Mountain bike club asks riders to refrain from using trails in Emerald and connecting Emerald to Alpine until damage can be assessed, land use issues resolved
A number of mountain bike trails in Emerald Estates have been purposefully damaged and rendered unsafe for use. Reports of the intentional damage were confirmed during WORCA’s yearly spring trail maintenance day, where volunteers working on a number of trails in Emerald Estates found a number of obstacles destroyed or made unsafe for riding. In addition, they found an abundance of nails, with nail-heads cut off, sticking out of riding surfaces such as wood planks, logs and roots.
As a safety precaution, and until the damage has been more formally assessed, the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA) asks that Whistler mountain bikers refrain from using trails in the Emerald Estates area as well as those trails connecting Emerald Estates to Alpine Meadows.
Additionally, WORCA asks that all riders be cautious wherever they ride in the valley and report any similar findings. We do not understand the source, motivation or intent of these actions at this time. We are seeking to understand potential land-use conflicts in the area in order to resolve conflicts that led to these actions and prevent further occurrences.
We consider our proud membership and the legacy of its management to be sufficient evidence of our integrity and environmental responsibility.
We hope these events do not indicate an unwillingness to engage in dialog.
— WORCA Board of Directors
