Trail Conditions for Calgarians

PB Forum :: All Mountain, Enduro & Cross-Country
Trail Conditions for Calgarians
Author Message
flag OldSkuhl
Posted: Jun 2, 2019 at 22:23 Quote
Ricter wrote:
Does anybody know if you can bike up/down the sunshine ski-out road in the summer? I know it's not exactly mountain biking, but curious if it would be an option for gravel bikes.
Yah it’s allowed. I used to bike up the road and scramble peaks in the area. You’re just not allowed to bike past the lodge at the top into the meadows. That’s a big no-no with a hefty fine and a day in court if you get caught by a park warden.
flag brucie1
O+
Posted: Jun 3, 2019 at 5:01 Quote
OldSkuhl wrote:
Ricter wrote:
Does anybody know if you can bike up/down the sunshine ski-out road in the summer? I know it's not exactly mountain biking, but curious if it would be an option for gravel bikes.
Yah it’s allowed. I used to bike up the road and scramble peaks in the area. You’re just not allowed to bike past the lodge at the top into the meadows. That’s a big no-no with a hefty fine and a day in court if you get caught by a park warden.

A little incentive to pedal!

https://www.facebook.com/SunshineVillageResort/videos/2261520090843852/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBzcYmkpDIpeVRPPIC1g0K-WexqcZoVKo5iOVrpts3TMXAGGBWxXGlqpauuVR9ipW_gwjm14c0ZffjCLHMzxIxg5VIQS69ITsrMQOZjoLUMEbQPPJI1MNyF-mXsdRjgidBNTqJaA-QeJ1VfKCukSQOBUVw_7PvO-WMFuZBHB0GvHqWmQVQcyjPj_FggmilahPhPbDXznhsbvJsGflleu0vNHKgT9gfJKW4RGzv9LV59DklkDM6uQOeRUjwe6r9_FS8kQ2sNzXIebImVKEdrirjWacFVSXGWG1cBoJhY6n56Z1zTvB0ThpNDh8o2dJSXDUUbb3LEtkSTnWlDshoQCvI_T3XXlZTtxInB7Yq8zjQ9jUSQcuoVOIk7gggCVSYkZg&__tn__=H-R
flag aka-bigsteve
O+
Posted: Jun 5, 2019 at 7:10 Quote
PVJ was primo on Tuesday eve. Barrier day-use still closed off to vehicles, there is plenty of parking at the U of C field station.
flag employee7
Posted: Jun 5, 2019 at 7:49 Quote
Moose was dry and dusty yesterday. TW was mid summer with ball bearings in some corners and Toothless was running fast as well. Any moisture we get in the next couple days will be more than welcome.
flag kenny99
Posted: Jun 5, 2019 at 14:58 Quote
aka-bigsteve wrote:
PVJ was primo on Tuesday eve. Barrier day-use still closed off to vehicles, there is plenty of parking at the U of C field station.

Awesome thanks. Any knowledge of Cox Hill?
flag fargle
Posted: Jun 6, 2019 at 8:14 Quote
kenny99 wrote:
aka-bigsteve wrote:
PVJ was primo on Tuesday eve. Barrier day-use still closed off to vehicles, there is plenty of parking at the U of C field station.

Awesome thanks. Any knowledge of Cox Hill?

Someone on the facebook page reported Cox was still snowbound from the north side of the ridge down to the hard left hand turn that catches a lot of people out. As of a couple of days ago.
flag billbek
O+
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 5:19 Quote
Was riding east slopes with my son yesterday and it was in pretty good shape considering the rain. Nothing that you couldn't ride around.
Because my 11 year old was with me, we stuck to the very basic stuff.
Question for you guys.
Do you have any suggestions for easy and interesting trails to ride with kids?
Climbing is OK for short periods or longer on a low grade.
He is on a 27.5 inch wheel bike this year. The bike is plenty capable.
flag slish
O+
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 6:08 Quote
Jumping pound loop is pretty good for kids. A couple short steep climbs that they may push up but a good ride.

