ABROAD: CRACKING THE CARIBOO

‘Towering peaks of green and brown, unlike any mountains I’ve seen in B.C., surround us as we slowly ascend the decades old horse trails.’

Right: Descending the alpine of Mt Agnes.

Barkerville. B.C

Far right: Carfty chainsaw work on the

Stormrider DH trail near 100 Mile House,

B.C

CRACKING THE CARIBOO

James Doerfling rails the skyberms on Snakes & Ladders. Williams Lake, B.C

James Doerfling rails the skyberms on Snakes &

Ladders. Williams Lake, B.C

MINING THE NEW GOLD OF BRITISH COLUMBIA’S SINGLETRACK

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY Vince Shuley

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T he buzz of the twin-prop is almost deafening as I stare out the window at the Coast Mountains of British Columbia stretching west to the Pacific Ocean and north as far as

the eye can see. It may be the mid-summer month of August in Canada, but the glaciated peaks are as white as winter.

The airborne aluminium tube I’m riding today is a 30-seater Saab 340A on the thrice daily Pacific Coastal Airlines flight from Vancouver to Williams Lake. Across the aisle a young lady happily dozes in her seat, earplugs firmly inserted. Behind me, a couple from Michigan press their noses against the glass, soaking in every moment they are witness to western Canada’s mountainous landscape.

Though we are quite a way north of Vancouver after the hour-long flight, as we touch down in Williams Lake the map in my seat pocket reveals that we have actually travelled less than half way up the province. I realise the common phrase “up north,” used so often by travelling resource workers based in Vancouver, is a relative term.

The City of Williams Lake is considered the capital of Cariboo region, situated in the centre of British Columbia’s Interior Plateau. Bike magazine labelled it the “Shangri-La of mountainbiking,” and I’ve come here to see if it is in fact the mysterious, earthly paradise for mountainbikers that I’ve heard so much about.

GOLD DIGGERWhen I first read about the Cariboo I was curious of its spelling. After some online research I found the best explanation was that it originated from a misspelling of the North American word for reindeer (caribou). Given that the word is plastered on everything up here from billboards to beer cans, the incorrect spelling seems to have been grandfathered for several generations. It was gold on the minds of the

first settlers to this region. The Cariboo Gold Rush was the sole reason this part of B.C. experienced a population explosion in the 1860s, attracting glitter-seeking immigrants from all over world. Though present-day tourism in the Cariboo thrives on its rich goldrush history, over the last 150 years the big hauls have all been tapped and many of the nugget-filled rivers picked clean. But I’m in the Cariboo seeking the treasure of singletrack.

Outside the single runway airport of Williams Lake I’m greeted by Justin Calof, the Executive Director of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium (CMBC). Calof is originally from the coast of B.C. but moved up to Williams Lake for work opportunities. He stayed for the trails.

“Mountainbiking is probably one of the most organised and focused tourism sectors in the Cariboo,” says Calof.

“It’s more important now than it was in the past, but it’s still dwarfed by the economic impact of forestry, mining or ranching.”

Though being far from the profits of primary industry, mountainbike tourism is being heavily supported by local and provincial governments here in the Cariboo as part of B.C.’s economic diversification plan. In the early 2000s, when temperatures on the Interior Plateau suddenly stopped reaching their usual -40 C during the winter, a tiny insect known as the Mountain Pine Beetle began to spread uncontrollably. The infestation has since ravaged over 710 million cubic metres of pinewood, decimating the resource-driven economy of the Cariboo and prompting action from the government to support sustainable economic drivers,

Justin Calof descends the final swithcbacks of Snakes &

Ladders. Williams Lake, B.C

Hotels are bike friendly in the Cariboo

‘The final set of exposed off-camber switchbacks gives everybody one last sphincter-shrinking wake up call before we reach the bottom of the valley.’

ABROAD: CRACKING THE CARIBOO

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such as tourism.Calof’s job is to secure funding from the

government for trail building projects and to promote the Cariboo as an alternative riding destination to the more popular and accessible areas in southern B.C. such as Whistler and Silverstar. People have to travel a lot further to ride mountainbikes in the Cariboo, and Justin’s job is to make sure that it’s worth their trip.

BASKING IN BARKERVILLEWells is a sleepy double-digit population mining town about two hours drive north of Williams Lake. We are here to test ride the newly built Powderhouse Trail, an alpine epic that links a series of historical wagon roads from the gold rush into a steep descent down to the heritage town of Barkerville. The wagon trails are steep and full of stones and making traction difficult. I can’t help but imagine how treacherous it would be descending these roads to Barkerville with a 19th century horse and carriage loaded with six months worth of mining supplies.

After around two hours of granny gear spinning, pushing and hoisting bikes over creek crossings, we briefly get to enjoy the alpine view from Mount Agnes before traversing to the start of the Powderhouse descent. Seats are dropped and suspension unlocked as we put tyres down the steep and technical singletrack. Gleams of white mineral quartz occasionally flash in the soil, and the overnight rain makes for a slippery descent. Muddied and somewhat bloodied on our return, we politely walk our bikes through the historic sightseeing stroll of Barkerville, receiving quizzical looks from families of gold-enthused tourists.

