Squamish must rides and what not?

**rludes025** · 07-07-2012, 12:00 AM

The lady and I going to be up for 3 days in late July. We are staying at Alice Lake Provincial Park. She isn't to hardcore but is content getting off her bike and walking around the gnar. Of course fun trails for both of us would be great as well. I plan on stopping by one the shops and grabbing a map but they will closed when we get there so any ideas that are easy to access from the campground for that morning would great. My DH fix will probably be at bay as I am hitting up whistler the week prior. We will be on 5"-6" trail bikes. Also anything else we should do while staying up there.

Is riding with your dog ok to do up there? I know some frown upon this but Dusty is a trail stud. If we should leave him at home we can though.

**bennymac** · 07-07-2012, 04:13 PM

Better riders will chime in with better suggestions but I'd suggest the following (will make more sense if you have a map while you're reading this

1) you can ride up the highway a bit (uphill but not too far) to Cat Lake and do Cat's Meow (rooty descent that beginner bikers likely wouldn't enjoy) and then when the trail ends back at the highway you go downhill back in the direction of Alice Lake and take the first trail to the left ( after you cross a stream on the highway) onto another trail called Cat something which is rooty XC riding and isn't very long

2) Credit Line is also a fun rooty descent right near Alice Lake for intermediate riders

3) the Corners trails- there are two of them but they are in succession so basically one trail- are fun flowy small bermed XC descents suitable for all abilities (you can do before linking onto Credit Line)

4) there is a dirt road on the left that parallels the two Corners trails - halfway down this road you can exit left and follow fire roads over to more fun trails (you'll need a map to make sense of this but it's super easy) -this will bring you over the trails mentioned below

5) you can do a singletrack climb (short and steep) up to the start of Lower Powersmart - fun little descent

6)you can make your way over to the area where Recycler (fun side hilling descent), Pseuda Pseuga (not spelling this properly - its a buff fun descent suitable for all abilities), and Half Nelson (likely the most popular trail - ultra buff big bermed descent with small table tops suitable for both jumping or just riding over)

7) finishing Half Nelson will put you on a fire road - go downhill and look on your left for a steep short descent into the woods - follow this trail across Darwin's Bridge and up a steep climb and it will bring you to Powerhouse Plunge (everyone just calls it the Plunge) - an awesome intermediate level descent with a short technical climb in the middle that you deserve a medal for if you clean it

8) 2/3 of the way down the Plunge you cross a narrow fire road - the Plunge keeps going (and is super fun) but you can also take a right on the road, do some short fire road climbing up to the entrance to Hoods in the Woods which is a Great trail bike descent

I like the Plunge and Hoods in the Woods the best. I also like Cats Meow and Credit line. I haven't touched on Full Nelson (the new upper part of Half Nelson) or any of the trails in Crumpit Woods or across the highway from Alice Lake (this network of trails would be good beginner trails in the vicinity of where you are staying - they are marked on the map near a high school)

The bike shops in Squamish are all great, the coffee at Zephyr, Onatah, and Beans in Brackendale are all good options. Try the Honey Lager at the brew pub and if the sun is out sit on the patio there and enjoy a burger and see if you can spot climbers on the Chief (you can hike to the top - beautiful views on a sunny day)

Wow that was a lot...Squamish is awesome - enjoy it!!

**ShoNuff** · 07-08-2012, 08:22 PM

^^good info. crouching squirrell starts pretty much at alice lake and is good fun. cruise brackentrail to jacks and back up to the lake. lots of great loops from quest university. half nelson, across to another man's gold, across the bridge, up to stp and on to hoods or somewhere out there back to the uni. cheshire cat is the trail benny was talking about and it is a great ride. go to republic cycles in brackendale, those guys are super helpful. grab a coffee next door while you're there. i'm in bham. we head up often. feel free to pm me...