Cypress Olympic closures irk backcountry skiers

A decision to close one of B.C.'s busiest backcountry ski andsnowshoeing areas on Vancouver's North Shore because of the Olympic Games is upsettingthose who use the wilderness trails for their winter recreation.

B.C. Parks says some trails in Cypress Provincial Park will be closed from Dec.1 until April 1, a total of more than four months. Public access to the rest of the area will be restricted from Feb. 1 to March 8.

The wilderness area is being closed because theCypress Mountain ski resort located inside the park is hosting the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events during the 2010 Winter Games from Feb. 12 to 28.

Closures too long: skier

Glen Head, 70, said he normally skies in the area two or three times a week during the winter, but that won't be happening this year.

"It means basically the whole ski season for guys like me, we'll have no access to where we normally go, no access to it all. And to read their website, there will be security people there to make sure we don't go up there," he said.

Head said he understands why the area would be closed in February, but it's not clear why the area is being closed 2 months before the Games begin and a month afterward.

"We're not going to argue Feb. 1 until March 8, of course. To close it for two months before and then a month after the Olympics, even for any security reason, I can't come up with any logical reason, and nobody is telling us anyway."

The Environment Ministry, which oversees the park, could not be reached for comment.