Squamish just ain't what it used to be

Wife and I went for a little ride in squamish. Haven't been riding there much for several years. We used to ride there a ton and it used to be one of our favorite spots.

Nowadays, every trail is braided. 1/2 the riders have a motor pushing them up the mountain. 1/4 of the riders are filming their novice ride. The last 1/4 are shuttling. I now feel more at home on the shore where ebikes seem to be more rare and gopros aren't everywhere. 

God bless the shore. The last bastion of old school riding.

You must be riding in a different Squamish than the rest of us? The Shore has its virtues, but there are few places that can match Squamish for variety and quantity of amazing trails.

It's not the trails but the "scene."

I think youre seeing a concentration of people you wouldnt normally see, who are just trying to get out during the pandemic. I ride in Squamish more than anywhere else. Im always surprised by how few people I see on the trails, despite how busy the parking areas might be.  I cant speak to the “scene”.  Im an old guy riding solo.

Actually, forget I said that. Squamish is clapped out. Dont go there. 😉

I went to Squamish on a Wednesday evening a week and a half ago. Lots of riders and groups. Almost crowded. No one was in anyone’s way but certainly far more riders out that I’m used to here in Whistler in my end of town. I think if you are on your home turf, you learn where to go to avoid others if that’s your thing. I think people coming to an area that don’t know it well tend to ride certain popular trails that they have heard of. Perhaps a false sense of crowdedness is perceived?

I hear what you guys are saying. As I mentioned, been riding up there  for the better part of two decades. We do know the less traveled trails but have just noticed a real change in the ethos. Personally, I think you have to be a real douche to braid a classic trail that has been around longer than you have been riding for a strava segment. The sheer quantity of braiding, gopro and emopeds is a constant reminder that we are sharing the trails with riders looking for a different experience.

Don’t knock e-mopeds until you’ve tried them brah! I get way more laps in now. See ya OuT TheRE_©️

^Rep this user. 

Remember when people would pull a downed tree off to the side of the trail on a ride?

Braiding trails is inexcusable. It’s disrespectful to the builder and community.

Posted by: RAHrider

It's not the trails but the "scene."

Agreed. But like any place, with a little strategic planning you can bypass the scene altogether. Weekdays, early starts, etc.

Posted by: JBV

i've said it a thousand times and i'll say it again. Strava is a plague and the number of riders that subscribe to dick measuring every single ride is appalling. i even know friends in this boat and i don't ride with them.  mountain biking isn't racing, but people have been fooled into thinking it is.

Well said.

Posted by: Stuminator

Posted by: JBV

i've said it a thousand times and i'll say it again. Strava is a plague and the number of riders that subscribe to dick measuring every single ride is appalling. i even know friends in this boat and i don't ride with them.  mountain biking isn't racing, but people have been fooled into thinking it is.

Well said.

Agreed. If you want race, get a god damn racing license and number plate and actually race. Strava is so inaccurate it means nothing.

I was chatting with a local builder the other day. He had a fat tired ebike that he motorized himself. Throttled and massively powerful. Gives him quicker access for building. But boy did he ever go off on those that ride them with no reason other than to ride more. We had been talking about his trail and the fact that riders had been cutting in at the halfway point to avoid the fantastic aesthetic single climb because it was too hard. 

Do people still think that growth of the sport by encouraging folks to get ebikes is good? Or growth at all?

Posted by: andy-eunson

I was chatting with a local builder the other day. He had a fat tired ebike that he motorized himself. Throttled and massively powerful. Gives him quicker access for building. But boy did he ever go off on those that ride them with no reason other than to ride more. We had been talking about his trail and the fact that riders had been cutting in at the halfway point to avoid the fantastic aesthetic single climb because it was too hard.

Do people still think that growth of the sport by encouraging folks to get ebikes is good? Or growth at all?

I’m going to assume the riders cutting in half way are on regular bikes? Certainly for an emtb this fantastic climb wouldn’t be too hard. It also sounds like your builder friend is unfamiliar with the word hypocrisy.

I think in some cases a “braid” is just the natural evolution of a trail. Sometimes it could be a ride around and other times it is just a better line that was simply missed when the trail was cut.