Panorama Resort's Bike Park - First hand report.
by Tyler Maine
Jul 22, 2008
Panorama Mountain village is nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and home to a great family orientated getaway destination. My reason for the getaway was to re-experience their bike park and its changes over the years. My last visit to Panorama resort was close to 3 years ago, so I was more than due for a refresher.
I was lucky to be joined by the head of the trail crew Darcy Lehr and a few west coasters, Tim Coleman and Martin Newman for a great tour of the resort. Check out our day in the sun (New video attached):
I was lucky to be joined by the head of the trail crew Darcy Lehr and a few west coasters, Tim Coleman and Martin Newman for a great tour of the resort. Check out our day in the sun (New video attached):
Getting to Panorama is easy once you get to Invermere BC as it's just 18km west of town into the mountains. Here's a breakdown of proximities to the resort from other city centers (I myself drove in from Golden):
* Banff - 167km
* Calgary - 292km
* Edmonton - 590km
* Regina - 1056km
* Golden, B.C - 136km
* Cranbrook, B.C - 148km
* Fernie, B.C - 240km
Upon pulling up to Panorama Mountain Village one thing came back to me almost instantly-it's always sunny up there. I have no idea what causes it, but now that I live on the wet, gray coast, the sunlight at Panorama really seemed to stand out in my mind. That and it was hot up there-temps in the high 20s and low 30s all weekend. I think everyone that was at the resort was excited about the weather and the nice atmosphere is was creating.
I checked into the Ski Tip Lodge which is oh so nicely located right at the base of the mountain and in the middle of all the action. The size of the village is another beauty to this resort as it's no where near the capacity of a Whistler, everything is right there for you. Nearly all the accommodations at the resort are within a 5 minute walk to the chair lift or at least the foot gondola that joins the lower village to the upper-well thought out village in my opinion.
Once I was all settled in it was time to find the riding crew and our tour guide Darcy Lehr for our tour of the resort and to learn what's new for 2008 and the plans moving forward. Darcy is an Alberta import to BC (just like myself) that has found his niche in the friendly town of Invermere where he's now head of the trail crew for Panorama. Myself, Darcy, Tim and Martin headed to the Mile 1 quad to begin our rips.
We chose to do a warm up ride on Stiffy to get the legs ready for the rest of the day. Stiffy is full of tight corners and lots of fun little hits. It also crosses an old black trail called Get In Line, which is pretty much a straight shoot down a chair lift line. Here are a few shots of Tim in action on Get In Line:
All the runs on the rider's left of the mountain seem to funnel into Let It Ride at the moment as the jump run "Hell's Bells" was under construction at the time of our visit. Once that is open(most likely while you are reading this) it'll allow the more advanced rider's an option so as to not get cluttered up with the riders that should be on this Let It Ride green trail.
Check out this helmet cam video of Bazooka Joe by colton123:
Now that our legs were warming up, it was time to tee up Punisher-my personal favorite as it really makes you work for your run. Lots of steeps and knarly rocks to keep the advanced riders on their toes. For Martin it was a training place for his Mount 7 race the following weekend. All single track with amazing views of the valley and Grey Wolf Golf course below.
Tim was having a few mechanical issues with his wheels and chose to sit out our next rip on Insanity while the local bike shop repaired the issue. Insanity was the old BC Cup DH course for years and it delivered a beating on racers that tried to tame it. A real mixture of a run from high speed wide open sections, to tight single track, to rock faces to mud running straight down the trail if it actually rained there. It has it all and then some, a nice ride but one heck of a trail to race. The whole crew enjoyed this one and Martin played on the Cliffs of Insanity rock faces for the camera:
After lunch Tim rejoined the crew and we all headed to see what Quadzilla had to offer. Quadzilla is a favorite among visitors for it's friendly Blue run nature and all the fun corners thrown in all the way down the mountain-you could easily race this run and have nothing but a smile on your face from top to bottom. The very first swooping left hand corner to little air sets the tone for the whole trail-Wee! You can take it at your own pace, but my advice is to turn it up a little as you'll improve your speed on this trail.
