Lord of Squirrels: An Alpine Adventure

Getting out of the touristic chaos and up into the alpine is a must-do for any adventure seeker visiting the Whistler region. Whether you hike, bike, or climb; the delicate alpine landscape awakens in the adventurer the sensation of being in a sacred foreign land and is at the same time a homecoming for the soul. The alpine is beautiful, ancient, and powerful; those who dwell there are both hardened and sensitive. Visiting the alpine, acknowledging the fierce elegance, allows us to recharge and appreciate what we have in our lives. That being said… getting to the Lord of the Squirrels requires one hell of a long climb.

We woke at 5am, it seems that many great adventures have a 5am start time; we made coffee, packed our lunch, pumped up our tires, gave each other high-fives, and rolled out of the parking lot to the entrance of the first climbing trail. Our bodies were sore when we started out and Tanya was beginning to feel a cold coming on. We struggled to warm our leg muscles but the anticipation of a full days ride had us feeling excited and determined. A true back country adventure into a remote area meant that we planned accordingly; sufficient water, a light jacket, tools for bike repair, some first aid supplies, a whistle, a headlamp, and countless snacks were stuffed into packs and pockets.

We picked our way up Hot Dog Alley and Scotia Nova then followed a few hasty climbs before heading across a short section of the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank to Into the Mystic. By this point Tanya was finished with climbing and the ride was just beginning! It is sometimes recommended to engage in light cardiovascular activity when suffering with a chest cold, but this was an all day trek with many periods in the anaerobic zone that left her struggling for air and coughing, with leg muscles feeling exhausted and painful from a lack of oxygen. Not every ride is an easy ride and she rode it out, but might opt for a rest day next time… maybe. 

We climbed up Into the Mystic, a switchback trail that is not so much technical as it is unrelentless. Switchback after switchback the distance grew between us, and FX ventured out into a clearing with Tanya following about 2 minutes behind. FX sat down on a small log to rest his legs and wait. Hearing a light rustling in the bushes behind him he turned and looked over his left shoulder and saw the muzzle of a black bear just above him. The bear had no interest in a confrontation with a mountain biker and lowered himself back down to continue to eat his berries. FX slowly backed away from the log, placing his bike between him and the bear and retreated to the edge of the forest, waiting for Tanya to emerge. Sometimes you can smell a bear before you see him and as Tanya was taking her time, she stopped along the trail, thinking she could smell something wild, looking for signs of an animal. She continued up the switchbacks, bear spray in her pack and found FX excited and wide-eyed, “A bear! Just here!”. He pointed to the bushes and, as if on command the bear stood again on his hind legs. The bear looked as though he was feigning just a slight annoyance in being disturbed and he slowly ambled across the clearing, gave a final look in our direction, and went on his way. We continued climbing, rejuvenated by the encounter and excited to see more wildlife.

We were incredibly lucky to have captured another, slightly smaller, alpine creature on video later on as we headed up the trail On the Rocks. Check out the bottom right corner at :45 to view our creature in action!

At the Lord of the Squirrels trail the downhill finally started. We were overjoyed to begin the decent and had already begun sharing stories of meals past and meals to come. Snacks are great but at the end of such an epic ride everyone looks forward to replenishing lost calories and enjoying the taste of reward.

The trail is rated as a blue trail but it is a backcountry alpine trail and riders may feel considerable fatigue after a full day of climbing. Lord of the Squirrels is peppered with rock gardens, rock rolls, rooty spots, and twisty turns. It also provides some of the most spectacular views of Whistler Blackcomb and the surrounding mountain range. We returned to the van hungry but satiated with a sense of accomplishment. After a satisfying dinner and some echinacea tea for Tanya, we realized we needed to start thinking about heading back east. We began to plan the slow drive back to Quebec… but that’s a story for another day. 

Distance = 35.25 km

Time = 7:05 hrs

Elevation Gain = 1357 m 

Roast Beef Sandwiches = 4