Non-Mechanized Winter Recreational Use in Stagleap Provincial Park

This study examined what areas of Stagleap Provincial Park non-mechanized backcountry winter recreationists used through February and March of 2006. Key objectives of the research were: 1. To determine the most common used routes by recreationists, 2. To determine how often these routes were being used, 3. To display the risk of avalanche exposure along these routes on a GIS map. This information could then be used by the Resource Managers of Stagleap Provincial Park, so they could improve the effectiveness of their management plan to better suit Stagleap Park recreational activities. The primary method used to collect the data was personal surveys with the recreationists in the parking lot at the top of the Kootenay Pass. Other methods were interviews with the Highways Avalanche Control staff and Park staff. The demographics of the recreationists at the Pass, the experience and training, the amount of time that the participants spend at the park, and the information on what areas are used the most were some questions on the survey. Stagleap Park was broken up into different sections to look at the amount of use in the different areas. First, it was divided into the north and south sides of the Highway 3, and then into smaller areas on these sides of the highway to get a closer look at where exactly the recreationists were traveling. The different aspects of each of these smaller areas traveled were then taken into consideration to determine why people were choosing these routes. Some of the recommendations for Stagleap Park Managers are to install an area where recreationists could find maps of potential routes and avalanche terrain in the park. Also recommended is adding additional trails and cabins to draw recreationists to the safe areas where the Resource Managers want them to be traveling in.