[PI=2241191 size=m align=c]Photo by kenny-m[/PI]
The quad chair at Panorama is where we all asked Darcy questions about the bike park, it's past, present and the direction for the future of it. The bike park is being tended to by 5 trail crew workers and they are all working really hard to bring the older trails up to spec and create new and exciting features on them as well. Considering that the whole trail network was still under snow on the May Long weekend, I have to say that they've done a lot in a short time period. The focus for the bike park is one that looks at the whole family experience and asks itself how to improve upon that and then take actions to make this a great destination for the whole family.
The bike park has 15 trails to keep your two wheeled addiction going, but the rest of the village is also there for your enjoyment too. From the amazing outdoor pools and water slides, to the huge balloon set up that you can let your kids play on and once everyone is played out there are a few restaurants that are open to serve you great eats to refill your body from a hard day of playing.
When staying in any of the lodging at Panorama Mountain Village you are given free sight seeing lift passes, these can be upgraded to full access bike park day passes for a mere $17. If you are simply visiting for the day, a day pass for the bike park will run you $38 or if you plan to visit a lot, it's $219 for a season's pass to the resort. There are so many lodging options too from the budget minded to the skies the limit family looking to rent out a condo for the weekend, you'll be covered at Panorama. My room at the Ski Tip Lodge which was centrally located and offered great access to the hill runs about $120 a night plus the applicable taxes. There was also a full kitchen in my room so if you and a few friends wanted to get together you could bring food and cook your meals to keep it all on a nice budget too. Summer rates are so amazing when comparing to what it would cost to stay at any resort in the winter time.
Panorama Mountain Village operates its bike park during the following times:
Open daily from June 27th to August 31st
Sunday to Friday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Break down of the runs by degree of difficulty:
14% easy, 33% intermediate, 20% advanced, and 33% expert
Longest Run:
Let It Ride at 3.2 km in length and a vertical drop of 380m.
Signature run:
Crazytrain, an expert fall line trail with numerous man-made features.
Rentals incase you are traveling and can't bring your own bike:
Situated at the base of the mountain, Lusti’s offers top-line Kona rental bikes, the latest clothing and protective gear, along with snacks and refreshments to fuel up after a big day on the mountain.
-2008 Kona Stab Garbanzo
-2008 Kona Stinky
-Body Armour (Arms and Legs)
-Gloves
-Cross-country and full-face helmets
Accommodations and other services:
Panorama has a range of mountainside lodging options, only steps from the chairlift. Spoil yourself with a spacious condo or choose a budget-oriented hotel room for a great rest at a great rate. All accommodation options include access to the Panorama Springs Hot Pools. The village has an assortment of dining options, from burgers and ribs at the T-Bar, to contemporary cuisine at the Wildfire Rustic Grill or the simplicity of a deli sandwich at Lusti’s. When your sore muscles tire from riding the park, try white-water rafting, hiking, sightseeing chairlift rides, mini-golf, the fun zone and climbing wall, ATV tours, fly-fishing, heli-hiking, or a relaxing spa treatment. Panorama is also home to Greywolf Golf Course, one of the preeminent mountain golf courses in the world. For more information, call the toll free reservations at 1-800-663-2929 or go online at www.panoramaresort.com.
Big thanks to Hayley Wilson, Darcy Lehr, Tim Coleman and Martin Newman for making the day at Panorama so pleasant and I'll be doing my best to get out there again in less than 3 years this time around.
-Tyler "Brule" Maine
* Banff - 167km
* Calgary - 292km
* Edmonton - 590km
* Regina - 1056km
* Golden, B.C - 136km
* Cranbrook, B.C - 148km
* Fernie, B.C - 240km
Looking at the base from up on the mountain.
Upon pulling up to Panorama Mountain Village one thing came back to me almost instantly-it's always sunny up there. I have no idea what causes it, but now that I live on the wet, gray coast, the sunlight at Panorama really seemed to stand out in my mind. That and it was hot up there-temps in the high 20s and low 30s all weekend. I think everyone that was at the resort was excited about the weather and the nice atmosphere is was creating.
I checked into the Ski Tip Lodge which is oh so nicely located right at the base of the mountain and in the middle of all the action. The size of the village is another beauty to this resort as it's no where near the capacity of a Whistler, everything is right there for you. Nearly all the accommodations at the resort are within a 5 minute walk to the chair lift or at least the foot gondola that joins the lower village to the upper-well thought out village in my opinion.
