Everyone from Squamish knows that the mountain biking is good – heck, a good amount of the riders in town moved here in order to get more of it.
Despite being aware of this we often take it for granted, or simply don’t know just how good we have it. Although I can never get enough of the riding in Squamish, I love nothing more than getting out of the bubble and experiencing what else is out there. It’s fun to travel, and doing a lot of it with a mountain bike really grants access to sights and experiences that many regular tourists don’t have the benefit of enjoying.
It’s not just about the unique experiences afforded from utilizing a bicycle at each stop, but the awesome, like-minded people you cross paths with. As I sit here typing this story while road tripping throughout Colorado, it’s through these great folks that I continue to meet that I’m reminded of just how good we have it at home in Squish. Five plus years ago on similar road trips – actually closer to home – many were unsure just what, or where Squamish was and the use of a gentle, “between Whistler and Vancouver” was required to help them place it.
Nowadays, the mention of Squamish gets riders all over frothing on how good it is, or how awesome the videos and photos they see from here are, and how much they need to visit so they can sample the sweet, loamy trails we call home.
It’s a moment I can only imagine is similar to that of a proud father. For what seems like a while now, Squamish has pushed to be more recognized as a tourism destination and to see it becoming known for one of its great assets, such as the cycling in the area, leaves me all warm and fuzzy. Folks all over the lower 48 are now realizing what we have here and have either visited already (often with plans of coming back), or are planning their first trip.
As we explore and enjoy some of the best riding Colorado, Utah and Wyoming have to offer we continue to be reminded of how good it is back home and while we enjoy our time here, the thought of hitting local singletrack again with close friends gets us excited. But moreso than the regular jaunts, our exploratory senses are on overdrive.
Visiting new trails is getting the bug wound up for local hometown missions and while riding our regular trails is fun, exploring what else is out there in our own backyard adds an excellent spice. These exploratory missions are often more about pushing the body where you didn’t think it could physically or mentally go and usually involve a lot more hike-a-bike action than most riders care to think about.
However, these same missions are where a number of the media sources being consumed are stemming from, and what the riders we bump into are getting so excited about our little hometown for. They’re getting the home-turf more recognition and while many visitors are happy to ride the more common trails in the network, its largely the dreamy experiences that get them to book the trip.
The obvious downside for some is the increased traffic on our trails and while for many it may not be ideal, it is a good thing. It forces authorities to put their money where their mouth is, with a number of recent surveys displaying incredible numbers being injected into Squamish from these visitors. This has and will result in more trails being added to the networks, and more focused efforts on maintaining the awesome ones that already exist.
The trails in Squamish are nothing short of amazing and getting out on the road has reminded me of that once again. But while on the road, the generosity and kindness of many of the riders we’ve met has also reminded me that we need to do the same in Squamish. Don’t be a grump, say g’day, if you see someone that looks a little lost, give them a hand. It will come back tenfold when you are out abroad and will result in the visiting riders leaving town with nothing more than the highest of compliments, not only for the trails and quality of riding, but also the generosity and manners of the community.
