Questions about spending the summer in Squamish

[Julia]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a working professional/weekend climber. However, I happened to get the summer off and my lease happens to end in June, and I got this crazy idea to just put my stuff in storage and spend the summer in Squamish!! I was in Squamish for a total of 5 weekends last summer, but I've never spent more than 4 days in a row there so I have a few questions for anyone who might know.

 

1. Camping. I'm planning on staying at the climber's campground. Is there a limit for how long you can camp there? If so, how do I get around that? Would it be enough to move to a different campsite, or should I plan on getting a room in the hostel for a night every couple of weeks? Any other suggestions? I have a truck -- I could sleep in the back of that once in a while. I'm thinking of getting a camper shell, but I'm not sure I can afford it.

 

2. Showers. I don't mind going for a week or so without a shower, but I'm going to want one once in a while -- swimming in the lake only does so much. Will I have to get a room in a hostel to get a decent shower? Or spend that night at the Shannon Falls campground maybe? Is there another public shower I could somehow use?

 

3. Climbing partners!! I'm planning on doing this by myself. How hard will it to be to find people to climb with? I'm particularly concerned because I'm not the greatest climber. I can top-rope 5.10's clean, but I tend to be pretty slow. As far as leading, I can lead 8 sport consistently and only 7 trad consistently. I have lead Sally Five Fingers and a few other 8's in that area of Smoke Bluffs. They were really easy and short though and I wouldn't say I can lead 8's consistently -- I wouldn't be comfortable leading the 8 pitches of Diedre for example. I'm hoping that after spending a couple of months there, I'll be climbing much better, but at my current ratings, do you think it'll be difficult for me to find people to climb with? I will post in the partners section of this board as well as squamishclimbing.com, and probably put a note up on the bulletin board at the climber’s campground. Any other suggestions for finding partners?

 

4. Getting there. I live in Seattle and I'm an American. I'm planning on driving there. If I say that I'm planning on staying for a couple of months will that cause problems at the boarder crossing?

 

5. A job. Although I think I can cover the minimal expenses that go with living out of a tent, it would be nice to have some kind of part-time job for extra spending money. How hard would it be to find something like that as an American? Where should I look (the hostel, the climbing store, etc)?

 

6. Anything I'm forgetting? Anything else I should know about?

 

Thanks in advance!

[glassgowkiss]

yes there is a limmit on staying at the campground. there are free places, i can shoot you pm. however your biggest problem is you can't stay over 90 days in canada. if you don't go over this limmit you'll be ok.

[Sherri]

Good luck on your plans, Julia, sounds like a great adventure in the making!

 

I can answer one of your questions: the Brennan Recreation facility(public pool/skating rink) charges a buck for a shower(ok, the website actually says "$1.14"). It's adjacent to the campground, too, if I remember correctly.

 

link: recreation centre webpage

 

Have fun! Maybe see you there this summer...(on the rocks, not in the shower )

 

Sherri

 

 

 

 

[EWolfe]

lol, Sherri.

 

GGK, is that per year? Could you possibly say you are returning from Alaska via the Alcan and not get busted?

 

Great idea Julia! You will have fun!

[glassgowkiss]

i think you have up to 2x 90 days with 1 mo in between visits. i don't think they check if you stay just for a few days at the time, however i did hear about cuple of cases, where people were deported back across the boarder. in any case- a lot of canadians start developing a big dislike to americans, due to lumber dispute, flighrt manifest aproval and such stupid things. anyway- i just wanted to put it out there, so one doesn't overstay the limmit. btw with computer system in place ALL your cross border travel is recorded.

[catbirdseat]

I'll be in Squamish the entire second week in June and thus far don't have climbing partners lined up. The Brew Pub is where all the climbers go and a great place to find partners.

[G-spotter]

I wonder if there's a Mexican climbers' forum where they wonder about heading to Yosemite for all summer and maybe working under the table a bit...

[Lowlander]

I'm sure you can stay there for 6 months without any problems. I did it in Vancouver. As for a job, just look for something under the table. It makes everything easier. At the border, don't tell them you are planning on living in Canada for 6 months though, just say you are planning a trip for one month, stay for six, and then tell the U.S. Border whatever you feel like when you get back. They don't communicate and as long as you haven't done anything illegal, you will be fine. It worked great for me.

