The North Shore Mountain Bike Association has a similar agreement with the District of North Vancouver for stewardship of trails on Mount Fromme and Mount Seymour but the trails on Hollyburn are considerably more challenging, with Black Diamond ratings. Construction on the new trail won’t start until this winter’s snows have melted away, Quinn said. The new trail will be available to users of all kinds – however, mountain bikers will only be allowed to ride up the slope.Īlthough it will have some elevation gain, the new trail should be accessible for novice to intermediate hikers. The new trail will largely replace the historic Old Forks Trail, which was once used for hikers to reach the Hollyburn cabins. “Hopefully, we can see a trail experience on Cypress that continues to maintain this legacy and history of being a very, very challenging riding area, and at the same time modernize that.’
“We should be excited about this because it represents the culmination of decades of work by a bunch of dedicated individuals …to get mountain biking formally recognized by the District of West Vancouver,” he said. Mountain bikers have been bombing hills on Hollyburn for decades but always on unsanctioned trails, said Cooper Quinn, president of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association. Under the agreement, the district will hold a right of way through land owned by British Pacific Properties, connecting the Cypress Mountain Viewpoint (also known as High View Lookout) to the trails around the Hollyburn cabins. "This work is in line with the official community plan’s aim to maintain authorized trails in the Upper Lands in a way that balances recreational use with environmental and cultural values.” “West Vancouver is well known for its world-class hiking trails, and I am proud of the collaboration between the district, the North Shore Mountain Biking Association, and British Pacific Properties to improve these trails in the Upper Lands for a variety of users, including mountain bikers and hikers," said Mayor Mary-Ann Booth in a statement. The District of West Vancouver has signed an agreement with British Pacific Properties and the North Shore Mountain Bike Association to build a new multi-use trail in the Rodgers Creek area, and put the association in charge of maintenance on Meat Sweats, Jersey Shore and Morgies downhill mountain bike trails. This story has been updated to add quotes and information on costs.Ī new trail is coming to the edge of West Vancouver’s Hollyburn Mountain and some old, unsanctioned ones will be formally maintained and sanctioned.