Singletrack Whistler Video Diaries Episode One – Cream Puff And Bears

Chris Eyres is our man on the ground in Whistler. He lives there. Yes, we hate him for that too. In the winter Chris spends his days snowboarding the twin mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb, but when the snow melts he gets out on the trails on two wheels. In this Diary series Chris is going to guide us up, down and through the local mountain bike scene around Whistler. Episode one introduces us to Chris and his bike and one of the most iconic of trails in BC – Cream Puff.

I remember clearly, standing on the peak of Whistler the early spring sun out in force. As they usually are in memorandum, it was a perfect blue bird spring day in late March and I had about 20 minutes to kill waiting for a friend. Of course what better place on a day like that than on the peak, view near unobscured views of the surrounding mountains. It’s a large area and I wandered over to the 2 meter tall rock In-Uk-Shuk that sits up there. As things had changed so significantly over this last year giving everyone different perspectives, this was one of those moments that was screaming out to be appreciated. So for about 15 minutes I just sat there by myself; trying to connect with the moment. And it was in that moment of blissful ignorance that I learned Whistler would be closing for the season, and this would be my last run on a snowboard.

However, as one door closes, another one opens, and in some weird shift of fortunes it turned into one of the best early season mountain bike conditions in recent memory. In other years, persistent snow in the valley and spring snow dumps are not uncommon, however this year was a ‘La Nina’ year, the meteorological phenomena known in B.C. for bringing warmer and wetter weather than normal. There were so many days this past season where we would be waiting for ski lift in the rain, hoping, but not always getting, snow higher up. The long and short of it is by the time the resort closed the valley was already completely free of snow, and if you could drive 30 minutes the trail selection was even better.

Sea To Sky Highway, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton

Overall British Columbia has one of the most extensive bike networks in the world. Spoilt for choice would be an understatement. I will be concentrating my time in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the area from Vancouver to Pemberton that includes Squamish and Whistler. These are all fantastic areas each offering something different depending on the terrain and builders.

Whistler is the highest elevation in the ‘corridor’ and so the trails usually open up last, so for this inaugural entry I head up to Pemberton, which is about a 40 mins drive from my house.

Pemberton

Despite its small, but growing population, Pemberton has a strong biking culture. The biking areas are split up into four main zones located on the outskirts on the town. Mackenzie Creek is the main area, located on traditional Indigenous territory of the Lil’wat and St’at’imc, and rises away from the river as the flat valleys give way to climbing mountains. The centre piece is Mount Currie, known locally as Ts’zil. This 2,591m mountain’s north face sits above Pemberton and offers one of the most spectacular backdrops I’ve had the opportunity to witness. The area is characterised by fast flowy trails that make the most of the local granite. I have ridden here many times over the years but not for the last decade. 

I guess you could say I’m coming off a mountain bike hiatus. Growing up in Manchester with Canadian and English parents, I grew up riding Delamere Forest, hopping on the train with mates and spending the day exploring and building jumps. I was introduced to Whistler on a day trip while visiting family in Vancouver. After my brothers moved out here, I followed their lead and spent three summers riding as much as I could until the injuries started to mount up.

Not only will I be giving you an inside look at biking in and around Whistler but I’ll also be on a steep learning curve to get myself back to a level that I can comfortably ride most of the trails. So I’m back in Pemberton riding two of the most iconic trails in the area.

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Bike Check Chris’s Norco Sight

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Spec

• Model Year: 2020
• Frame: Sight aluminium, 150mm travel
• Shock: Fox X2 Performance
• Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm, 160mm travel
• Drivetrain: SRAM Descendant 6K 32t chainset, NX Eagle shifter and r-mech
• Wheels: DT Swiss 370 hubs, Stans Flow rims, Maxxis DHR II WT EXO TR 29×2.4in tyres
• Brakes: SRAM Code R, 200/180mm
• Components: Norco 800mm bar, Norco 40mm stem, TransX 170mm post
• Weight: 16.7kg (36.82lb)
• Size: Large
• Head angle: 64.6°
• Seat angle: 72.8°
• BB height: 350mm
• Chainstays: 445mm
• Reach: 485mm
• Contact: Norco Bikes

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To Err is human

As I’m still thinking about warming up for the season, I started on a trail called ‘No Err’ supposedly one of the best blue trails in the area, it’s a relatively recently built trail. From the main parking lot it’s a good climb to get to the start, but it pairs well with trails like Cream Puff or Econoline to take you back to the bottom.

The granite slabs aren’t too large or challenging but offer a good introduction. The second half of the trail flattens out but still gives suspension a good work out over the uneven terrain. Things then get a bit wetter and you kind of zig zag down some mellow trails before being shot out onto one of the access roads near the main body of water aptly named: Mosquito Lake. 

Cream Puff Next

Cream Puff is possibly the most iconic of the Pemberton Trails. This is a noticeable step up in difficulty from No Err, although similar in its composition; fast sections are punctuated by granite slabs, often with multiple options for descent. The dirt gets looser as the trail goes on, and after a couple technical sections winds up to a wooden bridge and drops you on top of a big round granite block.

This has to be undoubtedly the best section in the trail, granted you have to be a fan of rock riding, but with the backdrop of Mount Currie, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. As a born again biker with high confidence I blew past an intersection and down another rock face. Little did I know this was a short double black section called “the Main Vein”. Although only about 50m long this is a very technical rock face that the Cream Puff trail actually meanders around. Unfortunately without a sign post, I went right through, and it wasn’t until after I soiled myself on a high risk manoeuvre with a 3-4 meter drop off the side that the penny finally dropped.

Of course this is why it always pays to scout your line before riding it, but confidence is a hell of a thing. With a couple hundred meters to go, the trail winds down a couple more rock faces and loose dirt as it deposits you at the bottom next to the train tracks. Short ride back to the car, and with the afternoon sun, Mount Currie dominating the sky ahead it’s a great time to appreciate just how much fun mountain biking in this area is. 

What next?

Many more areas to explore in Pemberton; as we move into May the receding snow line is starting to uncover more trails higher up, including one of my next missions: Rusty Trombone. Although already a few years old, this is a new trail for me. Fortunately an old friend lives literally at the end of the trail, so I’m hoping he can show me safe way down. Plus I get out later down to Squamish to ride one of the best rated trails in the area: Rupert. So make sure you join me on the next instalment of Whistler Bike Diaries.

If you like this you should check out Chris’s Snowboard Youtube Channel.

Beginners Guides with Chris & Andreas – Snowboard Noses

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