Once I was all settled in it was time to find the riding crew and our tour guide Darcy Lehr for our tour of the resort and to learn what's new for 2008 and the plans moving forward. Darcy is an Alberta import to BC (just like myself) that has found his niche in the friendly town of Invermere where he's now head of the trail crew for Panorama. Myself, Darcy, Tim and Martin headed to the Mile 1 quad to begin our rips.
We chose to do a warm up ride on Stiffy to get the legs ready for the rest of the day. Stiffy is full of tight corners and lots of fun little hits. It also crosses an old black trail called Get In Line, which is pretty much a straight shoot down a chair lift line. Here are a few shots of Tim in action on Get In Line:
All the runs on the rider's left of the mountain seem to funnel into Let It Ride at the moment as the jump run "Hell's Bells" was under construction at the time of our visit. Once that is open(most likely while you are reading this) it'll allow the more advanced rider's an option so as to not get cluttered up with the riders that should be on this Let It Ride green trail.
Check out this helmet cam video of Bazooka Joe by colton123:
Now that our legs were warming up, it was time to tee up Punisher-my personal favorite as it really makes you work for your run. Lots of steeps and knarly rocks to keep the advanced riders on their toes. For Martin it was a training place for his Mount 7 race the following weekend. All single track with amazing views of the valley and Grey Wolf Golf course below.
Tim was having a few mechanical issues with his wheels and chose to sit out our next rip on Insanity while the local bike shop repaired the issue. Insanity was the old BC Cup DH course for years and it delivered a beating on racers that tried to tame it. A real mixture of a run from high speed wide open sections, to tight single track, to rock faces to mud running straight down the trail if it actually rained there. It has it all and then some, a nice ride but one heck of a trail to race. The whole crew enjoyed this one and Martin played on the Cliffs of Insanity rock faces for the camera:
After lunch Tim rejoined the crew and we all headed to see what Quadzilla had to offer. Quadzilla is a favorite among visitors for it's friendly Blue run nature and all the fun corners thrown in all the way down the mountain-you could easily race this run and have nothing but a smile on your face from top to bottom. The very first swooping left hand corner to little air sets the tone for the whole trail-Wee! You can take it at your own pace, but my advice is to turn it up a little as you'll improve your speed on this trail.
[PI=2241191 size=m align=c]Photo by kenny-m[/PI]
 |  |  |
The quad chair at Panorama is where we all asked Darcy questions about the bike park, it's past, present and the direction for the future of it. The bike park is being tended to by 5 trail crew workers and they are all working really hard to bring the older trails up to spec and create new and exciting features on them as well. Considering that the whole trail network was still under snow on the May Long weekend, I have to say that they've done a lot in a short time period. The focus for the bike park is one that looks at the whole family experience and asks itself how to improve upon that and then take actions to make this a great destination for the whole family.
The bike park has 15 trails to keep your two wheeled addiction going, but the rest of the village is also there for your enjoyment too. From the amazing outdoor pools and water slides, to the huge balloon set up that you can let your kids play on and once everyone is played out there are a few restaurants that are open to serve you great eats to refill your body from a hard day of playing.
When staying in any of the lodging at Panorama Mountain Village you are given free sight seeing lift passes, these can be upgraded to full access bike park day passes for a mere $17. If you are simply visiting for the day, a day pass for the bike park will run you $38 or if you plan to visit a lot, it's $219 for a season's pass to the resort. There are so many lodging options too from the budget minded to the skies the limit family looking to rent out a condo for the weekend, you'll be covered at Panorama. My room at the Ski Tip Lodge which was centrally located and offered great access to the hill runs about $120 a night plus the applicable taxes. There was also a full kitchen in my room so if you and a few friends wanted to get together you could bring food and cook your meals to keep it all on a nice budget too. Summer rates are so amazing when comparing to what it would cost to stay at any resort in the winter time.
Panorama Mountain Village operates its bike park during the following times:
Open daily from June 27th to August 31st
Sunday to Friday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Break down of the runs by degree of difficulty:
14% easy, 33% intermediate, 20% advanced, and 33% expert
Longest Run:
Let It Ride at 3.2 km in length and a vertical drop of 380m.
