AdventureProse

Open to Interpretation

• Posted on June 28, 2009 at 10:26 PM
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Descending the Ridge Trail

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Leaning in to the turn, I swing my bike around the switchback. I shift my weight behind my saddle and continue to descend the rocky, rooty trail. We’re mountain biking today on the singletrack trails of Whistler’s Interpretive Forest, just across the highway from Function Junction. Douglas fir, spruce and hemlock line the trails. We stop and hear the creak of two cedar trunks rubbing against one another. Higher up in the canopy, a chipmunk chirps to announce our arrival. But what exactly is this interpretive forest trying to say?

My wife Melinda and I pedal up the Farside trail deeper into the woods. Whistler’s interpretive forest is a joint effort in management between the BC Ministry of Forests, Western Forest Products and the RMOW. This forest was first logged in the 1950’s and selective logging continues today. Its three thousand hectares, offer summer adventures like mountain biking, hiking, fishing and kayaking. Wintertime brings snowshoeing and cross-country skiing to the area. This mixture of business and adventure brings many into these woods.

The Farside trail parallels east bank of the Cheakamus River. Granite walls line the river on both sides accelerating the flow and churning the water into a bubbling rapid. MacLaurin’s Crossing, a bouncy suspension bridge, takes us across the raging Cheak and onto the Riverside Trail. We turn south towards Logger’s Lake, the hidden gem of this forest. The hill leading up to the lake is so steep and rocky that Mel and I are forced off our bikes for a short section. We resume our ride after the brief hike-a-bike.

We enjoy a cool, shady break under some lakeside cedars. But this area wasn’t always so inviting. Logger’s Lake was formed over ten-thousand years ago when a volcanic cone burst through the Earth’s crust. As the lava cooled, basalt columns formed, trapping the lake. It’s tranquil today though.
Across the lake, a trio of anglers are casting their lines in search of rainbow trout. On the other side, a heron is patiently searching the shallows, fishing in her own way.

What goes up must come down, and Melinda leads the descent down the Ridge Trail. The trail plunges through thick forest, weaving between the trees. Eventually though, the sounds of rushing wind and gripping tires give way to something much more mechanical. Our trail skirts the edge of the noisy construction zone where the future Olympic Village being built. Dump trucks and diggers are the inhabitants of the forest here. Beyond the construction zone, the Riverside Trail re-enters the forest and returns us to the parking lot.

Devastating eruptions, times of undisturbed growth, commercial and recreational interests have kept this area in constant transition. Its modern-day management has allowed for both business and play here. This forest speaks of the delicate balance between progress and conservation. Its up to you to interpret it.