The 'other' season at ski hills : applying the limits of acceptable change (LAC) to a study of summer alpine recreation on and adjacent to Whistler Mountain, British Columbia

Downhill skiing and snowboarding are commonplace winter activities at ski hills. However. The advent of operating chairlifts or gondolas during the summer to accommodate activities like hiking, sightseeing. and mountain biking is increasing. In 1991, only 12% of the major ski hills in British Columbia had a lift operating in the summer. A decade later, summer lift operations occurred at 65% of these areas. Some ski hills like Whistler Mountain are receiving upwards of 200.000 visitors each summer. However. this dimension of mountain use has yet to receive any serious research attention. Therefore, this study analyzes summer recreation on Whistler Mountain and in adjacent areas of Garibaldi Provincial Park. British Columbia. The purpose of this study is to achieve a comprehensive baseline understanding of summertime use in this region and to determine appropriate management strategies for this area. This research is guided by the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) framework, which involves identifying acceptable social and resource conditions and prescribing strategies for attaining these conditions. The LAC has received considerable attention in the literature. and is thought to be perhaps the most sophisticated approach to visitor management in outdoor recreation settings. However, very few applications can be found or have been reported, especially in Canada. This study focuses on the social dimensions of this framework as it ascertains the demographics, activities, trip characteristics, motivations, and satisfaction levels of summer visitors in this region. It also determines their perceptions of crowding and attitudes regarding lift ticket prices. facilities and services. detracting activities. and management alternatives. Moreover, recreation specialization levels of visitors are measured and a continuum from the least experienced “generalists” to the most experienced “specialists” is developed. The vehicle for collecting this information is a 37-question survey that was conducted face-to-face (on-site) with summer visitors. Sampling was stratified according to five sites and visitors were randomly selected at these sites. This approach is important because most recreation research is conducted at trailheads or through mail surveys. These methods do not reveal visitor differences that may exist between sites within a region, thus assuming that visitors throughout a setting are homogeneous. Therefore, this study explores these possible spatial variations, not normally examined in recreation research. After two pilot tests, the survey was completed by 548 summer visitors from July I to September 4, 2000 (response rate = 84.2%, margin of error=± 4.2%. confidence level = 95%). This survey is analyzed using descriptive, non-parametric, and parametric inferential statistical tests to reveal differences in visitor characteristics and attitudes between the sites. The LAC demands input inclusive of all stakeholders with recreational, economic, and ecological interests in an area. Therefore, this study solicits multi-stakeholder input not only from visitors. But also from 21 representatives of 12 different companies, government agencies, and recreation and environmental special interest groups. Surveys and semi-structured interviews gathered input from these stakeholders concerning a plethora of issues related to summertime use in the study area. The survey results are reported as percentages given the small sample of representatives, while the interview results are reported using direct quotes and paraphrased comments. An integral component of the LAC system involves measuring indicators to reveal standards of quality, or thresholds at which conditions reach unacceptable levels. This study employs a visual approach to normative theory using photographs depicting increasing levels of impacts for social (hiker and mountain biker crowding) and resource (bare ground at campsites, trail conditions, litter) indicators. The acceptability of these impacts is evaluated by visitors and stakeholder groups to reveal their norms and standards for each of these social and resource indicators. An expanded model for measuring indicators and standards is also introduced and empirically tested in this study. Results indicate that most of the variables in the visitor survey significantly differ between the sites, suggesting the need to manage and monitor each area differently. The frontcountry visitors at the top of Whistler Mountain are mostly sightseers originating from around the world. They are not very specialized and they visit this area mainly to view the alpine scenery. The visitors at the backcountry sites are more specialized hikers and campers mostly from Whistler or Greater Vancouver who visit the area mainly to engage in specific recreation activities. Compared to the frontcountry visitors. They find indicator impacts less acceptable, are more capable of specifying standards for indicators, and in most cases, have a higher level of consensus regarding appropriate impacts. At some of the sites, many visitors feel crowded, are detracted by the helicopter over-flights, and want more staff presence and educational and interpretive activities offered. The stakeholder groups express similar concerns and also feel that use levels, litter, crowding, and helicopter over-flights are important indicators for this region. Crowding standards vary between the stakeholder groups, but there is little disagreement regarding standards for litter and trail conditions. Recommendations for improving visitor experiences and managing summertime use in the entire study area and at each site are suggested. Issues warranting further research are also discussed.

Fetched live from OpenAlex and de-inverted. Abstracts are not stored in this database: the inverted indexes are 8.6 GB of the frame’s 9.3 GB of text, and the host has 13 GB free.