Trail closures and mudslides on North Shore with more rain expected

Heavy overnight rain has resulted in trail closures and mudslides on the North Shore.

In the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, Metro Vancouver was forced to close the lower Lynn Loop Trail due to a debris slide.

“There is lots of water coming off the hill,” said Tom McComb, regional operations supervisor for Metro Vancouver parks.

McComb said people are being urged to stick to the upper Lynn Loop Trail as a result.

And that may not be the end of it; McComb added that another 50 millimetres of rain is expected over the weekend.

He said Metro Vancouver staff are watching the area closely, but won’t be able to fully assess the damage or cleanup cost until an engineer can get on site Monday.

On Grouse Mountain, the rain caused more problems.

Grouse Mountain itself was also subject to a mudslide at its upper parking lot, closest to the Skyride gondola entrance.

“With some of the significant rainfall on the North Shore, we did have a small mudslide that affected the upper parking lot in the northwest corner of our property,” said Julia Grant.

“It came in through the Metro Vancouver watershed lands, but there were no injuries, no significant damage.”

The slide came at a fortuitous time for Grouse Mountain, which has shut down the Skyride for nearly two weeks for seasonal maintenance.

Grant said crews spent Friday cleaning up the mess, but don’t expect major impacts to operations.

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While the majority of the trails on the North Shore remain open, McComb cautioned anyone heading into the area to be careful.

“We caution our visitors during these really inclement times. We’ve got heavy rainfall expected. We’re in a remote area,” he said.

“Certainly, if they do come out, we’d advise them to be prepared, have the 10 essentials, a cellphone, and have a plan you leave with friends or family and just be aware you’re headed into backcountry conditions.”

He added that anyone headed into parks on the North Shore should check the Metro Vancouver website or social media for updates on the conditions.

“Given the situation we’re dealing with right now, we could close at any time,” he said. “Be prepared.”