I've had Canadian friends denied access into the U.S. and American friends denied access into Canada when the border patrol thought they were dirtbags, unemployed, and possibly living/staying with a significant other in the said traveled country. So lie, it's easier. You are an American citizen, they'll let you back in.

 

Edited April 17, 2007 by Lowlander

[catbirdseat]

If you do as he says you had better keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. If you climb with Fred, don't let him drive so you won't get pulled over by the RCMP.

Edited April 17, 2007 by catbirdseat

[murraysovereign]

Hi Julia,

There is a limit of 14 days per season at the campground, so just moving to a different pad won't cut it. If there are lots of empty sites they might let you stretch that out a bit, but if things are busy they'll be pretty strict in enforcing the limit. And it's per season, also, so leaving and then coming back a few days later also won't work. Of course, if you go away for long enough that they forget who you are, then come back, you'd probably be OK for another 14 days. The limit is there mainly to prevent people taking up permanent residence, which has been a problem in the past. People do live out of their trucks all the time, but it can get pretty old in a hurry if you're not accustomed to that lifestyle. A lot of climbers end up in rented houses for the summer, with as many people crammed in as possible to cover the rent. Once you get here, start asking around - you may be able to find a spare room in someone's house for not much $$.

 

Showers are available at the rec centre, as has already been mentioned. There are also bike lockers available there, so you can lock up all the gear you won't be using for the day - this is far preferable to leaving it in your vehicle in the parking lot. I can't stress that one enough - DON'T leave all your packs and bags and stuff in your vehicle at the trailhead all day: eventually it will be stolen.

 

Finding climbing partners is never too difficult. The Hostel, the Brew Pub, and the coffee shops are all good places to hang around. Just try to look like someone who's looking for a climbing partner, and keep an eye out for others who are looking like someone who's looking for a climbing partner. But for starters - from your description, you sound as if you climb just like me. After 8 years of self-employment, I can barely remember climbing at all. But I'm planning on spending far less time in the shop this summer in favour of more outdoor-oriented pursuits, and in particular I want to start making up for all those non-climbing years. 5.8 sounds just fine to me

 

I'm not entirely familiar with the border crossing thing, since I only do it once a year, for only a few days. But I believe you shouldn't have any problems if you just tell them you're taking some time off from work and plan on travelling around BC and Alberta for a while before you go back to work in September. I'm pretty sure you get an automatic 90-day stay as a tourist, which would take you from late June through late September.

 

As for work, again, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'll be looking for extra hands in the shop so I can go climbing, and there's another climbing shop, as well as lots of landscaping companies and pubs and restaurants and campgrounds and the like, and they'll all be looking for help. BC is experiencing a bit of a labour shortage right now, so anyone who wants to work will probably be able to find something.

 

Don't pay too much attention to the business about anti-American sentiment. There was one brief alcohol-fueled scuffle in a campground - what, 5 years ago? - that people keep dragging out and waving around as evidence of some deep-seated, seething mass of violent hostility toward Americans. It's nonsense. The softwood lumber dispute has, for the moment, been mostly settled, and most people know nothing about it anyway. And the whole Iraq War thing we're just plain weary of, as are most Americans it would seem. So don't worry about over-staying your welcome. As long as you don't act like a complete ***hole, waving your guns in people's faces and screaming U-S-A!!! U-S-A!!! at, like, 3 AM when people are trying to sleep, you can stay as long as you like.

[canadug]

Crossing the border is never automatic. I would not volunteer that you are unempoloyed..just tell them you are traveling for a month to do some climbing and hiking. If you stay longer than you say no one is going to care at the US crossing as they can not deny a citizen entry into their own country.

[bstach]

The Canadian authorities will likely have issues with this. Sure, lying will get you in, but what if you get pulled over or otherwise run into the law? Could ruin your summer and put you on immigration's "shit list" for years.

 

Canadians are reasonable people. Call the consulate and find out what you need to do to be here legally all summer. Its probably not that painful or expensive. Probably a one-page form and $50 and you have yourself a 90-day visitor visa.

[Lowlander]

You can listen to people who have had experience with this, or people who have ideas. Check out the Canadian Border Patrol website

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html

 

There they state that they can deny entry if you are unemployed. And as an American you can stay for 6 months legally. You may be allowed to be there for 6 months, but that doesn't mean they have to let you in.

