Riding in the Bow Valley                     

Plan your trip
Sharing the trails
What about wildlife?
Enough about predators
Best biking practises
So - now where to ride?
Biking in Canmore
Biking in Banff
Biking in Lake Louise

When can you ride

The trails in the Bow Valley are some of the best classic cross country mountain biking that you will find anywhere in North America. In Canmore, the riding season is generally from late to mid to late October depending when the snow flies and stays on the ground. Some years we have ridden right into December and there are some people who ride year round. Banff’s season starts in early to mid-May depending on the trail and the weather and finishes early October, but can stretch to early November on occasion. Lake Louise is quite a bit higher in altitude and the season there is a late May to mid-June start with the trails mostly being snowbound by early October. It is best to check with Parks Canada for Banff and Lake Louise trail conditions if you are coming here early or late season. You can find them at http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/tcond/cond_e.asp?oPark=100092

When you ride here, keep in mind that you are riding at elevations between about 1400 metres (4500 feet) above sea level to up to 2130 metres (7000 feet) or more. This altitude can be hard on some visitors for a day or two until they acclimatize a little.

Plan your trip – you’ll be safer and have more fun!!

The area can have some very changeable weather so be prepared. Carry some warm clothing and a rain jacket at most times of the year. The sun can also be a bit harsh at this altitude so don’t forget the sun block !! Bugs – not a big problem generally but like most of Canada we can have mosquitoes and some early season (May) wood ticks in certain areas.

Some trails can get you into remote areas so you need to be self sufficient for being able to repair your bike in an emergency. Plan your route and know what you are getting into. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return and then let them know when you are back.

Cell phone coverage is good in Canmore but patchy in many parts of Banff National Park. They cannot be relied on in emergencies but taking one may prove to be invaluable if there is coverage.

Carry enough food, energy bars and water for a ride longer than you plan so if things go a little wrong you have some back up.

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Sharing the trails - you may not be alone!

All trails in the Bow Valley that are open to mountain biking are also multi-user trails. That means you will be sharing with horses, hikers and runners from time to time. Please slow down and yield the trail to all other users. When approaching horse riders, it is best to slow down and call out to the lead or last rider to make your presence known. Bikes can be spooky for horses, so be prepared to dismount and move off the trail on a singletrack trail. Talking to the horse rider lets the horses know you are a human being and not a weird monster they should fear. Tell the rider you’d like to pass and they will give you the all clear as soon as it is practical.

Hikers have been using these trails for many years. Please be sensitive to their experience as you approach and pass them. Slowing down and having a friendly word or two with them can go a long way to reducing conflict on the trails. Try getting off the trail for them sometimes and you’ll probably find a much friendlier attitude.

What about wildlife?

            
Yes, you may well see wildlife. Please do not disturb or feed animals no matter how cute they seem. Doing so is not in their best interest or yours.OK – you really want to know about bears, don’t you?
That’s natural – most people coming here do. Yes, we have bears. No, we don’t have a huge number. Yes, they can be anywhere and yes, you need to know a little about them for your safety and their future health. For more details Parks Canada has a good brochure called Bears and People at     http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit12_E.asp that provides useful and interesting information on bears.

Much of the Rockies is actually rock and ice, making it land that many animals, including humans, may visit but really choose not to call their home. Animals and people share the same land, both spending much of their time in the valley areas and the lower montane regions. And animals, like humans, often take the path of least resistance, so trails can be an attraction for them to move along as well.

The last thing you want is a surprise encounter with a bear at a close range. To avoid this, the best thing you can do is make lots of noise and make it often. Bears generally want to avoid you as much as you want to avoid them. Once aware that you are nearby, they usually try to move away. Consider a good loud bell on your bike or an air horn, perhaps carry a loud whistle like a Fox 40, call out from time to time, or sing, talk to your riding companions – any loud noise is good. Bear bells – those small bells people attach to their backpacks or shoes or wherever are generally quite ineffective, so don’t rely on them. Remember bikes travel quite quickly and quietly down trails, so you soon travel past the range of the last time you made noise. Be aware of sight lines, and make some noise as you come into a bend or blind spot on the trail.
Riding your bike and listening to tunes can be a fun and relaxing thing to do. This isn't the best place to do that unfortuately. Zoning out means you are not as aware and focused on your surroundings as you need to be here to react quickly to a change in surroundings. We suggest you do not use MP3 players or iPods while trail riding in the Bow Valley.

