Whistler, BC

Beta: Access via the Fitzsimmons Express lift at Whistler Bike Park base — park at Day Skier Lot 1-4 off Blackcomb Way, free until afternoon. Warm up on Easy Does It and B-Line first; A-Line is a huge step up from any blue. Mandatory tabletops, berms, drops, and the infamous Moonbooter (big hip-table near the bottom) — speed is mandatory to clear jumps, slow = case city. First two drop-ins are smaller than they look but set the tone: if those humble you, turn around on B-Line. Ride behind someone who knows the trail to get tows into the jumps your first lap.

Beta: Access requires both the Whistler Village Gondola (or Creekside) and the Peak Chair — buy the Peak Chair add-on ($22) or Express ticket ($39) on top of your bike park pass. Peak Chair lines are long (skiers + bikers + sightseers), so get the first Gondola and go straight up. Cold up top even in summer — bring a layer in your pack. 5,000 ft of descent: steep technical rock lines at the top (point-and-shoot, one section at a time), then flowy alpine singletrack with built berms and switchbacks. 140mm+ all-mountain/enduro bike minimum; stop for photos, once-in-a-season ride.

Beta: Access off EZ Does It just west (right) as you exit the Fitzsimmons Express lift — same lift as A-Line. Downhill-only, double-black — expert machine-built jump trail with tables, step-ups, 3-5 ft drops, a big hip near the end, and a pro-line with gap jumps, hips, and big drops added in 2018. Scope every major feature before committing — the gaps punish hesitation. At the creek section near the bottom there are three lines: left ride-around, center moderate gap, right big gap. Don't try Dirt Merchant your first Whistler day — do A-Line clean first.

Beta: Park at Cheakamus Crossing or Function Junction — Mountain View Drive and Valley Drive parking is extremely limited and has no washrooms. From Function, climb Rainbow-Sproatt Flank for ~2 mi, turn left on Don't Look Back, then gain 500+ ft to Into the Mystic (the machine-built climbing trail), then On The Rocks to reach LOTS drop-in. The climb to the alpine is 3-4 hours of pedaling — bring food, 3L of water, layers, and wind shell. Descent is 4.3 km of downhill-primary flow through the subalpine with huge Coast Range views. Bail if thunderstorms are building.

Beta: Park at Wedgemount Lake Provincial Park lot north of Whistler off Hwy 99 — cross the bridge and go left, veer right at the fork, trail is signed on the right. Ride mostly north-to-south (to the Lost Lake end) as a point-to-point with a car shuttle, or loop back via the valley trail (~4-7 hours one direction). The advertised 4-7 hours is honest — longest, hardest XC ride in the valley, built by Chris Markle with constant roots, rocks, granite, and river crossings. Carry max water, food, and a buddy — large sections out of cell coverage. Bail exit at ~6 km via Young Lust back to Wedgemount.