setbacks for the remainder of the project. However, many small details in connecting trails with each other and linking the according notes to them proved difficult. This was due to complex file management so that the information could be made sense of by other readers than just us.

From these problems, we gained an extensive knowledge of procedure for problem solving when dealing with obstacles during projects. Because of some of the glitches we incurred we can provide a procedure for another group to do similar work and have work go much smoother knowing a few simple steps to deal with problems that could cause very time consuming delays.

Conclusion

The East Side recreational trails in the LSCR are very popular year round. The trails have previously only been drawn on to existing maps of the area. Due to the trails popularity, the LSCR staff believed that a more detailed and accurate map of the East Side trails was required. We took on this project because it would benefit the LSCR and the trail users would have an accurate and detailed map of the area.

We benefited from this project by: • Learning how to use a Criterion proficiently. • Using GPS equipment to establish tiepoints. • Learning how to download data collected from the Criterion into a RoadEng format. • Learning how to manipulate the downloaded data within RoadEng. • Making contacts within the LSCR staff.

These satisfied all of the requirements that we set forth in out initial proposal. The only exception meeting our objectives was overlaying the map we created onto a pre-existing Arcview map of the area. This was due to time constraints and the offer from the GVRD to have their Geographic Information System specialist do this because it is a major procedure and our product might not have been adequate.

There is a minor problem in the accuracy of the closing errors on a couple of the trails due to a few reasons. Loops 4 and 6 in the CBC trail have a larger error in comparison to the slight percentage errors of most of the trails. We attribute the error to because CBC was our first day of surveying and using an improper method for separating the loops from the main trail. Secondly, there are large percentage errors with trails Cutoff, Mystery Creek, and Old Camp. These errors stem from us having passed and not tagging an entrance or exit of these trails. This resulted in us not being able to tie them into the baseline trails and tags that had absolute values

The data that we produced will be useful for a long time to come because we have set the format where by information can be added and updated as needed. Since all of the information is on a Zip disk it will be easy for it to be updated in the future by BCIT students.