You a trouble maker? No? Then don't worry about the law catching up with you. If they ask you what you are doing there, don't lie, just say "climbing". Good luck.

 

[drater]

FYI, claiming to be going climbing at the Osooyos border crossing is an automotatic "pull over to the left please and step out of your vehicle."

 

 

Golfing gets a big smile and the quickest green light evar.

 

[Julia]

Thanks for all the replies so far!!

Just to clarify a few things, I'm not totally unemployed, I'm a professor at a community college and I'm not teaching any classes this summer so I decided to go to Squamish for the summer. I'll only be there for ~ 2 months (July and August) and I'll be coming back in late July to attend a wedding, so at the boarder crossing I can just tell them I'm going climbing on vacation for a few weeks and it won't even be a lie.

 

One more question. I'm a little concerned with things getting stolen. I have a pick up truck and I'd really like to get a camper shell, but I can't afford it. I can lock things up in my truck a lot of the time, but even then, it's not completely secure -- it's pretty easy to break a window. I'd like to bring my lap-top to use in places that have free wi-fi, but it sounds like I should leave it behind. Any advice on how to keep things more secure while I'm climbing?

 

Thank you so much for all of your advice!! It sounds like this adventure of mine will be pretty doable!

Edited April 18, 2007 by Julia

[G-spotter]

A locker or mini-storage is secure out-of-vehicle storage.

Storing stuff in a pickup is just giving it to meth addicts It WILL get stolen.

[Jens]

Your crux will certainly be not having stuff stolen from your vehicle. Squamish is the worst for that sort of thing of any climbing area I've ever been to. When I come back from lift skiing at Whistler, I'm afraid to even stop for a few hours with all my ski stuff in my vehicle. The local law enforcement is pretty incompetent on this issue.

[murraysovereign]

"I can lock things up in my truck a lot of the time, but even then, it's not completely secure -- it's pretty easy to break a window. I'd like to bring my lap-top to use in places that have free wi-fi, but it sounds like I should leave it behind. Any advice on how to keep things more secure while I'm climbing?"

 

I meant to mention in my earlier reply that, in a pinch, we've almost always got room in the back of the store and will allow people to leave stuff with us while they're out for the day, especially things like laptops and camera equipment and the like are usually not a problem at all. If you've got tons of expedition gear it might get a little crowded, but even then we've managed to find room for some pretty large stashes of packs and duffels in the past.

[Sherri]

One more question. I'm a little concerned with things getting stolen. I have a pick up truck and I'd really like to get a camper shell, but I can't afford it. I can lock things up in my truck a lot of the time, but even then, it's not completely secure -- it's pretty easy to break a window. I'd like to bring my lap-top to use in places that have free wi-fi, but it sounds like I should leave it behind. Any advice on how to keep things more secure while I'm climbing?

 

Sounds like you need a Stealth Climbing Rig. Here's MisterE's step-by-step manual for pimping your ride:

 

Stealth Climbing Rig

 

It's a must-read for all aspiring dirtbags.

 

[dbb]

I would also recommend that you just pay someone a small amount to have secure storage. Cars are routinely broken into in broad daylight, and in plain view of folks climbing on the Apron. Best just not to leave anything valuable (even sleeping bags!) in the car.

 

Also, check out craigslist for cheap canopies. If you're just wanting a roof over your head in the back of the truck, you can usually get an aluminum one for ~$100. Just don't rely on it for security either. Sounds like an awesome trip!

[rmncwrtr]

Not sure if you're interested in a roommate situation, but this was just posted on a cc.com thread.

 

linky

[bstach]

Not sure if you're interested in a roommate situation, but this was just posted on a cc.com thread.

 

linky

Yeah, but sounds like with all the booze, drugs and sex, you might not get much climbing in. Then again, you might not care.

[kevino]

Yeah, but sounds like with all the booze, drugs and sex, you might not get much climbing in. Then again, you might not care.

 

You can't do that while climbing?

[G-spotter]

If you do it while climbing, it's aid.

[ZimZam]

Not sure if you're interested in a roommate situation, but this was just posted on a cc.com thread.

 

linky

 

the I'm posting this for a friend troll.