2019 Mountain Bike Season is Here!

Time to put away the skis and boards for another season and pick up the golf clubs…. err, I mean mountain bike! The snow is melting, revealing our favourite trails, and bikes are getting tuned in preparation for epic days in the saddle.

Bike park crews are also in full swing, prepping and building in anticipation of opening day. The Bike Park @ Big White is set to open June 27, 2019 with a reshaped Joker (jump trail) and more trail builds planned. See below for the Big White 2019 launch video.

BHA has worked with Big White and the team at Loft Bike Parks to plan and design the Big White Bike Park. In our role we developed the Master Plan for the Bike Park, laying out the implementation and final, build-out concept that tied the on-mountain trails to the base area, and integrated other summer season activities. We then turned these designs over to Loft who walk the proposed trail alignments and revise them based on the opportunities and realities offered by the terrain. The final trail alignments are then used to update the Master Plan, creating an iterative design process leading to a world-class bike park.

For the crew at Coast Gravity Park (CPG), opening day was years ago (2014!). As BC’s only low-elevation, all-season bike park, snow doesn’t interfere with the fun, and riders can fulfill their need for two-wheeled adventure any month of the year. Offering 16 trails that range from beginner to pro, a leg-saving shuttle, and, new for 2019, rental bikes from Commencal Canada, Coast Gravity Park is setting the standard for standalone bike parks.

BHA conducted the initial exploration and analysis of the CPG terrain, working with the CGP team to carry out a feasibility study and develop the preliminary concept for Canada’s first all-season bike park. This included a GIS analysis of the area’s slope, elevation, and aspect, overlayed with hydrology and environmental sensitivities. The resulting opportunities and constraints plan formed the foundation for the preliminary concept. These early analyses and concept informed development as CPG continues to expand and improve their trail network and related guest service facilities.

Looking south, our US neighbor(u)rs at Steven’s Pass are also getting stoked for another epic season in the bike park. With 10 trails to suit all skill levels serviced by a high-speed quad chair, a bike school to help you up your game, bike shop, and a range of cafes, restaurants, and pubs, it’s got everything you need.

The design for the bike park at Steven’s Pass was included as the cornerstone of the Steven’s Pass Summer Plan completed by BHA. In addition to lift-accessed hiking and a sightseeing lift, the mountain bike park was designed to meet the growing demand for lift-accessed downhill mountain biking while positioning Steven’s Pass as a primary day use recreation attraction in central and western Washington. The planning process integrated the existing ski terrain, limiting disturbance to the landscape, addressed all segments of the mountain biking market, provided skills parks to help riders advance their skills, and tied the on-mountain attractions to an attractive, functional, and pedestrian-oriented base area. Since opening in 2011, Steven’s Pass has continued to evolve as a summer recreation destination and has big plans for the future. Opening day is June 22, 2019.

In addition to being landscape architects, planners, and GIS technicians, the crew at BHA is also a passionate group of mountain bikers. Our understanding of mountain biking blends thorough technical and market analysis and 35 years of experience, with the thrill that comes from smooth singletrack or an epic DH descent. We bring this understanding to every project we undertake, delivering unique, place-based mountain bike trails plans and bike park master plans that work with the terrain and cater to the local market.

If you have a project you think BHA could help take from idea to reality, please do not hesitate to contact us (bha@brentharley.com or 1-604-932-7002)