Mountain Biker's Guide to Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton

FOREWORD

WHY SEA-TO-SKY AS A DESTINATION?

FUN FACTOR. There’s tons of trails and each one has it’s own personality, you’ll never have the impression of riding the same stuff twice. From groomed to technical trails, granite to fresh loam, you’ll see it all. Here, the trails are built specifically for mountain biking by creative and talented builders; they’re not your typical ISO-IMBA trails so get ready to be blown away. Trust us, it doesn’t get more fun than this!

HOW'S THE TECHNICAL LEVEL?

The rumors are true. From our experience, a trail rated “Intermediate” (Blue) in the Sea-to-Sky would be rated “Expert” (Black) elsewhere out of BC. The riding level is higher; be humble and work your way up!

SO IT’S NOT SUITED FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES?

False! You’ll find a bunch of beginner trails through the area. In fact, the name of the game here is PROGRESSION. It means there is a huge choice of trails from very beginner up to pro level and EVERYTHING in between. They really got that right.

That being said, it’s expert wonderland here. The black and double-black are especially fun to ride. So if you come to BC as a beginner, make sure to come back when you stepped up your game!

I’M A XC RIDER AND IT’S ALL DH TRAILS.

Hang on. Whistler has full-on Downhill trails with chairlift access, true. The remaining zones (Squamish, Whistler “Valley Trails” and Pemberton) are NOT DH; but it’s correct to say it’s more gravity-oriented than most of other places generally speaking.

For example, we’ve seen trails with 10% grade average be described as “extremely steep” in California or Oregon; In Squamish a blue trail like “Meadow of the Grizzly” has 15% grade. A trail considered steep has like 30% grade (19th Hole in Squamish) or 35% grade (Cop Killer in Pemberton) with sections up to 100% grade (OK maybe not, but sometime that’s how it feels!).

So yeah, it’s steeper. It might be intimidating at first, but you’ll get used to it; then you’ll want more. And then you’ll get addicted to it. It’s different than your typical XC ride: it’s more upper body work, it’s physical, it requires braking skills and precise moves. It’ll make your a better all-around rider!

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?

Like the rest of the West Coast, the last few summers were VERY dry. It means that somewhere in July the trails turn into sand and very loose stuff; not ideal. Also, the area can get hit really bad with smoke from the wildfires; then you can’t see the awesomeness of the landscape.

We think May / June are good opportunities for hero dirt, mild and pleasant temperatures. However, keep in mind that the alpine (Top Of The World & Lord Of The Squirrels in Whistler) won’t be open at this period.

September / early October normally see some rain and cool temps again, so that might be a good choice too.

TRAIL DIRECTORY

Here in the Sea to Sky Trailforks.com rules, no doubt about that! So make sure to download the app NOW!

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

In 2017 we sold our house, quit our careers, moved in a van and hit the road full-time. Since then we are traveling North America in search of the best mountain biking trails, so we sampled quite a lot of them. We’re not local to Squamish, Whistler or Pemberton, but we spent 5 months there and rode most of it. We don’t pretend we know it all: this is a guide made for visitors, by visitors!

SQUAMISH

You’ll find 3 main zones there: Alice Lake, Diamond Head (University) and Valleycliffe. Unless you have plenty of time, we recommend sticking with these two zones:

ALICE LAKE

No shuttle option here. We like to park at the end of Perth road, then climb via Mashiter, Tracks from Hell, then Of Mice and Men.
Here you will find world-class slabs, epic steep & highly technical runs. To check if you’re up to the task, we recommend starting with Rupert (super fun and not so difficult!), then Entrails (more technical and steeper), then Room with a View (practice riding slabs here).

DIAMOND HEAD

Home of the classic “Half Nelson” and “Angry Midget” trails, this zone can be pedaled up (with the access road or with the Legacy singletrack) or shuttled.

ANTOINE’S FAVORITE TRAILS

What I like: technical, steep, roots, rocks

A high quality, high fun factor trail! This trail is the testimony that Squamish has highly skilled and creative trail builders!

In this trail you will encounter: steep, loose, technical, rocks & roots. SIMULTANEOUSLY.

It’s #1 on my list, but work your way up; it’s a tough one with high consequences possible.

Squamish slabs are totally unique, there’s no other place like it. Yes, we rode slabs in Moab or else, but here the grip/steep is unmatched. Do you trust your brakes and rubbers?

Note: Boney Elbows is accessed via Entrails (black technical trail); then Hueso follows Boney Elbows.

I wouldn’t call 19th Hole a masterpiece or a classic, but sometimes a good “point-and-shoot” fall-line run is sooooo good! No need to scout, there is no major features (except a few big gaps, but you’ll see them coming); so ride it blind, fast and loose!! Weeeeeee!

I would ride this trail much more often, but getting in (and out) of there is kind-of a mission… Getting there: Another Man’s Gold, Powerhouse Plunge Access (STP not recommended), Hoods Connector, Bonzai (North of South). Getting out: “Access 1”.

In this trail you will sample a little bit of everything Squamish has to offer: some slabs, roots, rocks, loam, loose dirt, flow… And there’s nothing major; intermediate riders might walk on 1 or 2 occasions but that’s all. It’s a fun, all around trail; go get it!