Be bear aware at all times – look for signs of bear presence – bear scat on the trail, perhaps a bear paw print in the mud or dirt, fresh diggings for roots, larges rocks flipped over etc. Should you carry bear spray?? We think it is a good idea and we do ourselves, but it has its limitations and you need to know how to use it and when to use it. It is a last resort weapon rather than excuse to ignore other bear safety procedures. If you do carry it, don’t store it in the bottom of your pack. It should be somewhere on you or your bike that you can access very readily. One effective method is to cut the top off on old water bottle, secure the bear spray inside, and carry it in your water bottle cage (see photo above). While this is a popular way to keep the spray close at hand, some experts feel that it is better to secure the spray to your body such as being strapped to your waist. They point out that it is not uncommon when an incident with a bear occurs for you to quickly become separated from your bike and thus your spray.

Bear attacks are not common but you need to be alert at all times. Learn about bears, their behaviour and what to do if you see one -- it is your responsibility. Don’t let paranoia of bears ruin your ride and experience in the Canadian Rockies. You probably have more chance of being hit by lightning than being attacked by a bear. Keep things in perspective.

If you like to ride with your dog, you should reconsider that practice here. Firstly, dogs are not allowed off-leash in national parks. And secondly, dogs can also sniff out a bear and chase it only to have the bear turn and chase the dog. What does the dog do then? It runs back to you, his master with the bear charging behind and you really don’t want that!! Leave your dog at home or with friends.

What about cougars? We don’t have many at all and people rarely see them, although they may be watching you at any time. Cougar attacks are very unusual but the approach to handling cougar sightings is quite different from how you should handle bear encounters. To learn what to do if you see or encounter one follow this link:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit7_e.asp#predator

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Enough about predators – other wildlife live here too!

You may see deer, elk, moose, mountain goats and mountain sheep, rabbits, pine martens, and all sorts of beautiful and fascinating animals. Please enjoy watching them without trying to have contact with them. Help keep these animal wild. Habituation (being familiar with humans and losing an animal’s natural wariness of people) is not good for any wild animal – it can lead scrounging for food and introduce them to all kinds of foods that shouldn’t be part of their diet.

Keep your distance from elk especially during the spring calving season and rutting (mating) season in the fall. They can both protective and aggressive at these times and there have been many incidents of people being charged and badly hurt by them. Elk are large and you don’t want an encounter with them. Keep a good distance from all wild animals no matter how quiet or harmless they seem. Many of these animals are quite unpredictable in their behaviour.

Parks Canada has a very interesting and informative section on their website about wild animals and things you should be aware of. Have a look at http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/pc/guide/nature/nature01_e.asp

Best biking practices

Once spring starts, riders are keen to get out on the trail after being off their bikes so long during the winter. Please wait until the trails dry out before you start riding. Early season tire ruts in the mud can stay for a long time, hold water and increase the time needed for the trail to dry out. One of the best early season rides is the Lake Minnewanka Trail. It is often good to ride near the end of April. Or try the benchlands in Canmore on the north side of the valley. It gets a lot of spring sunshine and often is rideable in late March or early April.

When the trails are wet, don’t ride around mud puddles – ride through them. Try to avoid widening and braiding trails. Let’s keep singletrack single! On downhill sections, try not to lock up your wheels when you apply the brakes. Skidding causes erosion and a path for water run down to cause even more erosion. Ride, don’t slide!

In Banff National Park (BNP), except for the townsite area, mountain bikes are only permitted on designated trails. We may not always agree with this but it is something we must live with if we want to be allowed to bike here well into the future. There is a lot of BNP that is sensitive ecologically and we don’t want mountain bikers to contribute to harming the environment in these sensitive areas.

Don’t build illegal trails or stunts out in the woods. This doesn’t do our sport and the image of mountain biking any good. Sure we all get frustrated at not being able to do whatever we want at times and mountain bikers are often a free-thinking group of people – they don’t like boundaries and they don’t like people telling them what they can’t do. But we need to think about the big picture here and practice some restraint.

  Learn the IMBA Rules of the Trail:

 http://www.imba.com/about/trail_rules.html  

 – well, give them a read at least. These rules form the foundation for good riding practices that help make your experience safe and fun and help give our sport a future.

There are all sorts of other riding tips scattered about these pages. Spend a little time reading them if you can.

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So – now where to ride??

There are a couple of good biking trail books written on this area. We highly recommend Backcountry Biking in the Canadian Rockies by Doug Eastcott. This book is an excellent resource for trail descriptions but also for general information of riding in the Rockies.

Parks Canada also has a very good brochure in English or French that lists all the biking trails in Banff National Park, outside of the Banff Townsite, that are open to mountain bikes. Follow these links to read them or pick up a brochure at the Parks Canada Information Centers in Banff or Lake Louise.

