Escape to the Chilcotins - Photo Epic
When I was a kid, I spent countless hours doodling images of airplanes and mountains in my notebooks as I stared out the window, waiting for the ring of the school bell to set me free. Those drawings were my escape, and they transported me away from the droning voice at the front of the room and to a fantasy land full of rugged peaks and endless views. Years later, after I'd settled down in the Pacific Northwest, I started to hear rumors and see photos of an area that looked like the stuff of those grade school dreams – the South Chilcotin Mountains.
Located approximately five hours north of Vancouver, BC, the Chilcotins embody mountain biking in the purest sense of the word, as in, there are lots of mountains, and you can ride your bike up, over, and around them. The South Chilcotins Provincial Park encompasses nearly 57,000 hectares, with over 200 km of trails squiggling through the region.
Tyax Adventures, owned by Dale Douglas, one of the area's early proponents, even operates a float plane service that can transport groups of riders to remote lakes where they can embark on single or multi-day journeys back to the shores of Tyaughton Lake. A float plane isn't necessary to enjoy the region, but it sure is a nice luxury, and there's not much that compares to touching down in the middle of a bright turquoise blue lake surrounded by glaciated peaks with the knowledge that miles of pristine singletrack await.
I was recently in the area in order to attend Giant's launch of their new Trance, but realistically, the details of the bike were overshadowed by the spectacular scenery. Photographer Sterling Lorence was on hand to document the two day ride, and after looking through his images I instantly realized they were too good to sit unseen in an electronic folder.
With that said, sit back and enjoy a virtual trip through the Chilcotins, beginning with a landing on Lorna Lake aboard a de Havilland Beaver DHC-2.
"Ready? Good. Let's get this show on the road."
Lorna Lake's unearthly blue waters are colored by glacial meltwater.
Splashdown.
Bikes and gear are unloaded and reassembled in preparation for the day's ride.
An unseasonably wet summer meant that the streams were rushing faster than usual.
Oops.
Bike down.
Does carbon float?
Crisis averted.
The climb up from Lorna Lake has a short section of hike-a-bike, followed by a final steep grind to the top of the pass.
A short break for a trail side glissading session.
Adam Craig and Russell Eich discuss route options. Cell phones don't work out here - it's important to have good old-fashioned map and compass skills.
With the initial climb out of the way, it was time to enjoy the first of many swoopy single track rewards.
There's no room for egos in this part of the world - Mother Nature is definitely in charge, and one look around at the seemingly endless mountains makes it easy to feel really, really small. Especially when there could be a grizzly bear around any corner.
Kevin Dana carves his way through a sea of green.
There's no avoiding it - your feet will get wet.
It's best just to march on through, soggy socks be damned.
Nature's refrigerator.
The cabin at Spruce Lake is stocked with the essentials: a tube, chain lube, bear spray, bug spray, and fishing tackle.
Better than any five-star hotel.
Out here, tinder is what you start a fire with.
Ribbit.
The Chilcotins are in bear country, and encounters with black bears and grizzlies are fairly common. Taking proper precautions out on the trail and while camping helps to ensure that everyone can coexist with minimal conflict.
Well hello, Mr. Marmot.
Long summer evenings leave plenty of time for fishing once the riding is done.
This is Junior. Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, that is.
At ten-years-old Junior wasn't showing any signs of slowing down.
He probably jumped off the dock forty times over the course of the evening.
Day two's trails, from Spruce Lake back to Tyax Lodge, were a little drier, a little dustier, but no less scenic.
Canada, Utah, or Colorado? You decide.
The trails aren't the most technically challenging, but there are plenty of off-camber sections, often with consequences, to keep riders on their toes.
The last rays of sun fade away over Tyaughton Lake.
"Like a rainbow in the dark...." -- Ronnie James Dio
South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park mountain biking trails
Words: Mike Kazimer
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Also, this area recently became a park. Biking is under a microscope due to this happening. You and your group didn't do this so not pointing at you. But scree-scope riding, chasing wildlife, burning bits of forest down or gratuitous skidding and putting them in a video (looking at you Mavic) give enemies of biking ammunition for bikers to have their activities restricted.
Thanks for the cool Sterl shots and for the reminder that Chilcotin means "wet feet"
As a result the national park, a mass tourism free area before, is now invaded by hordes of fat weekenders with their fat kids and dogs, their cars, their cameras, their extreme stupidity and, which matters most, their moneys.
As a result riding is also banned. We can no longer do what we did because the ground is eroded by our killing machines. However you drive around the place any given sunday, you can see new wider roads, huge parking areas, hotels, supermarkets, bars, casinos, spas......
Joder, what's this all about? when I was coming here to ride the area wasn't so deteriorated for sure.
