Spring Mountain Biking in Squamish, BC
It’s spring. Time to dust off the old bike. Time to spin those legs and wake up those sleepy biking muscles.
Spring riding is humbling. Mentally, we are still back in the peak biking shape we were in last fall. Physically, it’s a whole other story.
Below is a list of climbs in Squamish, that are great for starting out on this spring to get your bike legs and lungs back to where they should be!
Mashiter Biking Trail
Starting from the top of Perth Drive follow this gently sloping double track all the way to Alice Lake. It’s about a 15 pedal to the entrance to Tracks From Hell, or continue up the logging road to access Rob’s and Cliff’s Corners and everything beyond there.
Jack’s Trail- a nice, mellow, gently graded climb towards Alice Lake park. This is a great trail to get on early in the season as it is not strenuous at all, just a scenic ride though a moss-filled wonderland.
Alice Lake Access Road
This is another great, easy climb to get you up to the same trails that Mashiter does. Park at the Four Lakes Parking area in Alice Lake Park and follow the road up past the yellow gate. This climb seems almost flat, it’s so gentle and in about 15-20 minutes, you can be at Edith Lake and head up towards Credit Line or Entrails etc. Alternately, you can add on a 5 minute steeper climb and be at Rob’s and Cliff’s Corners.
50 Shades of Green
A wonderful new addition to the Alice Lake area, this steep, switchbacky single track, isn’t necessarily an easy climb to start out on but it is short so if you feel like doing a lung burner, this is a great trail to gauge your progress on.
Half Nelson Climb-one of the most popular climbs in Squamish for sure. It grants you access to the majority of trails in the Diamond Head area along the way. Starting at the bottom of Half Nelson, it’s logging road for the first half and never really steep. Once past the SORCA shelter and the switchback, it gets a bit steeper but it’s all worth it. Head to Half Nelson or continue upward to Angry Midget if you have it in you.
Legacy-
This is the ultimate test. Legacy starts just above the University and snakes its way to the top of Angry Midget. Count on at least an hour of climbing for the average rider and lots of switchbacks. The views on the way up are worth the slog for sure!
No matter how painful the climbs may seem at first, remember that they will get easier as the season progresses so keep on climbing!
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