Wednesday started overcast and just as forecast as we drove down to Squamish started clearing. By the time we got to Tantalus bike shop, atches of blue sky and sun were out. They were out of the SORCA trail passes, which is a voluntary usage fee to support the work done on the trailsm well worth the $15. We consulted the great staff on the area we wanted to check out. Awesome thing at the shops are pretty much everyone is a core rider.
I told the the area and some of the trails we wanted to check out and he laid out a recommended course. Gravel grind uo Mashiter, turn off onto onto Tracks from Hell, to Of Mice And Men hill, to Rupert. Second loop would head back up the Mashiter gravel doubletrack, onto Tracks from Hell again, to Mike’s Loop, down Credit Line, up Jack’s and 50 Shades of Green ending second loop. From there head down Of Mice and Men and drop into Entrails, and Roller Coaster which would pop us out at the van.
The climbs were a grind but mostly endurable, nothing like on the Full Nelson side of Squamish. 50 Shades was the steepest but beautifully machined switchback trail, I walked much of it. The black diamond downhills were technical with lots of roots and rocks, felt like old school Hawaii trails! There wre a number of slab roll ins which we don’t get. There was also some highly technical sections where trials skill comes in handy. The Roller Coaster out was a fun fast flowy down that was a nice way to end the ride.
In all, the laid out course was excellent and a good half day of riding. We clearly stuck out as visitors, everyone else we saw riding rode with minimal gear, quite a few with nothing save whatever was carried on bike. Everyone was also friendly, just about always get a greeting. With such a strong community and high amount of vacationing riders that seems appropriate. No guys trying to make their Strava times blasting by with nary an nod, although I’m sure if we rode here enough we’d find them.
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