Gary McFarlane spent a lot of time in the woods during the past winter.
Some days he was accompanied by other “OCD” types, all of them with one thing on their minds.
“I first started mountain biking in the early ’80s,” the Squamish resident said. “It’s way more fun and way less painful now.”
McFarlane got permission from the provincial government to build a new bike trail descending one kilometre from Entrail in the Alice Lake area to Mashiter. It’s a short distance, he said, but don’t let that fool you. Rated a black diamond, the route winds around the terrain. There are some steep rock features and a unique wave-like bridge that McFarlane built after seeing a similar one years ago on the Internet.
“It is a bit of artwork,” he said.
This is the fifth trail McFarlane has forged through Squamish’s forest. Just as with mountain biking itself, trail building has evolved. A lot more work goes into the pathways, making them faster with more flow for riders, McFarlane said.
“We used to just hack them out of the forest,” he recalls. “Now I consider it more like an art form.”
The trail is named after McFarlane’s dog Rupert. Before the Newfie passed away a couple of years ago, Rupert would walk the route with McFarlane. The trail will be a legacy to the dog and McFarlane’s love of the sport.
“It makes a lot of people happy,” he said.
Two years ago in the District of Squamish’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan survey, 42 per cent of Squamish residents who participated in the questionnaire stated they mountain bike.
Last year, an economic study contract by Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association reported Squamish’s mountain bike trail system draws close to $8 million into town during the 26 weeks in spring, summer and fall.
Rupert Trail is currently closed, giving it time to dry out, McFarlane said.
There are pathways around the more difficult features for intermediate riders, he noted.
