Whistler Trails 2019 (not WBP)

Posted by: nortonwhis

Posted by: grambo

Looks like Into the Mystic/LOTS are open and RMOW has revealed the new Rush Hour and Last Call descent trails to/from On the Rocks. Looks like some sweet new additions, hope to get up and check em out this summer:

https://www.trailforks.com/region/westside-sproatt/

Is Pot of Gold another trail that Howler is working on? Description below, also great to see prominent NO E-BIKE messaging. Hope there's enforcement somehow:

Under Construction. Do Not Enter. RMOW constructed trail connecting With A Twist To the Ninja Lakes Loop through Rainbow Lake and Hanging Lake pass.

Disclaimer

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. NO E-BIKES, NO DOGS IN THE ALPINE.

Im debating creating an Ebike name and shame photo group on FB. There's a significant portion of older whistler locals (owners and employees of big shops) that i have seen riding e-bikes, and sneakily trying to sneak away when seen or deliberately try to block view of their bike.

Hahah sneaking away or blocking view of bike, that is so lame. If the official word now is they are allowed on valley trails besides Sproatt alpine, then owners should sack up and be fine riding them, just shows they feel shame hiding them. No excuse for riding where they are banned, especially locals who should know better? There was a report that the Devinci Western Canada rep and a bunch of industry dorks were riding ebikes to LOTS during Crankworx last summer and were dicks when confronted. I also read on Pinkbike this same asshole (not sure name, need to find out to complain to Devinci HQ about it), had an ebike demo in Cumberland even though UROC/Cumberland Community Forest (PRIVATE land) prohibits their use. Again when confronted he said he doesn't give a shit. Pricks like that need to be name and shamed.

If I get up this weekend and see any ebikes I'll be taking pics and having a friendly chat as to why the rules don't apply to them.

Posted by: grambo

Posted by: nortonwhis

Posted by: grambo

Looks like Into the Mystic/LOTS are open and RMOW has revealed the new Rush Hour and Last Call descent trails to/from On the Rocks. Looks like some sweet new additions, hope to get up and check em out this summer:

https://www.trailforks.com/region/westside-sproatt/

Is Pot of Gold another trail that Howler is working on? Description below, also great to see prominent NO E-BIKE messaging. Hope there's enforcement somehow:

Under Construction. Do Not Enter. RMOW constructed trail connecting With A Twist To the Ninja Lakes Loop through Rainbow Lake and Hanging Lake pass.

Disclaimer

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. NO E-BIKES, NO DOGS IN THE ALPINE.

Im debating creating an Ebike name and shame photo group on FB. There's a significant portion of older whistler locals (owners and employees of big shops) that i have seen riding e-bikes, and sneakily trying to sneak away when seen or deliberately try to block view of their bike.

Hahah sneaking away or blocking view of bike, that is so lame. If the official word now is they are allowed on valley trails besides Sproatt alpine, then owners should sack up and be fine riding them, just shows they feel shame hiding them. No excuse for riding where they are banned, especially locals who should know better? There was a report that the Devinci Western Canada rep and a bunch of industry dorks were riding ebikes to LOTS during Crankworx last summer and were dicks when confronted. I also read on Pinkbike this same asshole (not sure name, need to find out to complain to Devinci HQ about it), had an ebike demo in Cumberland even though UROC/Cumberland Community Forest (PRIVATE land) prohibits their use. Again when confronted he said he doesn't give a shit. Pricks like that need to be name and shamed.

If I get up this weekend and see any ebikes I'll be taking pics and having a friendly chat as to why the rules don't apply to them.

So ebikes are allowed in the valley now? I had no idea.

I assume (flip can correct me if I am wrong) is that RMOW is land manager for Sproatt alpine and have said non-motorized/no ebikes. The rest of valley trails I assume is Crown or park land (Garibaldi) and the Crown stuff would fall under either WB lease or Rec trails BC, the latter of which seems to have adopted a position that ebikes are allowed where-ever mountain bikes are allowed unless there are specific concerns. WORCA as an advocacy group has stated they are monitoring impact and adoption of ebikes, does not include them in their events (as they are motorized). It's up to the land manager to make the rules.

Sproatt/LOTS is explicitly no ebike and there's no excuse for anyone, especially people who should know better, to be riding ebikes and jeopardizing access.

