Paul's Picks: The Calm Before the Snow

November is Whistler’s quiet reset before the lifts spin, and it is our General Manger, Paul’s, favourite month of the year. He spends it the way he likes best, which is on two wheels with no rush. This month, Paul shares one of his go-to local spots and a trail he enjoys one last time before the snow settles in.

The Fall Laps of the Lost Lake Trails

The Zappa trails are an iconic part of Whistler, and Lost Lake Park is easy to reach from the village. It takes only minutes by bike or on a run, and about 15 minutes on foot.

Know your trails

Three sets of trails wind through the park. The multi-use tracks are wide and welcoming to all users, leading out to the lake and beyond. The Green trails are narrower, hillier, and more challenging as they meander through the forest, with interesting trail names like Donkey Puncher and Tin Pants that recall the valley’s past as a logging area. The Blue trails all bear the names of Frank Zappa songs and form a circuit through the woods of Lost Lake that is loved by all.

My first laps in Whistler

These were the first mountain biking trails I rode in Whistler. I arrived from the Okanagan for my first ski season, fully prepared to store my bike for the winter. The resort was not yet open, so I ventured out to Lost Lake instead. My first circuit was full of stops and starts, line checks, map reading, and pictures to share with friends. By the second, third, and fourth laps, I was learning the trails, dodging loose rocks, and hopping slippery roots. I learned where to put the power down and where to shift gear and spin.

Since then, the bike has changed and changed again, and the trails have been repaired and modified in places, but the challenge remains. If my legs are feeling good, it is a full-beans loop from PassivHaus to the Beach. More often these days I break it into sections: the first climb to Torture, then Pinocchio’s to Toad’s Rock Roll. From there I drop down to Fitz Creek and either head home if it is a post-work ride or head up Muffin Man to complete the loop to the beach.

Over the years I have led friends through the trails, demonstrated the rock rolls and bridges to nervous visitors, and given route guidance to all manner of people. I have stood on Elephant Bridge cheering on half marathon racers, then switched sides to be the racer pounding out the miles. Lost Lake is an escape, a commute home, and a better workout than any treadmill or static bike. It is a constant gauge of fitness and skill on a mountain bike, a test of footing and balance in trail runners, and simply a meandering path for a walker with their dog.

Saying goodbye to summer

Late autumn (when leaves hide puddles of mud and water) is the time to check that you have the fitness for the coming ski season and say goodbye to the summer hobbies you love. Take one last ride before you give the bike a final wash and hang it on the hook in the storage room for winter.

An early morning frost might turn the bridge on Pinocchio’s Furniture white, casting doubt on how much grip your tire will find on that normally faithful woodwork. Cold mud splashes up bare shins as your foot hits the dirt on one more circuit of Muffin Man, your lungs smarting from the crisp air.

In the heat of summer, Lost Lake is full of kids’ camps, visitors walking the loop around the lake, portable speakers, and crowds enjoying the beach. In fall, it transforms. The trails are yours alone, and even the traffic on the highway is barely noticed. Find a spot to take in the view across the valley, with Whistler and Green Lake laid out before you, the leaves yellowed by the season’s end, the brush faded to brown, and white caps on the mountains. I dare anyone who does not already call this town home to resist the passing fantasy of moving here, maybe for just one season, as I did 13 years ago.

One last lap

Fall is my favourite time to make the most of the free things in Whistler. The trails may be free to use, but I encourage everyone to donate to WORCA for trail upkeep, whether you walk, run, or bike.

Find your way to Lost Lake for one last lap before the snow settles in the valley. And if you stay with us at the hotel, just make sure to wipe your feet on the way in.