The Bike Co. - Pemberton and Whistler Bicycle Rentals and Store

Synopsis: The main trail, Shit Happens, stretches for several very entertaining kilometers from Emerald Estates to Alpine Meadows. The other trails that later joined Shit Happens were cut as branches or loops off of this main trail. These very technical singletrack trails include many drop-offs and log hops and can be a little rough on equipment (not to mention the people riding it). The newest trail is Section 102, which runs north from the trailhead to Sixteen Mile Creek.

Trailhead Access: From Whistler Village, turn right onto Highway 99 and ride north for about 6 km, past Green Lake to the subdivision of Emerald Estates (clearly marked with a large wooden sign). Turn left on to Autumn Dr. and begin the short paved climb into Emerald Estates. At the top of the hill Autumn Dr. meets Emerald Dr. at a 'T' intersection. Turn right and continue to climb on Emerald Dr. At a sharp right turn in the road look to the left for a rough gravel road with a metal pole planted in the middle of it that climbs up between two houses (if you reach the crest of Emerald Dr. and the road starts to descend, you have gone too far). This is the access road to the Emerald Estates watershed, as well as the trailhead.

The Ride : Ride up the gravel access road from Emerald Dr. until it levels out, and at this point you should see an overgrown road with a single-track running down it branching to the left. Turn left to access Shit Happens or continue straight on the gravel road to ride Section 102. The trailhead for Snakes and Ladders, a 'vertical trials' trail, lies to your right.

If you have chosen to ride Section 102 (named for the section of the Forest Practices Code that prohibits cutting new trails on Crown Land) you will soon reach the fence that surrounds the water source for Emerald Estates. The singletrack skirts the edge of the fence and continues into the woods, heading north until it joins with a Forest Service road in the Sixteen Mile Creek drainage. Turn right on this road and descend to the highway. The Ancient Cedars and Soo Valley trails can also be accessed from Sixteen Mile Creek.

In you decide to ride Shit Happens, take the left branch at the flats. Keep riding until the trail turns right and heads up into the forest. Follow the trail and in a hundred meters or so you will arrive at a small lake (it's quite shallow and is good for swimming) and here the trail branches to the left and begins a nasty, root infested, off-camber, switch-backing climb to the highest point of the ride. That's entertainment! From here Shit Happens begins its long, twisting descent towards Alpine Meadows. Care should be taken when riding Shit Happens on weekends, as part of the trail passes through the playing fields of Whistler Paintball Adventures, and unwary riders may find themselves in the sights of a semi-automatic paint gun.

Along the Shit Happens descent, at least two newer trails have appeared, both branching to the rider's left. The first is The Big Kahuna, a great trail that loops back through the forest, finishing near the trailhead on the gravel watershed road. The second is No Girlie-Men, which works its way through the forest until it reaches the cliff bands above Green Lake. At this point, the trail splits yet again, with the left trail continuing No Girlie-Men's hair raising freefall down to the highway. The right fork marks the beginning of White Knuckles, a fun route that switchbacks its way down through the cliffs, also leading to the highway. White Knuckles can be ridden in both directions.

Riding Time : A single trip through Shit Happens takes about 45 minutes of off-road riding, but by adding another loop or two on the side trails one can easily spend two or more hours in the Emerald area.

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