Banff trail map http://www.bvmba.org/page/page/3413337.htm

Lake Louise Map http://www.bvmba.org/page/page/3413374.htm


When riding in Banff National Park, it is a good idea to visit or call the Parks Canada visitor information centres (Banff 403-762-1550 or Lake Louise 403-522-3833) to obtain up-to-the-minute information on any trail closures or trail conditions.

We hope you enjoy your rides in the Bow Valley. This is a very special and unique area that will give you many natural rewards on each ride. And as you ride here we ask you to always keep in mind our motto, Ride with Respect.

Biking in Canmore

There are some superb cross country rides in the mountains and valleys south and east of Canmore. These are described in Doug’s guidebook and include Goat Creek, Rundle Riverside, Mount Shark to Goat Creek, Skogan Pass, Jewell Pass, and Prairieview.

Access to trails in the immediate vicinity of Canmore has become very controversial with competition between recreationalists, developers, and the need to set aside land for wildlife conservation. As a result some trails are being closed and the trail network is beginning to become more formalized. This trend will likely continue over the next few years. The result will be a network of formal trails and some no-go zones. Respecting the no-go areas that are closed for wildlife is very important. There are lots of opportunities to work with the BVMBA to increase riding opportunities in the Canmore area. There is very little in the way of freeride and downhill opportunities – these activities are not supported by local land managers. What trails exist fall into the category of secret trails. Seek out local knowledge.

Responsible riding is the order of the day given the limited number of good trails. Some trails are showing classic signs of over-use including shortcuts, trail widening, skidded out corners and eroded steeps. Please follow the IMBA Rules of the Trail. Particularly frustrating is the effort by some riders to remove every technical obstacle from every trail. Select trails that match your ability, if a technical trail feature is too difficult for you please just walk past it and continue on your way.

Featured below are some of our favorite local rides in the vicinity of Canmore townsite. Southwest of the river you will find the Canmore Nordic Center trails, the Reclaimer, and the old Whiteman Gap trail. Northeast of the river you will find the Benchland trails which are shown in a brochure called ‘The Benchland Trails Near Canmore’ available at a variety of locations in Canmore.

Selected Favourites Trails in the Canmore Area

Reclaimer This is a newly constructed, rider-built trail. Park at the Grassi Lakes trailhead, ride back to the Spray Lakes road and ride up the road for 2 km. The signed trailhead is on the downhill side of the road. This is an advanced level x-country trail with some tight corners and loose rocks. The trail ends at the Grassi Lakes trailhead.

Grassi Lakes – Whiteman Gap – Canalside From the Grassi Lakes trailhead ride up the shared use Grassi Lakes trail to Grassi Lake. Continue past the lake and climb the spur to the right, duck under the penstock and continue to a trail junction with the Whiteman Gap trail. This is the original Rocky Mountains Park trail from 1890 and heavy use by bikers has left it a bit rugged. Descend the trail to the powerline, turn left and ride along the powerline doubletrack until you can turn onto the Canalside trail. Follow the edge of the canal back to the Spray Lakes road. This is an advanced skill level ride.

Benchlands: Montane Traverse Get the free map, then all of this will make sense. Begin at the trailhead beside Cougar Creek at the top of Elk Run Blvd. Ride up the trail along the west side of Cougar Creek and then follow the Montane Traverse trail. Many options present: descend to the Douglas Fir Bench trail and return to the trailhead; or continue the Montane Traverse to the Tibits Quarry trail and descend to Harvey Heights, then return. These are intermediate skill level trails.

Benchlands: Alpine Club Benches Once again the map is useful, begin at the trailhead described above. Ride up the east side of Cougar Creek and follow the Horseshoe Loop. There are more trails here than those shown on the map, exploration being the order of the day. These are intermediate skill level trails.

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Biking in Banff

The area in and around the town of Banff has several really fine rides to suit all levels of ability and fitness. Access the Parks Canada’s biking trail maps here or buy Doug Eastcott’s book at a local shop on or the internet.

The trails in the Banff townsite area are presently (June 2005) the subject of a lengthy review process and some changes will probably be happening in the townsite general area in the next few years. For now, “any trail maintained by Parks Canada” is open to cyclists unless specifically marked as being closed to bikes like the Tunnel Mountain summit trail and the Sulphur Mountain East side trail.

