XC Expansion and the start of something epic...
Silver Star Bike Park (
couldn't be happier) is extremely excited to announce a new expansion for the bike park starting this summer. The plan is to make a major expansion of an extensive and legendary new XC network around the resort to add to the already very successful DH aspect of Silver Star. In 2013, Trail Crew did a combination of cutting new XC trails, like BX Creek, and also reinstating some old-school XC trails, like Crack of Dawn.
In total Trail Crew opened up roughly 25-plus kilometers of XC-exclusive trails ranging from green to black diamond-variety in 2013. However, over the next two summers Cam Sorensen, of legendary status himself, and his Trail Crew will add roughly 30-plus km to that mix. Cam is building his full-time team to 12 from the existing five that have already been hired. This will make three teams working more or less independently building trails at different locations in the bike park, each with their own machines. The pinnacle of this new expansion in the XC network will culminate in the creation of an “
epic” - sorry, couldn't be helped - trail here at the resort, all of which will be contained in our commercial recreational area (CRA). This trail will be roughly a 25-plus km loop leaving from the village and climbing to the top of the mountain and dropping off the backside of the ski resort - Putnam if you've been here in the winter. The trail will then wrap around the bottom of the backside and start to climb back up towards the village (
see map below).
The terrain that this trail will contour through will make for an incredibly fun ride, wondering through an ancient forest of massive cedars, some beautiful vistas overlooking the surrounding valleys and much more. The name of this new addition to Silver Star is
Beowulf – the name of the gnarly Viking of legend that wrestled giant grizzly bears with his bare hands, slayed giants and sailed vicious ocean storms. He is the original man of epic - this is a valid use of “
epic” status.
Beowulf will have the flow and feel that you have all come to expect from Silver Star, however, this does not mean it is going to be a 20’ wide jump trail. The foot print for this single track is going to be as small as possible, the berms will be few and far between and the jumps will be saved for the DH trails. It’s going to be a trail built off the same feel as Seven Summits, Comfortably Numb, and Frisbee Ridge to give you an idea.
What this means for the ownership of Silver Star Mountain is a very large investment and vote of confidence in the viability of the bike park. In general terms it represents roughly a $250,000 expansion in man and machine-hours as well as materials in the next two summer seasons.
It’s an incredibly exciting time for the bike park to see this type of investment in the infrastructure and future of the biking product. With so many great bikes on the market these days Silver Star wants to build a new XC network that will compliment that style of riding. Silver Star Bike Park is already known for the well built and maintained quality of our DH trails and this new XC network is a natural of our product. Whether you own one of the impressive new All mtn/Enduro style bikes and want to rock it on both the DH and XC trails here in the near future - or you have both the sexy DH rig and an All mtn bike and want to bring both of them this summer - the option is yours. You’ll now be able to get your workout and XC fix on the new trail network as well as your quota of gravity fed ear-to-ear grins on the DH trails, all at the same spot and same road trip.
Stage one of Beowulf and the XC expansion is nearly complete. To date, Trail Crew opened roughly 25+ km of XC last year and also spent 675 man-hours and 180 machine-hours in the fall on a new XC climb trail out of the village (Silver Shack). This will be the new climb to the top of the mountain instead of climbing Paradise Trail, which has downhill traffic and now will be downhill only. Trail Crew will have to build six bridges in the spring to complete this new 3.3 km trail that will serve as the first phase in getting access to Beowulf.
Stage two of Beowulf will be to cut trail out to Alder Point on Putnam (see map). This will be completed early August 2014 and can be treated as an out and back. At the same time the XC Trail Crew will be cutting new trail around the Knoll area of the resort, with the goal of having that area built out and finished by end of summer 2014.
Stage three of Beowulf will be cutting and building all summer 2015 with the goal of having Beowulf completed and open for public summer 2016.
For more info on what is planned for the Bike Park, check out
Cam's updates here.
It’s going to be a very busy season of building, biking and having fun here at Silver Star Bike Park. We've got new events, new camps and lots planned for this summer. I hope we’ll see you up here for some good times!
Enjoy the ride this summer – Silver Star Bike Park Team
XC day tickets are only $5 or are included in your DH day ticket, or if you are a season pass holder you can get the XC add on for only $20.
Silver Star Bike Park early bird season passes are on sale until May 31 and the parks opens for full operations June 26, 2014, with a early season bonus weekend June 21/22.
For more info visit
www.bikesilverstar.com
Second... Expansion of trails is always rad.
Third ... What/When/How .... Jedi ?
I've been coming to SS pretty much every year for a weekend or more for the last few seasons... and this is all new to me.
Lastly, thanks to the awesome crew who shuttled me back to the village on the last day of your season last year while just trying to get in one last run at the end of the day I flatted right at the top. Thanks for getting me to the village aka.. the pub on time.
I'll be back to Silverstar again ... and again ... and again !
Jedi Mind Trick.. I was lucky enough to ride this last year (it was being built last year) and it is just SOooooooo much fun!
Last year it was only from half way down!!
I rode Whistler for 3 days just before Silverstar and was frustrated with the trail conditions, some of the upper half trails were completely beat to shit and yet the season still had 3 weeks left.
Can you please send the Silverstar team to Vancouver Island and open up Mt Wash? That would be amazing!!
but do you need to be a seasons pass holder to ride the bonus days?
Other then that can't wait to hit up all the trails up at the Star.
someone should make a site for a mountain biker carpooling lol or on pinkbike but I don't know how that would work out.