I park at the mid point on the road or the parking lot if it is open and then head up in a ccw direction. That way you can bail at the 5km point if they are not into it
flag southernrockyflow
O+
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 7:32 Quote
billbek wrote:
Question for you guys.
Do you have any suggestions for easy and interesting trails to ride with kids?
Climbing is OK for short periods or longer on a low grade.
He is on a 27.5 inch wheel bike this year. The bike is plenty capable.

There are enough of us who are riding with kids that I think we need to work together with CMBA or GBCTA or some entity to get more of a beginner/kids trail along the lines of a Lazy Lizard. A common thread I hear from a lot of the parents I talk to is that we have no trails with a nice low climbing grade for kids to be able to ride on for a sustained period. I'm trying to get my 3.5 year old daughter riding. I've had her on the Jr. Johnson and a trail down in Kalispell in Heron Park called Family. For me I'm hauling her up with a tow rope but those two trails I mentioned are mellow enough grade that she can at least bike down - save a couple of sections that wigged her out on the Jr. Johnson. It would be nice to have a few more options like that close to home.

Another thought is you could try a mellow section on the High Rockies Trail. Look at some of the elevation profiles but there are sections that your 11 year old would be fine on.
flag lazyname
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 8:01 Quote
High rockies is pretty much spot on for easy / wide / shorter climbs and low traffic. However the 2hr drive means I rarely head out.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 8:30 Quote
billbek wrote:
Was riding east slopes with my son yesterday and it was in pretty good shape considering the rain. Nothing that you couldn't ride around.
Because my 11 year old was with me, we stuck to the very basic stuff.
Question for you guys.
Do you have any suggestions for easy and interesting trails to ride with kids?
Climbing is OK for short periods or longer on a low grade.
He is on a 27.5 inch wheel bike this year. The bike is plenty capable.

Try Terrace Trail in Kananaskis. It's all singletrack, technical enough to not be boring, and the grade is gentle.

Stoney Trail in Kananaskis and Goat Creek from Spray to Banff are even easier, especially the former, but very non-technical.

The low elevation trails between Canmore Quarry Lake and Three Sisters have plenty of easy sections.
flag racerfacer
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 9:01 Quote
southernrockyflow wrote:

There are enough of us who are riding with kids that I think we need to work together with CMBA or GBCTA or some entity to get more of a beginner/kids trail along the lines of a Lazy Lizard. A common thread I hear from a lot of the parents I talk to is that we have no trails with a nice low climbing grade for kids to be able to ride on for a sustained period. I'm trying to get my 3.5 year old daughter riding. I've had her on the Jr. Johnson and a trail down in Kalispell in Heron Park called Family. For me I'm hauling her up with a tow rope but those two trails I mentioned are mellow enough grade that she can at least bike down - save a couple of sections that wigged her out on the Jr. Johnson. It would be nice to have a few more options like that close to home.

Another thought is you could try a mellow section on the High Rockies Trail. Look at some of the elevation profiles but there are sections that your 11 year old would be fine on.

Look for descents that can be accessed with doubletrack. CNC, West bragg,
flag billbek
O+
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 11:12 Quote
All great ideas. Thanks!
(more if you have them!!)
It is a fine line between them having fun on the bike and us torturing them with what we might consider a nice easy ride.
If you break them (the kids), it is a long road to get them back on the bike again.
flag sweaman2
O+
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 11:55 Quote
As above - There's a few loops at West Bragg where you can climb on double track / ski trails and then descend singletrack.

Hostel loop up until it meets Snowshoe hare is a good one (although the hostel climb is still steep). It also has the advantage of not really being on any summer mtb loops so less chance of meeting others.

Sundog to Boundary is another option.
flag rollin-dubs
Posted: Jun 10, 2019 at 12:04 Quote
West crystal singletrack out to the mountain road is another good kiddo option in WBC. It was built for fatbiking but is well worn in with summer traffic.

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.033794
Mobile Version of Website