Trails

Binty's High Trail and Bill's Epic Trail

Difficulty Level: Physically difficult/ Technically very difficult.

Self Sufficiency: Moderate. - Season: June through October.

Download: .doc

Synopsis: Taking advantage of renovated logging roads, Binty's High Trail, climbs high above the Whistler valley and then begins a long, technical single-track descent of almost 2000 vertical feet. In addition to fantastic riding, Binty's offers unparalleled views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Recently, an alternate descent has been cut. From a spot close to the top of Binty's, this new trail, known as Bill's Epic Trail, takes the fall line down into the top of the Rebob trail, ending at Alta Lake Rd.

Trailhead Access: From Whistler Village, ride north on Highway 99 for about 3 km to the Alpine Meadows subdivision, which is clearly marked with a large wooden sign. Turn left off of the highway on to Alpine Way and ride straight up the road. Alpine Way becomes progressively steeper, then makes a sharp right and abruptly ends. At the very end of the paved road a gravel watershed road, blocked with a metal post, climbs sharply upward.

The Ride: Find your granny gear and start the ride up the watershed road. As you climb you will pass two roads that branch sharply to the left, and just past the second road the main trail narrows to a single-track. This section of trail climbs smoothly upwards, switchbacks once to the left and eventually levels off in a small meadow. Here the trail forks, with the right fork continuing the long uphill towards Binty's High Trail and the left fork leading to the Rick's Roost descent. Bear right and resume the climb.

After a while the Alders will thin and some nice views of Green Lake will be visible off to your right. Soon after this point the trail closes in once more and becomes looser. Keep an eye out for another trail that branches to the left; there is usually a small rock cairn to mark it. Take this left branch and continue to climb (the main trail now continues to climb up to the soon to be completed North Flank trail). This section of trail is becoming clogged with Alders, but just push through, you're going the right way. Soon the trail will approach the edge of the cut block and enter the forest. This part of Binty's presents a very tough technical side hill climb, with many roots and logs to deal with, and may require some hiking before the trail pops out into another cut block, just below a large square microwave reflector (use this reflector as a reference when you finish the ride; it is visible from Rainbow Park and will give you an idea where you were). This is the highest point of the ride, it is all (well, mostly) downhill from here.

Before you get to descend, however, there is a little more portaging to deal with. The top section is quite flat and marshy, and will require some walking. Soon though, you will find yourself descending some of the most challenging single-track in Whistler.

After one particularly gnarly section that drops you on to a well shaded roadbed, look carefully on the left for a single-track. This is the new descent, Bill's Epic Trail. If you choose this option, the trail will drop steeply away from Binty's, along some wonderfully exposed rock faces, and on to another old roadbed. Once on this roadbed, turn left and climb once more for a couple of hundred meters, then look to the right for the spot where the single-track drops in once more (if you reach the creek you've gone a little too far). From here gravity will show you the way down to the top of Rebob, and from there a variety of different trails can take you down to Alta Lake Rd.

If you choose to continue on Binty's High Trail, keep riding down the overgrown roadbed. Important: this section has fallen into disuse and has become very overgrown, and is not recommended! The character of Binty's changes several times on the way down, from old roadbeds, to granite domes, to soft, loose forest floor. There is one section where the trail drops into a ridiculously steep area. This section is not ridable, but it is the only way down from the granite outcropping, so shoulder up that bike and climb (carefully!) down through the rocks. As you slide down, stick to the right side of this little chute, under the cave, and you will find the trail again. From here just stick to the trail and you will find yourself on Alta Lake Rd. beside Twentyone Mile Creek. Turn right, ride down to Rainbow Park and throw yourself in the lake. Then rejoin the Valley Trail and ride back to the Village