Signature run:
Crazytrain, an expert fall line trail with numerous man-made features.
Rentals incase you are traveling and can't bring your own bike:
Situated at the base of the mountain, Lusti’s offers top-line Kona rental bikes, the latest clothing and protective gear, along with snacks and refreshments to fuel up after a big day on the mountain.
-2008 Kona Stab Garbanzo
-2008 Kona Stinky
-Body Armour (Arms and Legs)
-Gloves
-Cross-country and full-face helmets
Accommodations and other services:
Panorama has a range of mountainside lodging options, only steps from the chairlift. Spoil yourself with a spacious condo or choose a budget-oriented hotel room for a great rest at a great rate. All accommodation options include access to the Panorama Springs Hot Pools. The village has an assortment of dining options, from burgers and ribs at the T-Bar, to contemporary cuisine at the Wildfire Rustic Grill or the simplicity of a deli sandwich at Lusti’s. When your sore muscles tire from riding the park, try white-water rafting, hiking, sightseeing chairlift rides, mini-golf, the fun zone and climbing wall, ATV tours, fly-fishing, heli-hiking, or a relaxing spa treatment. Panorama is also home to Greywolf Golf Course, one of the preeminent mountain golf courses in the world. For more information, call the toll free reservations at 1-800-663-2929 or go online at www.panoramaresort.com.
Big thanks to Hayley Wilson, Darcy Lehr, Tim Coleman and Martin Newman for making the day at Panorama so pleasant and I'll be doing my best to get out there again in less than 3 years this time around.
-Tyler "Brule" Maine
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29 Comments
- + 3
Biker012
(Jul 22, 2008 at 2:37)
Cool place I wish 2 go there!!
It is a cool place. Funny because when I went there it was super hot and sunny too! There is a great bar there too called Crazy Horse, I believe. Nice write-up! If your staying there and looking for a hiking adventure be sure to look up Jumbo Hut on the Jumbo Pass!
Cheers
Cheers
I will be getting married at Pano next month and haven't even ridden there yet. After reading your write-up I feel a lot better about my choice of mountains for tying the knot! Thanks Tyler 
The resorts sells them off at the end of each season. Kona only makes them for their "Groove Approved Parks", they dont sell them straight to consumers.
We were there a couple of weekends ago and it was great. A little dusty but that's to be expected with all the sunshine. Locals were nice and the village was great. Took a break half way through the second day and relaxed in the pool that's right at the bottom of the hill (about a 2 minute walk to the lifts). Even on a glorious sunny weekend there were no lineups, just ride and go. Friend had problem with his brakes and the staff at Lusti's was great and had him going in no time. Going to Crazy Horse in a couple of weeks, so we'll see what the difference is.
Took a helmit cam video (sorry if you think my riding's kind of lame, this is only my 2nd visit to lift access riding)
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/29391/
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/29391/
[Reply]
omg bender is such a gnarly trail. i went to panorama last year and all i rode was that trail. along with the aline style trail which i forget the name of.
i went there this year when the bike park wasnt open so me and my bud had to walk up the damn mountain lol, it was worth it though
we were there this weekend, and had a fun time. pano's always kinda fun if you go with a chill attitude and just want to have fun with friends. if you intend to change the face of mountain biking with your mad skills it might not be the resort for you, because its trails are about average for a resort and the scene is not an intense mtn biking scene. the affordable rooms are great, its fun to go to the pool and see the the dirtbag bikers amongst the civilized human beings- its kinda like the pool scene from caddyshack, and the food/drinks/coffee is good too.
the trail bender to hells bells is super fun, they did a good job on the hells jumps(although some of them are small for full size mtn bikes), insanity was fun, crazy train was fun, and the rest that tyler mentioned was a good time.
the trails are pretty rutted for early july, and the dust was intense. i think they prolly have a tough time with that dirt, it doesn't seem to have a lot of purhase, and looks to get soft/loose quick, so it must be hella hard to work with. the woodwork all around is... ok, but bazooka joes bridge/ skinny should be reworked, and the red bridging into bender was embarrasing fab work and choice of wood.
otherwise it was a real fun time for us to ride there, and we would return.
the trail bender to hells bells is super fun, they did a good job on the hells jumps(although some of them are small for full size mtn bikes), insanity was fun, crazy train was fun, and the rest that tyler mentioned was a good time.
the trails are pretty rutted for early july, and the dust was intense. i think they prolly have a tough time with that dirt, it doesn't seem to have a lot of purhase, and looks to get soft/loose quick, so it must be hella hard to work with. the woodwork all around is... ok, but bazooka joes bridge/ skinny should be reworked, and the red bridging into bender was embarrasing fab work and choice of wood.
otherwise it was a real fun time for us to ride there, and we would return.