Home Brew is a short, but fun jump line. Probably not a must-ride, but if you feel like getting some air time, go for it! I’ll let that guy from the video explain it…

ISABELLE’S FAVORITE TRAILS

What I like: technical, steep, roots, rocks

This trail is SOMEWHERE OVER THERE! Pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but really worth the detour! It has a little bit of everything starting with a big slab 🙂 Then for a while it goes fast with some roots/rocks. Near the end, there are a succession of slabs.

This trail is rated as difficult, but since the slabs are not mandatory, it could also be fun for an intermediate rider.

Entrails is mandatory to get to Boney Elbows (and Room with a View). It consists of two sections: technical bridges on flat terrain then climbs to technical steep slabs/roots/rocks that can be quite intimidating at first. I’ll be honest, it took me a couple of rides/tries before being able to clear everything! And, there is still a line a need to work on! Did we mention Squamish is a great place to progress? This trail is a good indicator of progress!

Not familiar with slabs? A good introduction would be Room with a view. It starts with a steep descent then brings you to moderately steep slabs. You MUST be able to maintain your speed (no acceleration) comfortably on the way down or you’ll hit a tree/ground at mach 3. If Room with a View is too easy of you, you’re ready for Boney Elbows!

Boney Elbows starts with steep technical descents followed by great slabs. A three section slab was particularly challenging for me, make sure you know how to modulate your brakes before committing! Last slab is beyond my skill level for the moment… fortunately, it is optional!

This trail needs to be earned, the climb to access it is brutal. Once on the top, take a break and enjoy the view before dropping into the steep and loose descent. I really like the trail up to Pleasant trail, from there, it gets more difficult with tight technical switchbacks…

So, here’s the thing. These two trails are really similar in the way they are. Both are super easy (could even be ridden by a newly intermediate rider) if the features are avoided (Tazer’s Alternate to be taken in Rupert).

In my opinion, Rupert is more fun, has a better flow since there is a climb at the beginning and then it just goes down from there. The features are easier, slabs are slick rocks. Leave of Absence has a XC feel as there are many little climbs. However, the features are more challenging, the slabs aren’t slick which can mess with your mind.

These two trails are perfect for an intermediate rider that want to get to next level without facing too much challenge in one trail!

Trails in Diamond Head are either easy or super hard! I feel Cakewalk is just in the middle. There are challenges but the fun factor is still good for an intermediate rider trying to be an advanced rider!

Angry Midget or Ditch Pig is a good addition to the ride.

SUGGESTED RIDES

These trails may not be part of our Top 5, but they are classic trails and we rode them more than any of the other trails we liked better!

Whenever we had friends over, these are the rides we would start with!

Complete Loop
We recommend this as a shuttle. Park one car here and get to the top with a second car here.

The ride starts in Meadow of the Grizzly with epic views of the Chief and Squamish valley. Then you’ll ride the classic Half Nelson; it’s a popular trail so it’s well maintained and super flowy. Angry Midget is an easy technical black, there’s no mandatory features here. Ride it your own pace, then ride it again faster… and faster! This trail is FUN! Pseudo-Tsuga is an easy flowy trail; it gets dry in late summer, don’t wash out! Finish the ride in Your Mom; it’s an intermediate technical trail followed by the end of Pseudo-Tsuga with moooore berms and flow as you approach the parking lot.

No Shuttle Variation
Park here. Pedal up via the Access Road or the Legacy climb. Delete “Meadow of the Grizzly” unless you’re a machine!

No Technical (easier) Variation
Delete Angry Midget. You can also ride Pseudo-Tsuga all the way down and delete Your Mom.

This ride is a good introduction to Alice Lake trails. Rupert and Leave of absence are easy with some optional fun features; enjoy! Climb back up to ride Entrails; shitz is getting real here. You will encounter steep terrain with a lot of roots & rocks to make things more complicated (and more fun!). That’s how technical riding should be! About half way through Entrails, go ride Room With A View as it’s a good introduction to slabs riding. Mind blown? Wait, there’s more. Go ride In-And-Out-Burger after Room With A View; there’s an INCREDIBLE slab in there. You might want to walk it if you get dizzy 🙂

Credit Line is probably the trail with the most flow in Alice Lake sector! It starts as a XC trail with some punchy climbs; then from the rock section (choose your line!), you’ll find your flow through the easy technical features.

We like to combine it with Crouching Squirrel Hidden Monkey. Another trail that starts XCish but goes down fast through roots and rocks. Many lines available, the more you ride this trail, the more confident you feel. To make it easier, Kiki is a good alternative to consider to avoid the most difficult part of Crouching Squirrel Hidden Monkey.

This ride is perfect when we feel relax and we don’t want to push ourselves too much.

GOOD TO KNOW

BEER

Backcountry Brewing is THE place to get a good beer after a ride. Their Widowmaker IPA is soooooo good! They have the best pizza in town too, try them!

CAMPGROUND

It’s illegal to overnight in the streets in Squamish, but we got away with it during the off season (we tried during summer and got a warning from the police). Otherwise, there are a few spots listed on iOverlander.com.

SWIMMING HOLES