 Banff Trails map http://www.bvmba.org/page/page/3413337.htm

Selected Favourite Rides close to the Banff Townsite:

The Spray River Loop (Trail # 4 on the 2005 Parks Canada brochure) is the most popular easy trail in the Banff townsite vicinity. Starting at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel avoids the fairly steep uphill section that kicks off the trail on the Golf Course side. About 6 km of rolling fireroad leads to picnic site and bridge across the river, providing the option of a 12 km long loop ride There’s also a bridge and connecting trails (wide singletrack) about 1 km from the start. For a longer ride, connect the Spray River trail with Goat Creek (and the Rundle Riverside for a more challenging 48 km complete loop)

The Lake Minnewanka Trail (Trail #8 in the 2005 Parks Canada brochure) is an excellent adventure for intermediate and advanced cyclists. Featuring lots of twisty singletrack along south facing slopes above the lake, this rolling trail is a local favourite. Most people ride to first campgrounds (about 18 km return) or the warden cabin (32 km return) but adventurous cyclists can ride all the way to the park boundary in Devil’s Gap (and into the Ghost River region beyond). A return trip to the boundary is about 60 km of singletrack, so make sure you are prepared with enough food, tools, and clothing. Turning back at about km 23 is also common, as going past this point requires a “hold the bike overhead” water crossing that is often waist to chest deep.

This trail can be extremely busy with hikers, especially for the first few kms. It’s one of the first snow free trails in the spring and sees lots of use on weekends in May and June. Problems between hikers and cyclist could jeopardize access to this great trail, so please ride with extra care. Control your speed and offer a friendly greeting to any hikers you meet. An early start means that you can get through the initial part of the trail before it gets too busy, leaving at 1:00 PM on a summer weekend guarantees you’ll be slowing down and stopping for lots of other people.

Upper and Lower Stoney Squaw (Trail #10 in the 2005 Parks Canada brochure) offer a long continuous descent that varies from a narrow singletrack that twists between tight trees to a fairly wide and often rocky trail bed that drops all the way down the Trans Canada Highway. Start by leave your vehicle in Banff. Ride up the Mt. Norquay access road, a smooth spin that usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Some people use vehicle shuttles, but this is discouraged. The intense use and high visibility of shuttling contributed to the closure of other Norquay trails (Stoney Squaw is the ONLY trail now open on Norquay). The ride up isn’t too long, so do it by bike rather than car. IF YOU CAN MOUNT UP, YOU CAN RIDE UP.

The more difficult Upper Stoney trail starts from the Mt. Norquay parking lot entrance and features a steep technical climb with some extremely rooty sections. If you clean this climb you can climb anything! Once on the summit of Stoney Squaw, admire the view and rejoice in knowing the only way down is by single-track trail all down to the Trans Canada Highway. Continue across the top and enjoy the excellent singletrack descent to the old ski runs above the lodge. This is a steep and technical trail down that has claimed many riders (and bikes) over the years. Be bear aware throughout the descent. Once you connect with the old Norquay Ski runs, follow the trail to the right (North) and you’ll meet up with the Lower Stoney trail.

Intermediate riders, and anyone not interested in trying to ride up the steep roots of the Upper trail, will want to focus on the Lower trail. After a short climb at the beginning, it’s almost all downhill to the highway. It’s easy to get going quite fast, so be alert for hikers, equestrians, and bears.

Tunnel Mountain Trails The area topographically known as the Tunnel Mountain Bench has a number of good riding trails like the Hoo Doo Trail. This area is currently under review by the “Lands Adjacent to the Town of Banff (“LATB”) trail Committee. We hope to be able to tell you all about a wonderful trail network when the committee work is finished. At this time we can’t publish trail descriptions until the LATB committee report is written, the cumulative effects assessment is done, the public hearings are held, the Superintendent of Banff National Park acknowledges her accord with the Committee recommendations and the Banff Management Plan is amended (a mere act of the federal legislature in Ottawa). In the interim:

• the trail from the Banff Center to the Hoo Doo’s is open for riding on a gentle rolling wide single track. This is good trail for beginners, but be aware it involves a climb out either way you travel. Ride cautiously as this trail is heavily used by hikers.
• The Hoo Doo trail runs parallel to Tunnel Mountain Drive from the Douglas Fir Hotel (Waterslide) to the Hoo Doo look out. It’s a great beginner trail with lots of fun dips and zippy-do’s. Be watchful for hikers.
• The trail immediately adjacent to the camp ground can be enjoyed. They are unsigned and not maintained. Watch for elk (particularly in the spring during calving season)

Biking in Lake Louise

Lake Louise also has some excellent trails –a limited number mind you but a couple are really outstanding. At this time there are only six legal trails in this area and they are also on the Parks Canada’s brochure and in Doug Eastcott’s book.

http://www.bvmba.org/page/page/3413374.htm

The riding season is a little shorter in Lake Louise due to the higher elevation. Snow is slower to leave and earlier to arrive. Mid –June to mid-September is pretty much guaranteed to give you access to all trails.