Good summary obee1. I was going to comment too from riding there this past w/e that the area around/under the skinny to the left of the bridge on Bazooka Joe should be cleaned up...I'd like to try it but am afraid of what looks like could be nasty consequences if I fall. More skinnys and teeters would be awesome! Otherwise, good times for sure. Super dusty so remember your glasses/goggles.
I also like on Bender that the stunts are all ridable with no huge drops off the ends. Wanted to ride Dusty's Doom as I've liked it before but the boys said it was in rough shape. And Insanity is always one of my faves!!
I also like on Bender that the stunts are all ridable with no huge drops off the ends. Wanted to ride Dusty's Doom as I've liked it before but the boys said it was in rough shape. And Insanity is always one of my faves!!
whistler and silverstar are light years ahead of pano. you can't compare them. pano is comaprable to say fernie.
heres my helemt cam of a run there
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Great feed back obee,
There is so much to do to clean up the park, so little time!
The jumps on Hell's Bell's were built that size for a reason. This trail will be graded as blue next year, to fit with Bazooka Joe.
There is many stunts that will be rebuilt, or removed over the next few weeks.
Tdub, if you like the skinny's you should have hit Dogtown.... old school skinny, with steeps mixed in! I'll buy anyone a jug if they can clean it first time!
As far as whistler and Silver Star being light years ahead.... I disagree, just totally different mountains. You are correct, you can't compare them as we have no gentle terrain to build machine trails on. We're steep and gnarly.
The weather (30+ everyday)has been beating the trail crew down pretty bad but they keep on diggin'.
Keep on coming out and see the changes each week.
Cheers
Darcy
There is so much to do to clean up the park, so little time!
The jumps on Hell's Bell's were built that size for a reason. This trail will be graded as blue next year, to fit with Bazooka Joe.
There is many stunts that will be rebuilt, or removed over the next few weeks.
Tdub, if you like the skinny's you should have hit Dogtown.... old school skinny, with steeps mixed in! I'll buy anyone a jug if they can clean it first time!
As far as whistler and Silver Star being light years ahead.... I disagree, just totally different mountains. You are correct, you can't compare them as we have no gentle terrain to build machine trails on. We're steep and gnarly.
The weather (30+ everyday)has been beating the trail crew down pretty bad but they keep on diggin'.
Keep on coming out and see the changes each week.
Cheers
Darcy
As a beginner/intermediate rider, it was interesting to head to Pano for my first attempt at resort riding. The trails were super dusty and loose but I imagine that it's hard to get around that given the heat/terrain in Invermere. I would have liked to see more (small) stunts on the green/blue trails as there seems to be a big leap from green to blue. I liked the corners on the greens - it is helpful for me to have bigger corners to work on but it would be really helpful for me to practice on smaller stunts and work my way up to bigger things. I could do a couple of stunts on the blue runs and want to get better (a better bike would help). Just my two cents...
Panorama was a blast, When I rode it when "hells bells" was open. It wasn't that great compared to years before. The dirt jump lines were gone and they were smaller hits.... but almost the biggest hits on the mountains. I say, if you wish to improve your bermming and speed handling skills. Panorama is a great place to shred. All around flowy? I would say not to much. Moose powder to the drop/ jump park wasn't ready. Although the trail crew was working as hard as possible, and some trails and features weren't up to par. It was a god experience this year. I will be back!
i was there 2 yaers ago and rented there kona, its an awesome place to ride id deffinatley go back if i had the chance ever again
Its an awesome place, I work there last summer in the bike park. So much fun my DH skills improved 10 fold. Lookout for the trail crew boys this season as they are going to revamp alot of the trails there. SUPA!
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