Our Trail Building Experience - Snakes and Ladders

In the early 2000's a few boys starting building a line from the top of the Westsyde in Williams Lake, BC into the Williams Creek Valley. It's about 10Km from the top with an elevation difference of a few thousand feet that includes beautiful Douglas Fir forests, moss covered slopes, and steep gullies. The line evolved with the progression of mountain biking over the years to include long technical skinnies, ladders, bridges and jumps that made their way through the forests that connected to the vast Westsyde network.




Fast forward to 2011, when shortly after Ride The Cariboo was launched, a series of proposals were submitted. The Consortium had partnered with the Province of BC, the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition and Northern Development Trust to re-build Snakes and Ladders from the ground up. Thomas Schoen of First Journey Trails worked with the Williams Lake Cycling Club to design, then build a new top to bottom line that would define riding in the Cariboo for the next few years.

This is one of a number of Provincially funded trails in BC. It is another example of how the Recreation, Sites and Trails Branch of the Province supports mountain biking and its role in the regional economy. A big shout out goes to Desi Cheverie who believed in the project and has been a solid supporter of mountain biking in the Cariboo.




At this years Williams Lake Peel Out, the Consortium and its partners held the grand opening of Snakes and Ladders. These images and video tell the story. Come ride it to believe it.


Photos by John Wellburn. Video filmed by Solos Productions. The riders were James Doerfling and Cory Brunelle, both Consortium Ambassadors. They were joined by Sophie Durfeld and Amber Jmaiff.

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