Great day yesterday up Into the Mystic, out to the look-out and down LOTS. Hadn't gone to the viewpoint before so that was fun. Some patches of snow to walk through around On the Rocks the new Rush Hour/Last Call trails (which are great additions by the way) but otherwise mint conditions and very little mud/wet spots anywhere to be seen. I went up from Function this time and that first part of the climb is a grind... thought it would be sweet to get a longer Westside descent at the end (was gonna do High Society/ACDC) but I was so shattered I was just hanging on down Pura Vida/Duncans south to get back to the car. Need to ride more to be in shape to handle bigger days.

Talked to some RMOW staff up there (who were on ebikes, which makes sense) and they said they are just educating anyone they see with an ebike or dog up there on why it's prohibited and asking them to stop, no fines or anything at this time. Not sure they have jurisdiction or an enforcement mechanism for fines anyway. They did say they hadn't seen a single ebike yet this year, just dogs.

Anyone know what's happening up in the Chicotin's with ebikes? Seen plenty of videos of pros going in there on them. Presumably they had permits? Parks site says they aren't allowed. Not possible to to police though I guess. 

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/south_chilcotin_mts/

When I've met hunters up there they are all respectful of the park boundaries and won't go in there on their ATVs. I guess it's a more established norm for them. Ebikes are new and acceptable behavior is still being established. I actually met some hunters who would bike in (on 90s era mountain bikes) to set up game cams to give them a picture of what might wander outside park boundaries. Interesting mutual respect - us towards them for riding in on those bikes and them to us for rolling into grizzly territory with only a can of bear spray :D

I thought I remember seeing something from Tyax Adventures on instagram showing Norco ebikes, but their website shows Norco Sights. I would really hope there are no ebikes going into the park especially by official guides. Yes, I get that it would open up tours for a much bigger audience, but unless the guides are going to stash batteries at camps/passes it could be a nightmare if a bike fails and you have an out of shape guest pushing a 50lbs Norco VLT up a pass.

I remember seeing signs at the top of eldorado pass about no motorized access past this point. I was under the impression you could ride certain areas on anything up there. I could be wrong. I really hope people don't head out anywhere out there on ebikes though. that would suck

Did TOTW, Khbyer, MON, LOC on Friday... they've added some new doubletrack width flow bits to TOTW to bypass what I remember as very chundery rocks in the flat section before HWY 86 near Stu Inn. It's well built, steep short berms that are fun to push into... First time down Khyber/MON. Really enjoyed them, more old school single track feeling like Kashmir with fun crux moves/chutes here and there... and cool again to be riding through a classic zone you can ski in the winter. LOC is super wet still, not just the mud bogs (thank you builder for the bridges) but just overall it feels like a solid week long heat wave is needed on that trail. Was in better shape when I rode it late June.

Posted by: grambo

Did TOTW, Khbyer, MON, LOC on Friday... they've added some new doubletrack width flow bits to TOTW to bypass what I remember as very chundery rocks in the flat section before HWY 86 near Stu Inn. It's well built, steep short berms that are fun to push into... First time down Khyber/MON. Really enjoyed them, more old school single track feeling like Kashmir with fun crux moves/chutes here and there... and cool again to be riding through a classic zone you can ski in the winter. LOC is super wet still, not just the mud bogs (thank you builder for the bridges) but just overall it feels like a solid week long heat wave is needed on that trail. Was in better shape when I rode it late June.

Middle of Nowhere, Kashmir and Line of Control have been crazy wet. A week ago it was a lot of work keeping any speed even on trail bikes since it was so goopy. Regretted having the fullface on for that one. Last time I rode it was typical mid-summer conditions and it was a lot better. I'll probably only ride that stuff if everything else is blown-out dry in the future. On the same day Dark Crystal zone was darn near perfection. 

How is RDS these days? I've avoided it in recent years since they toned it down. I've lost interest in the bike park, but a top of the world lap is a fun option when the legs are toast.

