qathet Regional Cycling Association (QRCA) has made significant progress in developing the trail network at Mount Mahony into a world-class facility.
QRCA has received what is known as a provincial section 57 approval for Mount Mahony. It is the authorization required by the Province of British Columbia to construct, rehabilitate and maintain trails or recreational facilities on crown land. This section 57 is the first step that allows QRCA to legally develop its trails network and pursue funding for building new trails.
To help with development of the trail network, Powell River Community Forest has allocated $360,000 for the mountain bike trail network.
QRCA has indicated the agreement with the province and the community forest money will help change the trail system on the mountain significantly.
“We will now be able to build trails legally and get grants to build professional-grade trails,” said QRCA director at large Ty Bourassa. “The trails that are already on the mountain can also be maintained properly, being legally recognized.”
Bourassa said the trail system has been in place since 2001, with the first trail going in late that year. There has been significant expansion since then. The cycling club has developed a committee cadre of volunteers who are dedicated to the construction and maintenance of trails on the mountain.
“We have really tried to bring the trails to professional grade, even though we are a volunteer organization,” said Bourassa. “We just want to see really good trails up there.”
One of the most significant projects will be the development of a climb trail on the mountain. Currently, to access trails on Mount Mahony, riders are using an old service road that is less than ideal. Bourassa said the new climb trail will be built in phases, with descents being built from the trail.
The first phase will be a green level climb and trails. These are for the least experienced riders.
“We are trying to get more people to Mount Mahony,” said Bourassa. “Right now, the runs are black and double-black grade, which are intimidating to riders who aren’t experienced. “There’s nothing on the mountain for the blue riders or the green riders.”
There will also be some adaptive runs, usable by people with impairments.
Technical trails
Right now, QRCA is concentrating on downhill, or gravity runs. At the moment, cross-country trails are not being considered at the mountain. Bourassa said there is tonnes of room for cross-country runs, but right now, QRCA is making sure there is mountain in the mountain biking.
“Currently, the trails are technical, but we are looking to get some more flow trails, with not as many roots, but with jumps and tabletops that will be fun for the riders,” said Bourassa. “The trails up there right now are hard, fairly wide, but they’re steep. We’re looking to develop a quality trail system that everyone can have fun on.”
The process of trail building will go out to bid, but there will continue to be a load of work on the mountain for volunteers.
“We want to expand the trail network but we want to expand it right,” said Bourassa. “We have a plan that has been put in place. We want to make sure every trail is high quality.
“Every trail will be fun and unique. We don’t want cookie-cutter trails and we don’t want ones that people don’t enjoy. We want quality over quantity, but still, we plan on developing many trails.”
Through many hours of planning, engagement and consultation with the province (recreation sites and trails), Tla’amin Nation, Thichum Forest Products and British Columbia Timber Sales, QRCA is now able to move forward into the next phase of the project. Working alongside its partners, first steps include the construction of a 30-plus vehicle parking lot, kiosk, toilet and the start of the official climb trail.
According to a QRCA Facebook post, the association wishes to express gratitude to Sunshine Coast Tourism (Paul Kamon), International Mountain Bike Association Canada (Jay Darbyshire), Lees & Associates Consulting (Patrick Beech), BC Timber Sales (Jocelyn Ciarnello), Thichum Forest Products (Shawn Tougas), Recreation Sites and Trails BC (Luke Clarke) and Powell River Community Forest (Chris Laing) for their direct support through this multi-year process.
Visitor volume
Through Sunshine Coast Tourism’s direct economic support, the association has been able to pursue the development of this network strategy. Working with professional consultants to develop a climb trail with several downhill trail options for the cycling community, this network will offer a wide range of riding experiences for everyone, according to the post.
“Our existing cycling network attracts a significant number of visitors to our community,” the post stated. “The addition of the Mount Mahony network will be an important economic driver for the community in the coming years. We look forward to seeing our community enjoy the opportunities that come with this expansion.”
Bourassa said in the five-year plan, hopefully, the trail system will reach the top of Mount Mahony. The association will be looking for more money to get there and a full build-out of the mountain will cost $2 to $4 million, according to Bourassa.
“There’s a lot of tourists coming to town now for the biking scene,” added Bourassa. “They are looking for progressive features and high-quality trails.”
The mountain also has a large local following, with group rides attracting up to 40 cyclists.
“Sometimes we get a huge turnout,” said Bourassa. “It’s really awesome. People are super-excited about the mountain and everyone is loving it.”
The Facebook post indicated that special thanks go to the dedicated volunteers with vision and commitment who have spent numerous hours over the past few years to achieve this agreement.
Individuals or businesses looking to support the project can get in touch with QRCA at [email protected].
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