Rock Band: A new ending to a great ride

Rock Band was a trail added to the Happy Creek Trail system in Spring of 2016 in the form of a short but sweet 0.6 km technical downhill trail option (Difficulty rating: Advanced (black)).   Read about the initial build here.  The last 70m of this trail went through a low-lying area and the above-average accumulation of rain in the Summer of 2016 made it clear that we needed to find a solution for this wet section, dubbed "Shrek's Swamp".  

In the Spring of 2017, the Hinton Mountain Bike Association applied for the Hinton Community Grant and was awarded $2,035 to build a boardwalk for Rock Band.

Thanks to the contributions of many volunteers in the past few months, the donation of lumber from West Fraser Mills Ltd., and the Hinton Community Grant, a long, winding technical feature was added to Rock Band's song.

There is still a short section to complete to make it perfect, but it's definitely good to Rock'ON as is.  Many thanks to all the awesome volunteers who made this happen - over 75 hours of volunteer time was put into this project!

Lumber donated from West Fraser Mills Ltd.

Thank you West Fraser Mills Ltd, Hinton Divison and the Town of Hinton for your contributions and support!

First step: cutting all the slats

Overall, almost 400 slats needed to be cut

Putting the Rokon + trail to good use!

Some added excitement for the day!  Luckily, no one or thing got hurt in this kerfuffle.

Other modes of transportation.  And yes, this mode had it's own kurfuffles!

Good way to build up those riding arms!

Workin' on the line

View from the exit

View from the entry point

Caution on some Trails

You may see some CAUTION notices on our trails.

The Rock Band trail is awesome, but the bottom section is still very wet. Best to avoid this trail until the wet area is re-mediated later this summer.

The Lower Bighorn, between the Beaver Boardwalk and the powerline right-of-way is eroded, so please ride with care, especially when going in the downhill direction.

Thanks!

A New Rock Band

Amp test

Exciting news

The Happy Creek Trail system has a new addition in the form of a short but sweet 0.6 km technical downhill trail option. Similar to "Fast Trax", this trail is located along the Bighorn Trail (town connector) and deposits onto Happy Creek East.  This is an advanced trail, walk before you ride!

How it Started

"Rock Band" started as a mapping day-dream, with layers derived through GIS to spot a clearly elevated band of bedrock. Once in the field, some of the rock was exposed with protruding ledges and faces with features that a few riders commented would make for some gnarly drops. Rock Band is designed as an advanced trail that can be rocked or rolled, depending on the amps you're cranking!  Thrash it or groove it, whatever way you choose it, just don't blow your speakers!!

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Making it official!

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The band at work

Can't have a Band without Rock Stars!

The trail will evolve as it is ridden with new lines and potential, so watch for changing conditions and additional work. Big thanks to a solid crew of builders led by Rock Star Mike Langford who did the bulk of layout and building!

Shrek's Swamp

The last 40m of Rock Band, before connecting to Happy Creek Trail, challenged (and keeps challenging) our rockin' crew.  A wet area made very wet during the last few months with many frequent rain events amped up the band's efforts in finding a sustainable solution.   The final phase is 'slated' to be completed by the end of September if the weather finally cooperates!

Choosing Your Next Beat

Once onto Happy Creek (East), you can choose a longer ride (left) or continue the descent back to the town trail (right).   

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Rock Band is a black diamond trail that descend from Bighorn Trail to Happy Creek East.

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Rockin`Start

Rockin' Drop