I love wilderness and work to get solitude when I'm riding/camping/skiing, but I like to remind myself that when I see a big crowd of people or traffic at a national park, there's a percentage of those people who are getting blown away right now and will be lifelong lovers of the outdoors.
Don't go out there without the necessary precautions, this really applies to any backcountry travel. With the ubiquitous nature of social media and people putting up photos of their trips, it portrays the romantic idea of these areas, and doesn't really show the danger.
-Have a print map, a compass and know how to use them.
-Have a couple of backup plans for what to do if something goes wrong.
-Carry spare parts in your group, a spare brake, or derailleur cable (or the whole derailleur) can bail you out of a world of shit.
-Be prepared for all weather, it could be bluebird and 30C in the valley and snowing and windy in the passes.
-Carry more food and water than you need, you may get sidetracked or lost and have to spend the night.
-Bring a light.
It's amazing in the back country, but it's not anywhere to get complacent. I know I've probably missed some essentials, but I wanted to give people an idea of what to think about when planning a trip. I've broken my hand up there, and it took 27 hours before I could get to a doctor. Be prepared.
Some people's perception of us is that we are a bunch of neon clad yahoos hooning around like a bunch of jackasses. Please don't make them right and get riding banned. Besides, you get yourself hurt way the f*ck out there, how and who will get your sorry carcass out? A bad sprain in the middle of a twelve hour ride could mean a night out that you are not prepared for. This place is wilderness with a few passable roads and zero services.
$1000 flight is from Tyax to Lorna. Lots of options to ride there that avoid using float planes though... but if you go getting farther into the park (Deer/Lorna/Elbow/Graveyard) is highly recommended and that means bike packing or floatplanes...
Keeping in mind as many have mentioned this is serious terrain and it isn't all smooth buff alpine single track. We did a 120km three day trip earlier this summer (which incidentally only cost me gas money to get there) and saw more bears than people. You will hike (a lot), you will get your feet wet, the trails will disappear at times and you may deal with some type 3 fun... but it is an amazing area to ride your bike.
The $ 1000 figure is a one-way to Lorna Lake. That will accommodate 4 people with gear packing reasonably smart. Add the cost for gas from Vancouver or Whistler and approx $ 30- 50/day for food if you want to self-support (depends on what you want or how to eat). You can also stay at Spruce Lake camp if you want to go lighter and splurge. I believe thats $ 200 pp all inclusive (food for dinner/lunch/breakfast, bedding) which means you don't need to carry a larger pack,
Of course you can self-support totally and then be much cheaper. See this article previously on PB frontpage
www.pinkbike.com/news/Self-supported-Bikepacking-a-sample-packing-list-2013.html
So I don't sound like a Tyax shill I've used them for one-way drops and gone in myself. But I don't mind supporting them because Tyax has done a ton of trailwork to keep these trails clear. They're long time residents of the area and they employ a lot of people in the region which IMO is a good thing.
When I was in Whistler last year I was amazed by the beauty of the place (and there are LOTS of beautiful places in Brazil), but I guess that the Chilcotins Mountains will be even more beautiful!
The hardest part would be to get 3 more people for the trip, but it seems like they can arrange groups as well, which is pretty nice.
@Mexicaman Let's go to BC again in 2017?
This adventure looks totally tits regardless, but for me I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives through Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and Tetons, or Utah. Travel mountain biking is serious bucks.
Don't forget WA state. Entiat, Wenatchee, Teanaway also was amazing
Wyoming & Tetons. They don't have quite the network of high alpine singletrack so not really that comparable. Good stuff but intertwined with roads and mostly doubletrack even East of Jackson
UT - not really comparable. See the same issue as WY
CO has good options if you're looking for comparables. Think Crested Butte area. Also Durango. Going to check out Winter Park but I hear that's good too
IMO the Chilcotins has the most wilderness aspects in the sense of true remoteness and the largest contiguous linked true singletrack. Most of the other areas I mentioned above have singletrack linked by large'ish portions of doubletrack/resource roads. That's not inherently terrible but just pointing out the distinguishing feature of the South Chilcotins
Of note, the german language magazines seem to be hyping the floatplane aspect though which is a bit strange but then I'm not pretending to understand what German bikers want. So I suspect there's going to be a lot more German travellers in the region relatively soon. The attraction to them seems to be the sexiness of the floatplane/ But like many others have said, you can get in by yourself without floatplane and do large loops. Using the Tyax camps you can then carry more minimal gear.
From BEarpaw for example you can daytrip Lorna Lake, Cluckata Ridge, Dash Hill, Deer Pass etc. Which then gives you the option of going solo or keeping timing options open so you're not fixed on dates and time.