Tapping into the flow at Toby Creek

Tucked away high above the Columbia River basin, deep in the Purcell Mountains is Toby Creek Adventure Lodge. The facility isn’t new, it has catered to snowmobiles, ATVs and more for years. This summer, after years of building and planning, the unassuming base camp is opening its gates (and shuttle vehicle roads) to mountain bikers.

While Toby Creek considers its initial trail network a soft launch, it already contains an impressive, seven-kilometer flow trail, a serious skills area (with another youth-focused one in the works) and several rugged shuttle vehicles to get riders up the two-km rough service road to the top. Another green trail is already in the works with more, harder trails planned and even a climb trail.

If you don’t recognize the name, it’s because Toby Creek Adventures is a little off the beaten path. It’s not inaccessible though, at just 10km from Invermere, the nearest town, and just a short drive from the lift-accessed riding at Panorama Mountain Resort. All three are just a few hours drive across the Rockies from Calgary.

Previewing Toby Creek: Blue flow at its finest

On our way back from Dunbar Summer Series’ Canada Cup downhill at Panorama, photographer Andrea Heath and I had a chance to preview Toby Creek’s new flow trail before the official opening. Blue flow might not sound like the biggest draw for the shuttle crowd, but this is flow done differently. It’s definitely a ‘dark blue,’ with options for air time that push closer to what would be black at most resorts.  But for riders looking to tap into the flow while keeping wheels on the ground, everything is roll-able and there are no gaps. For the more experienced rider, several cheeky side hits offer the option for a bit more excitement.

Toby Creek’s bike trails, at the moment there are just two and an impressive skills park, are new, but they feel like far more than a first effort. That could be because the owners are not rushing in. They’ve spent two years and brought on a full trail crew, led by renowned local builder Jose Letelier with help from machine operator Owen Peters (and, last summer, Lukas Zvonicek) to craft the first, winding blue flow trail.

The result is a trail that is a riot to ride, impressively…