Disneyland Heli-Bike

The stats

1500m descent

11.6 km

3h30mins elapsed (2h20 moving)

Choose your own adventure in this adult playground

About 10 years ago, I heard rumors of the Disneyland bike trail high above Britannia Beach, but had assumed that the trail and its access had faded into oblivion and never pursued it. My curiosity was renewed this winter when I picked up the new Sea to Sky backcountry map and saw the trail marked on Goat Ridge. 

Info about the trail was limited to an old Lee Lau report, a youtube video and a pinkbike article but I called around and Black Tusk Heli was still doing charters for riders to the top of the ridge. Once they drop you off you are on your own, but fortunately I have friends willing to join for an adventure with limited info (especially when helicopters are involved). I also didn't really tell them how little I knew about what to expect...

Our shuttle for the day - Black Tusk Heli

Looks easy enough...

We met in Britannia Beach at the bottom of the lower trails. Landon had gone and scoped them out a couple weeks earlier so at least we knew how to get to the trucks at the end of the ride. We piled into the truck and drove to the Squamish Heli Port in Brackendale where met our heli pilot and paid for the heli-drop. At $192 per person the flight was cheaper than a ski ticket at Whistler!

Ready for lift-off

Riding shot-gun!

It was a gorgeous morning and we had amazing views as we flew out over Squamish and Howe Sound. Black Tusk Heli has racks on their choppers so we were able to fly with the bikes in one trip. Previously, bikes had to be carried up in a separate trip dangling from below the helicopter in a net. The bike racks seem like a much more efficient and safer way to get to the trailhead.

A different view of Squamish

As we followed Goat Ridge up towards the landing area, we caught glimpses of the trail and noted how steeply the terrain dropped off on both sides. We had warmed up for this ride with some steep rock faces and other nonsense in Pemberton earlier in the trip so were not too concerned about the difficulty of the trail. However, being up so far away from civilization makes you feel a bit more cautious and I was happy to have my pads, full face and in-reach with me.

Beautiful morning in Howe Sound

We touched down a few hundred metres away from the summit of the ridge. Some hikers were camping up there and I am sure they were surprised to see a helicopter drop off 5 mountain bikers in their quiet paradise. It wasn't long before the heli took off, leaving us in silence to admire the view from 1600m above sea level.

Thanks for the lift!

Mt. Habrich in the foreground, Garibaldi in the distance

Transfixed by the views

We picked up the trail down the ridge. It was a combination of hiking and trials moto trails. Even though it was late July, there were still lots of snow patches for us to cross. It was an up and down pedal through the rocks on Goat Ridge and difficult to get much flow. The position and views made up for that though!

Alpine ridge riding

Lots of snow patches and rough travel. Blue dots on rocks marked the way.

It was more of a hiking trail at times

As we descended towards the treeline, the trail became more obvious. The key navigational moment arrived when we reached a small lake. We had to stay left to ensure that we dropped down the Disneyland trail to Britannia Beach, rather than down the Petgill Lake trail towards Squamish.

Into the trials moto and hiking trails

Alpine rock

Doesn't look like it gets ridden that often

As we entered the forest, the trail got unrideably steep and were losing elevation fast. Some parts went while others didn't and I was on and off my bike quite a bit. Fortunately it mellowed out eventually and we were able to actually ride, trying to hang on through tight switchbacks as our brakes took a beating.

Steeper than it looks!

Are we still on the trail?

We popped out into a big cut-block and were greeted by views south down Howe Sound. There was still a long way to go. Landon had knew where we were now so after a short pedal up the logging road we were able to link into the moto trails (Tramp Stamp and G-String) that would take us down to the truck.

Survived Disneyland, but still a long way above Britannia Beach

The lower trails were better maintained and had seen more traffic recently. They had lots of cool rock features and some insane slabs! I also managed to create a permanent memory of the day by branding my forearm with my smoking hot brake rotor.

The money shot over Howe Sound on Tramp Stamp

More rock slab

Tristan scopes out one of the insanely steep slabs

A more rideable slab

This ended up being a pretty spectacular adventure ride. The trail itself wasn't the highlight, it was the views and the remoteness of it all. If you are looking for a cool alpine adventure and don't mind some downhill hike-a-bike on very steep old hiking trails, give it a try! Just don't expect Squamish/Whistler trail building quality and be prepared to do some navigation and look after yourself if something goes wrong.

Into the forest