There is a lot of sensitivity surrounding the future of bears, particularly grizzly bears, in the Lake Louise area. At this time this area is one of three main reproductive centers for grizzlies in Banff National Park and may well stay that way for some time. That doesn’t mean there are huge numbers of them here but it does mean there is increased bear activity and also concern about preventing bear habituation, bear mortality and human/bear interactions. For riders, it mostly means that you should be a little more tuned into being “bear aware” and make lots of noise on the trails. Read the previous sections and the Parks Canada information on bears to help understand what you should or should not be doing.

Selected Favourite Rides around Lake Louise

For an easy family ride, try the Bow River Loop Trail (Trail #1 in the Parks Canada brochure on Lake Louise trails). It is a gentle hardened trail that follows the Bow River from the old Lake Louise Railway Station to the eastern end of the RV Campgrounds and returns back on the opposite side of the river.

For an easy, but more physically challenging ride than the Bow River Loop consider the Pipestone Trail (Trail #5 in the Parks Canada brochure on Lake Louise trails) which starts on the north side of the Trans Canada Highway near an area called Harry’s Hill. It is a fun rollercoaster ride on a smooth and non-technical trail which basically follows the Pipestone River for several kilometers. It is a quiet out and back trail which should definitely be avoided during wet weather.

On the Moraine Lake Highline Trail (Trail #4 in the Parks Canada brochure on Lake Louise trails and one very sweet singletrack trail), the BVMBA worked very hard with Parks Canada to prevent losing access to this trail when it was threatened with closure because of wildlife concerns. The result of the work we did means that we have continued full access to this trail except during berry season (roughly late July or early August until early September). During this closure time the trail is actually open from the north access point until where the berries start to appear along the side of the trail. Near the closure point, which means go no further, Parks has cut a drop out trail which leads directly down to Moraine Lake Road. This means you can ride back on the road if you wish or turn around and ride the trail back to the village. It is still a fun ride even when it is shortened due to the berry season closure. This ride is considered the area’s premier ride by keen mountain bikers looking for a definite physical and technical challenge with stunning mountain scenery.

The Ross Lake Trail (Trail #3 in the Parks Canada brochure on Lake Louise trails) which starts directly behind the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise’s staff residence, is the other favourite ride in Lake Louise. It is a winding singletrack that ends up at Ross Lake just over the border in B.C. The trail crosses a couple of year-round shallow creeks and has some challenging technical rocky sections. It can be ridden as an out and back from the Chateau or a loop using the old 1-A Highway (now closed to vehicles). If it is ridden as a loop, it is best done in a clockwise direction. Ross Lake itself is your quintessential peaceful mountain lake.

Unauthorized Trails - BVMBA's Position & Solutions
(adapted from the I.M.B.A.’s position on this topic)

Freedom. This word captures the spirit of mountain biking. Mountain biking calls to the self-sufficient individual looking to explore the endless wooded trail, to push their physical and mental boundaries and to escape - however briefly - the standard routine of life in the 21st century. This search for freedom, however, has taken a side path that threatens the future of our sport: the construction of unauthorized trails.

Some mountain bikers build unauthorized trails and stunts because they seek more challenging terrain to match their improving skills and technology. Others are motivated by a desire to satisfy the need for viable connector routes linking trail systems while still others feel frustration at the opportunities presently available. Popular mountain biking films and magazines have glorified clandestine paths and extreme riding. Regardless of the rationale, the BVMBA absolutely does not support building unauthorized trails.

All the work that mountain bike groups such as ours do relies on co-operation with land managers. The construction of unauthorized trails undermines this process - not only because it defies the spirit of cooperation but also because it poses environmental uncertainties, particularly in a national park setting. Most trails are planned and built as part of a master plan that considers multiple factors. Unauthorized trails, while often carefully built, may threaten wildlife habitat, plants and trees and increase erosion and even put people’s safety at risk. Renegade trails hurt the vast majority of mountain bikers who have never even considered building an unauthorized trail.

Where we stand:

• Mountain bikers and land managers should cooperate to find solutions that work for everyone.
• When possible, trail networks should accommodate a wide range of user groups and ability levels. There should be trail opportunities for beginning, intermediate and expert visitors.
• BVMBA is concerned by the recent trail construction trend of unauthorized elevated, man-made technical stunts. 
• BVMBA supports the development of technical trails using natural terrain and features.
• BVMBA supports skills (man made stunts) parks and special use technical riding areas where land manager permission is granted.