Posted by: JVP

Posted by: grambo

Did TOTW, Khbyer, MON, LOC on Friday... they've added some new doubletrack width flow bits to TOTW to bypass what I remember as very chundery rocks in the flat section before HWY 86 near Stu Inn. It's well built, steep short berms that are fun to push into... First time down Khyber/MON. Really enjoyed them, more old school single track feeling like Kashmir with fun crux moves/chutes here and there... and cool again to be riding through a classic zone you can ski in the winter. LOC is super wet still, not just the mud bogs (thank you builder for the bridges) but just overall it feels like a solid week long heat wave is needed on that trail. Was in better shape when I rode it late June.

Middle of Nowhere, Kashmir and Line of Control have been crazy wet. A week ago it was a lot of work keeping any speed even on trail bikes since it was so goopy. Regretted having the fullface on for that one. Last time I rode it was typical mid-summer conditions and it was a lot better. I'll probably only ride that stuff if everything else is blown-out dry in the future. On the same day Dark Crystal zone was darn near perfection. 

How is RDS these days? I've avoided it in recent years since they toned it down. I've lost interest in the bike park, but a top of the world lap is a fun option when the legs are toast.

aren't the original lines on RDS still there?

Posted by: JVP

Posted by: grambo

Did TOTW, Khbyer, MON, LOC on Friday... they've added some new doubletrack width flow bits to TOTW to bypass what I remember as very chundery rocks in the flat section before HWY 86 near Stu Inn. It's well built, steep short berms that are fun to push into... First time down Khyber/MON. Really enjoyed them, more old school single track feeling like Kashmir with fun crux moves/chutes here and there... and cool again to be riding through a classic zone you can ski in the winter. LOC is super wet still, not just the mud bogs (thank you builder for the bridges) but just overall it feels like a solid week long heat wave is needed on that trail. Was in better shape when I rode it late June.

Middle of Nowhere, Kashmir and Line of Control have been crazy wet. A week ago it was a lot of work keeping any speed even on trail bikes since it was so goopy. Regretted having the fullface on for that one. Last time I rode it was typical mid-summer conditions and it was a lot better. I'll probably only ride that stuff if everything else is blown-out dry in the future. On the same day Dark Crystal zone was darn near perfection. 

How is RDS these days? I've avoided it in recent years since they toned it down. I've lost interest in the bike park, but a top of the world lap is a fun option when the legs are toast.

As of last Friday, Khbyer and MON were pretty much fine, only a couple wet areas (and assume Kashmir the same), it was really just LOC that was a swamp... but yeah good points all around. I rode Microclimate that morning and it was awesome (first time down it), even dusty/blown at the bottom. Wanted to do DC but didn't have the time so settled on a nice consolation prize.

And yeah like LoamtoHome says, the OG steeps on RDS are still there and were in good shape when I rode it a year or so ago. Super fun trail.

https://www.trailforks.com/report/678553/

Anyone know the rationale behind this work? Jaws was a super steep but rarely ridden trail, unsustainable? Maybe for after an EWS but for the traffic it usually gets? How 'blue' is the reroute? Seems a crazy decision to reroute a double black section with bench cut blue level trail.... I'm all for maintenance, but if the OG line doesn't exist anymore, I'll be a little sad.

They normally do a pretty good job of keeping the original line open, haven't been up there to look yet though. Don't really care either, that chute was pretty shit, basically unrideable in the original line and sounds like they kept the rest of the fun parts.

No 2020 thread but thought I would ask here. What's the best way to do laps of west side trails? In the past I've parked somewhere around Stonebridge and pedaled up the road/Sirloin to the flank and then back on Danimal to the car, but for multiple laps this seems like a lot of traversing. Say I wanted to ride Pura Vida then Working Class or High Society to AC/DC, is "Leftovers" on Trailforks a steep skidder you can push up to get back to the flank?

Gonna be in town 29th-1st, if the park is open we will do a day there... was hoping to ride Dark Crystal or Microclimate on the 1st but with this Juneuary weather dunno if it will be good to go.. looks like Out There is closed for IFP work. Thinking we will check out Howler (never ridden), another west side lap Pura Vida + WC or High Society and maybe one Southside up Hihi to Hindsight/Tunnel Vision.

Any other suggestions for trail rides? What's running good these days? Prefer single black or easier double black tech but don't mind some fast flow. If the park doesn't open will probably do a Pemberton day since I still haven't ridden there and this rain should keep things nice.