Behold the Beowulf
This “epic” mountain-bike loop at Silverstar Mountain Resort is a worthy challenge.
“ , , , ripped- o appendages hanging from rafters…” so goes Beowulf, the oldest surviving epic poem in English literature, about a warrior who defeats endish foe Grendel (and other nemeses, including a dragon). Now there’s another epic: a 35-kilometre cross- country bike trail named after this tale of conquest.
Purpose-built for mountain biking, this scenic loop along ridgelines and through old-growth forests opened last year at Silverstar Mountain Resort near Vernon, and has already received the coveted IMBA Epic designation (the International Mountain Bicycling Association currently recognizes 46 bucket-list, backcountry, mostly single-track “epics” worldwide).
“The name Beowulf came to light during the build,” says Jason Martin, trail builder and Silverstar bike park coordinator, because “we knew we were looking to build an ‘epic’ trail, but the word is so overused we wanted to put a twist on it.” Beowulf became the DNA. “The story relates to the entirety of this trail, from its inception—looking at maps, Google Earth, walking around the bush for weeks, nding a line—to the four-year build of the trail itself,” says Martin. “Every inch of trail has a story behind it, and these stories continue with each rider.” Add your spin to the saga this summer and, as the local battle cry goes, “tackle the dragon!”— Barb Sligl
The Checklist
Bike tune-up
Load up the trail mix
Hit the road