SHREDDING WILLY’S PUDDLEThe next day we return early to Williams Lake, to sample the vast and intricate trail network. Mountainbike trails have been developing here as long as they have in Whistler and Vancouver’s North Shore, but with dissimilar terrain and considerable geographic distance from those areas, these trails have evolved towards their own distinct style. The mountains may not be

ABROAD: CRACKING THE CARIBOO

The heritage gold rush town of Barkerville

Forestry and mining have been the economic lifeline of the

Cariboo for well over a century, but mountainbiking is the most

sustainable money-earner

as steep, but the old school stunts and fall line features scattered across the valley are evidence of a dedicated hardcore riding culture.

We start with a pedal up Fox Mountain, the most accessible and popular trail network in town with the first climb starting just a couple of doors up from Calof’s house. It’s a weekday but riders are still out in force with everyone from cross country riders working their way around 30 kilometre circuits to full faced downhillers shuttling laps. The trails are quite buff, meticulously groomed by volunteers of the Williams Lake Cycling Club. Flow is what is on today’s riding menu, and on every descent our crew pushes faster and faster. The bermed gullies of Aflow Man, the launching jumps on Mitch’s Brew and the roosting corners of Shuttle Bunny all prompt hoots and hollers that echo throughout the pine forests.

For the afternoon we set up a shuttle on the far side of the valley – an area known as “Westsyde” – to ride Williams Lake’s new signature trail, Snakes & Ladders. As we arrive at the trailhead I notice the sign has been perforated by shotgun pellets, evidence of Old Man Stafford, an ageing local rancher discontent with the growing mountainbike community. I ask Justin if he’s concerned at all with resistance from local landowners.

“He’s just one guy who thinks bikers disturb his cattle. He also said we should burn down all our trails and start over and has even suggested that at a public meeting. Most of the other farmers in the area are on board with us because they know we are doing good things to revitalise the local economy.”

Snakes & Ladders was one of the biggest trail-building projects in the region requiring construction of a dedicated suspension bridge and two enormous wooden “sky berms” to help direct the trail safely down a 50 degree slope. The roughly 40-minute descent has every type of technical trail feature from old school skinnies to trials-style wheelie drops. Fast sections in between maintain the burly, speedy flow that the locals love here. The final set of exposed off-camber switchbacks gives everybody one last sphincter-shrinking wake up call before we reach the bottom of the valley. Beer o’clock promptly rolls around as we pedal back to the truck. Calof shows his colours as a host by pulling out a cold six-pack from the cab. We toast to the fine trails of Williams Lake, a true mountainbiking Shangri-La.

THE CHILCOTIN CHALLENGEAfter a few days of merely scratching the surface, Williams Lake was now in the rear view mirror. It was time to head south into the mountains we had flown over just days earlier. Riding the Chilcotins is an experience that should be on every B.C. rider’s bucket list and is considered one of the preeminent alpine riding experiences in the world.

Pulling into Tyax Wilderness Resort on the shores of Tyaughton Lake you get an overwhelming sense of its remoteness, though the luxuriousness of this lodge might lead you to believe you’re at a hotel in Whistler. After the long drive and a quick check in, we head down to the lake to watch the sun go down. Tomorrow we explore the Chilcotins.

There is an option at Tyax to charter one of their float planes for an express trip into the alpine area, though with the busy weekend crowd booking out every flight it was up to us to climb every one of the 1000 vertical metres from the lodge. Much of the day was a grind, but it was all worth it once we cleared the treeline and began to traverse the alpine meadows. Towering peaks of green and brown, unlike any mountains I’ve seen in B.C., surround us as we climb the decades old horse trails. We scale the path to Windy Pass at 2200 metres, exhausted but excited for the final descent to Spruce Lake. We stop to refill water in a clear stream and patch up a member of our crew who lost traction on one of the dusty corners. Half an hour later we’re swimming in the warm waters of Spruce Lake with cold beer waiting at camp. The float plane keeps the camp well supplied with food and all the booze you want to bring. The pilots and guides even pack out your trash.

A campfire under the stars caps the most memorable day of the trip as a hip flask gets passed around the circle. Over the last

ABROAD: CRACKING THE CARIBOO

The Chilcotins hold many secrets, and plenty of rewards for those who explore

Mid August dust on the berms. Williams Lake, B.C

Trails that flow like water are quintessential Williams Lake

MORE INFOFor more information go to:• ridethecariboo.ca• www.pacificcoastal.com• tyaxadventures.com

five days the Cariboo has revealed many of its treasures, and out here, in the middle of nowhere, I feel closer to mountainbiking than ever before.

GETTING THEREThe quickest way to the Cariboo is to fly into Vancouver then connect with Pacific Coastal Airlines to Williams Lake. Flights from Sydney to Vancouver start at $1700. All flights can accommodate bike luggage but you will need to check in at Vancouver Airport’s South Terminal for your regional connection. Upon arrival in Williams Lake you can rent a car or truck at National Car Rental that has a booth right at the airport.

The best rig to bring is an XC or enduro bike given most trails in Williams Lake require a lot of pedalling. There is road access to almost every trail so shuttling is always an option if you have enough people in your group to take turns driving. Bring some kneepads for the burly downhill sections.

Weather is reliably sunny for the summer months of June to early September but bring rain gear just in case. Avoid travelling in the spring or autumn months, as the days can get incredibly short.

For accommodation, the Ramada Inn at Williams Lake has bike storage and is just a few hundred meters from the trails on Fox Mountain.

There is little in the way of local guiding in the Cariboo but the CMBC website has excellent resources such as maps, local business and itinerary suggestions. Check in at Red Shred’s bike shop for repairs and friendly local advice. AMB

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