What is being described as an “administrative error” by ATV club president Tim Croston created a few days of panic for local and regional ATVers, when it was noticed that Mount Spieker was closed to ATVers.
On September 3, Croston posted that “I recently came across some information suggesting a permanent closure and wanted to verify before posting. Yesterday, while in Dawson Creek, I went to the Conservation Officer Services (CO) office to confirm it directly.”
But when Croston showed up, the doors were locked “with only a sign to call a 1-800 number,” but “that number’s menu is mostly for reporting violations, not for general inquiries.”
But he was finally able to speak with a CO, who confirmed the entire Mount Spieker area above 1400m was permanently closed year-round.
This has been true for snowmobiles for some time, but ATVs were, riders have been told, not part of that ban. “When I asked when this change happened — since this started as a winter snowmobile-only closure — even the COs couldn’t tell me,” says Croston. “They admitted they are rarely informed of changes themselves.”
“I asked, ‘How is the public supposed to know about changes so they don’t unknowingly break the law?’ the answer: ‘The onus is on the rider.’
He says nobody knew about the closure. Checking the regulations on the government website only shows the site was updated in March of this year. “So have we unknowingly been sending riders into a closed area all summer?” Asks Croston.
The answer, fortunately, is no.
Two days later, Croston was able to talk to someone who knew more information, who admitted the change was an “administrative error.”
“When the elevation restriction threshold was changed from 1524m to 1400m (to match other areas), the entire area was mistakenly mapped as closed,” he says. “The error will be corrected very soon, and they’ve already spoken with the Conservation Officer Service. We can resume riding the Mount Spieker area immediately — with NO risk of enforcement while the fix is finalized!”
Croston says there were dozens of emails sent to the government to enquire about the closure, which helped the matter percolate up to the attention of the right people. “This shows the power of working together! When we respectfully raise our voices, they listen and collaborate with us,” he says.
He says moving forward, it is the ATVers responsibility to act responsibly. “Let’s do our part: stay on the trails — no off-trail riding; pack out everything you pack in — leave no trace; no fires in sensitive alpine areas; and if you encounter wildlife, stop, shut off your machine, and avoid disturbing them (maybe keep it running for grizzlies).
“We must police ourselves and give no reason for anyone to reverse this decision.”
Above photo: Fortunately, the error was discovered before the first episode of the Tumbler Ridge Adventure Ride 2025, featuring a ride up Mount Spieker. The video is available on the Visit Tumbler Ridge YouTube page.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
