When Diamond Head's much anticipated Half Nelson jump trail opens at the end of the month, it will mark a significant shift in the way trails are locally managed.
Not only is it Squamish's first government-funded mountain bike trail, it is also being built with a mini-excavator and an eye for sustainability as its essential tools.
It's a welcome shift for someone like "Big Red" Ted Tempany, who has spent more than a decade creating lines by hand and shovel in the area with fellow volunteers for more than a decade.
Tempany and his company Dream Wizards Events were contracted to build the three-kilometre trail after the 麻豆社国产Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) received $100,000 in federal and provincial funding last year. A portion of the money is also being used to maintain nearly a dozen other local trails, while Tempany is also working on trails for the 麻豆社国产Dirt Bike Association in the Lava Flow area.
When Tempany started building Half Nelson in September, his objective was to create a trail requiring minimal maintenance while prompting equal hoots and hollers out of beginner, intermediate and advanced riders.
Although originally touted as an A-line-style jump trail, referring to the popular run at Whistler Bike Park, it is actually quite different. It is, however, a unique trail that fills a void in an area lined with steep black diamonds, said Tempany.
"This is a trail that will hopefully redefine beginner/intermediate," he said, pointing out a section that features a step-up to another step-up.
"The airs are more suited to the advanced riders but they're still rollable for those people who are just getting into it. And that's something the mountain bike network has been missing."
Many of the Diamond Head trails are built straight down, which makes them steep and technical. But it also leaves them susceptible to erosion, limiting their lifespan.
For Half Nelson, Tempany adapted to the mountain's natural water flow by building perpendicular to heavy flow sections and adding bundle bridges, which act like culverts but avoid getting plugged. An extremely wet November helped him pinpoint trouble sections.
Using these methods, Tempany said he expects to cut regular maintenance requirements from about three times a year to once every couple of years.
"I'm trying to take the funding that we have and show the NTC [National Trails Coalition] that 麻豆社国产can do a lot more with the money than they anticipated. And just show some value, because it's our tax dollars, right?"
Tempany nearly doubled the 1.7 kilometres of trail that was originally marked out by SORCA trails director Chris McCrum. The trail is 1.2 metres wide and will include about 20 cedar bridges, including the "Halloween Bridge" with its peaked roof and black cat insignia.
The result is an ultra-flowy trail that rewards rhythm skills much like a BMX track does.
"The goal, when I'm building, is to design a line where you don't have to pedal and you don't have to brake," said Tempany, whose crew includes Steve Klassen, Clark Lewis, SORCA trail maintenance director Barry McLane and regular helpers Tempany refers to as the Callaghan Olympic Crew.
Half Nelson is named after SORCA government liaison Mike Nelson, who played a key role in securing the government funding.
"First of all it felt like 'I'm not worthy' type of thing," said Nelson with a laugh. "Why are you naming it after me? I just did a bunch of paperwork."
But cutting through red tape is an important part of any shift, especially one that involves so many stakeholders, including the 麻豆社国产Nation and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. Both parties have been instrumental in allowing Half Nelson to be built.
The shift toward legally sanctioned trails suggests greater value is being put on outdoor recreation in Squamish, said Tempany.
"It's a big part of the reason people live here and move here, and it's something we need to continue to improve on," he said.
"We're really lucky to have what we have here in Squamish. Potentially, we could have the greatest destination machine built trails in the world."
