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SINGLE TRACK ATTACK
We all know Canada has some of the World’s best biking but the problem, as ever, is ‘how long have you got!’
Starting from our centre base at Canmore in the Rockies our new 2006 ‘’Single Track Attack’’ tour offer’s two weeks of amazing trails as we wind our way through to Whistler on the Pacific coast. Throughout the trip we have many highlights, and get to ride some favourite backcountry trails way off the tourist maps! We stay in very comfortable lodgings and have the added bonus of local guide’s to enhance the experience.
Day 1
From Calgary International Airport we head to Canmore …there is time to put the bikes together and see the local bike shops. Relax in the hot tub and grab a good night’s sleep!
Day 2
We’ll pick a local ride that will ease up those limbs from the flight and get you prepared for what’s to come. Some smooth single track will be offered – we can go as far as people are comfortable with.
Day 3
Baldy Mountain in Kananaskis Country, a classic for the region. The most requested ride from our guests over the past 6 years! A long climb, 2 hours at a slow / moderate pace with the last twenty minutes steep and technical, followed by a technical descent, getting gradually faster and smoother as the elevation drops-3500 feet!
Day 4
Wagons roll!! Pack up the van and head west! An early start will allow us to hit Golden’s trail network. Three choices exist here; Ski Hill, Mount Seven or the Moonraker trail network (for those who really would prefer a mellow x-c day). Ski hill trails are quite rough and more ‘’freeride’’ orientated, but with big-hit rental bikes and padding it is an option and the staff will swap the brakes around if forewarned. Reservations recommended. A real treat, though, would be to tear down Mt. Seven for the day. Lots of elevation gain, an easy drive up…probably three runs would get us all stoked…sweetness! Lots of trail options from ‘not too bad’ to ‘really pretty tough’. If there are some really rough and ready guests we could hike and bike up to a ride, normally accessed via helicopter, on the true summit (a two hour grunt). From the top, a screamer of descents (used in a New World Disorder video) takes the 6000 plus foot plunge to a funky restaurant just outside of town -the owner is a about having happy, filthy cyclists in his establishment, in fact he built the trail himself!
Drive to Revelstoke, for the next few days.
Day 5
A lazy start. Ride the Keystone Standard Basin Trail. A popular trail that is out and back but all at high elevation with quality single-track There’s time for an alpine picnic before heading back.
Day 6
Martha Creek/ Sail Mountain Trail. This is one of our guides all-time favourites. You can climb up the good dirt access road for a couple of hours…very long and exposed with awesome views, or you can sit in the van and eat chocolate as you prepare for a sweet old climbing trail that seldom sees any traffic. There are some tricky sections but an excellent flow over natural obstacles. The trail has so many types of riding all will love it – oh, and it’s another 6000 ft descent! Probably takes an hour to drop. It ends with a short road section to stretch out the forearms. Then we head down the road for an hour and a half to Halcyon Hot springs for a much needed soak. This is a new facility, no chlorine, amazing views, almost empty most of the time and they serve dinner too!
Day 7
Mostly a rest/ driving day as we head from Revelstoke to Lilloett, a little community nestling in fabulous surroundings. We can ride the Rose hill trails passed near Kamloops. Rose hill is a great taste of some roller coaster riding of this desert region. There are lots of ‘hucks’, some big/some small. It’s a fair bet that a couple laps of this half hour descent would amp up the riders for the days ahead in Whistler!
Day 8
Realistically it’s designated as a rest day. The drive into Gold Bridge for the next few days is slow and scenic-so get your camera ready! You could explore some of the local trails near our cabin’s or canoe around the lake or go up to some old mining ruins. …It’s a good place to chill.
Day 9
Today will be an unforgettable experience because we are going to do a floatplane drop from Tyax Lodge. There are a number of possible locations on tiny lakes and then you ride the legendary smooth and fast trails back to the Lodge. It is a very different ecosystem here, Chilcoten high alpine and very similar to Colorado…grasses, alpine flowers and trembling aspen (and serious bear country!). These trails are perfect backcountry biking and really do make you feel out there!!!
The cost of the plane drop is around a hundred $ Can.
Day 10
Shulaps Traverse Trail today! Superb! The idea is a long steady climb
Then a high elevation cruise for miles and miles on a ridge before starting an epic descent. It’s very fast and as smooth as you could wish for and the biking will probably take six hours – possibly the hardest day?
Day 11
Tenquille Lake Trail. Up early and drive the dirt road two hours to the top of the Hurley Pass, jump out and ride to be met at the Pemberton Valley floor. Some snaking down old roads and a tough hour-long climb to the trailhead. There it is another twenty minutes uphill before the trail traverses into a side valley feature. Another hour and a bit and you reach the beginning of the descent. This descent is very fast and amazing and all levels can do it, but vertigo on a couple of sections will slow some down. Lots of views near the top and a roller coaster ride at the bottom. You pop out at the van and drive into the Pemberton meadow region. Very beautiful valley, a lot like Switzerland
Lodging in Pemberton
Day 12
Take your choice of any of the hundreds of local trails. Recommended are Cream Puff -it is a short but sweet ride with lots of tame granite rolls and good views all round, and Lumpy’s Revenge- a great XC loop of about two hours across the valley, named after an amazing biker who shredded all these trails in the day. Swim in the lake or cruise into Whistler for those who need to see this alpine shopping spectacle?
Lodging: BB in Pemberton
Day 13
Hit up the Pony express for some Java ‘cause today we ride Whistler!!! What can we say; it is the best chair assisted riding in the world, period. After a quick demo on how to survive this type of riding the troop’s can be set free. Additionally anyone who wants to be mellow can explore a free trail, “The river runs thru it”, flat and fun. If any are keen, we will paint the village red, as it is the last night.
Lodging: Pemberton BBDay 14
With bikes packed we head to Vancouver International airport. Sweet!