Steep and Deep

“It is the mix of trails that blows me away. From easy to the wildest gnar. The diversity of trails ten minutes pedal from the middle of town is unbelievable”, says Matthew Lee, an east coast convert who knew Cookie from a previous life in Ottawa and has been drawn to the left coast by the lifestyle, mountains, and riding potential. I’m not exactly sure I agree with the mix Matthew describes, most of the trails are of a pretty high level (either fitness or skills wise) but I suppose this is part of the numbing process of living and riding here for long enough. There are a lot of trails though. There are one hundred trails in the valley. Considering there is only 2,000 people in the area that makes this place very trail–dense.

These trails are mostly steep, dusty and technical. Most are a stone’s throw from Bike Co. in ‘downtown’ Pemberton, lined up and waiting on the south facing Mackenzie ridge. In the past it appeared that Pemberton was very shuttle centric locale. The trails are big, burly, and steep. The kind which were best accessed by gas guzzling pick–up trucks and ridden on big bikes. The trails haven’t changed much, but these days riders are more likely to attack them on smaller ‘trail’ bikes. This is in part due to the work of local builders and the progression of bicycle technology.

Capable bikes that climb and still like to be slammed into the burl make sense now. People want to be out in the outdoors for long time having a good time, so pedalling up and around epic loops that still contain the same gnar, steeps, and tech that they would have previously shuttled up to ride with 8” of damage control.

It feels like there has been a renaissance of pedalling. British Columbia was heavily responsible for pushing riders and manufacturers to bump up the travel, weight and capability of bikes. The freeride scene that dominated the last decade demanded development towards bikes that allowed new highs to be struck but hindered riders ability get around the mountains. Peter Colapinto, the other half of Bike Co., has seen that Pemberton locals have always been keen to explore the outdoors on their bike, whether it meant pedalling or not, “It seems locals always have been what some would refer to as ‘cross country’ riders. It was the riders coming up from Whistler and the south for early season shuttles that gave this place a reputation for shuttling.”

Seb Wilde moved to Pemberton eight years ago. He grew up on the North Shore amongst the Deep Cove Bike Shop crew, lived in the Lower Mainland’s Fraser Valley for a while, before making the move up to Pemberton. When he did he sold his downhill bike and got pedalling. Seb now trail builds and rides more than anyone can dream of while also holding down the mechanic duties at Bike Co.

Part of the reason Seb left behind the big bike was due to one particular trail development, “Happy trail changed everything. It turned the place from shuttle centric to pedal centric for sure.” ‘Happy trail’ was a climbing trail that began to give riders a way to access some of the gnarly trails up high using a well–graded and shaded trail. Nigel Protter began building this game–changer in 2007. He used the topography well and worked the trail in a way that didn’t force its way against the gradient and gravity. This patient and sensible approach meant riders could enjoy the climb up to the rowdy trails up high. ‘Cop Killer’, ‘Overnight Sensation’ and ‘Gravitron’ are just some of the trails that were previously off limits to all but those willing to hump on the road. These trails often feel more like ski lines because of how they attack the fall line and the deep dust tends to have a vague feeling until you learn to just go hard enough that you float.

However, Nigel was not content and had plans for more. Around the same time the global financial meltdown was happening and the Canadian government came up with the idea of giving money to towns to stimulate local economies to keep them buoyant. Nigel, whose day–to–day job entails the kind of detail oriented eye for fund raising, put together an application for some of the stimulus funds with the PVTA (Pemberton Valley Trails Association).

The PVTA was started by locals in 2002 to get a valley trail network that linked the residential areas of the valley, but like many organisations, they found endless other campaigns to keep them busy. The PVTA, which although is run predominately by mountain bikers but includes motorbikers, hikers, and hunters, has been very successful in its crusades and secured the stimulus cash.

In 2009, using the stimulus funds, the climb was pushed upwards and upwards by way of hand crafted narrow singletrack. ‘Big Nimby’ extends from ‘Happy Trail’ and winds up 101 switchbacks to an elevation of 870m. From there many of the big boy trails can be accessed. However, using local dedicated labour the funds stretched enough to build ‘Let It Go’ (a continuation of the continuation), ‘Stimulus’ (a descent from the highest point right down to the valley floor) and ‘Middle Earth’ (another climb that reaches even higher into the Mackenzie range).

On the back of work completed with these funds local builders have continued onwards and upwards. Jonny Foon, a legendary skier and mountaineer, has been working on a huge project that will connect from the terminus of ‘Middle Earth’ all the way to the Birken drainage. Once completed it will create a humongous 68 km technical singletrack epic. And this isn’t the end of the plans.

Pemberton is just twenty minutes north of Whistler, and therefore just over two hours from the centre of Vancouver. Between the city and Pemberton there is more than several lifetimes worth of singletrack. In North Vancouver there are the trails of the North Shore’s three mountains. In Squamish there are endless flowing and technical trails and, due to the work of SORCA, Big Red Ted and supporters, several machine made trails that make it worthwhile to stop off on route to Whistler. In Whistler there is, of course, the Bike Park, but also in the valley is about 200km of trails that no one from outside of town seems to pay attention to. So Pemberton, being the furtherest away, has done something very sensible, and that is to set themselves apart and create something utterly different from what is already out there. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the big loops of Pemberton that demand legs, lungs and giant balls of steel are what sets this place apart.