Tyax II - Riding the Force
A Chilcotins Adventure
Words by Jeff Bertoia.
Date: 2009-03-11
Things were looking up; the July sun was barely shaded by my visor as we bounded over the Hurley pass, eager to return to the mystic beauty of the Chilcotin landscape. Ahead lay our much-anticipated destination, the fabled Tyax lodge. We were here to embark on a multi-day guided mountain bike tour compliments of Dale Douglas - principal of Tyax Air and gracious host to a mountain biker’s paradise. 
Floatplane, check. Bikes, check. Miles of singletrack, check.
Arriving at Tyax lodge, which sits on the shore of Tyaughton Lake, you are drawn into a wilderness retreat. Mountain bikes drape off the back of vehicles in the parking lot, people are heading out on horseback and ATV tours, casually sipping drinks on the patio or sun tanning on the beach; and there just happens to be a floatplane tied to the dock of a massive lodge. Stunning mountain vistas surround you, and you can taste mountain culture in the air. Venturing into the stunning Tyax lodge, we met our guide, Andre Ike, and ran through the itinerary and safety protocols before loading up the shuttle van for our first ride of the day. Seems Andre knows what he’s doing in the mountains.
The Tyax Lodge is rumoured to be the largest log structure in the world.
The crew I joined was far from home and they had the skills to make use of this riding paradise. I would be accompanying a group of rider’s from Ticket-2-Ride BC, a mountain bike tour company based out of Whistler, BC. Lee Imrie, was the host and had with him a newly wed couple, Matt & Amanda, from Yorkshire, UK, and Peter Mazzonetto, a landscaper from Oakville, Ontario. All had been riding the Whistler trails and Matt & Amanda had become the first ever couple married in the Whistler bike park, just a couple days prior. 
Not only does Dale shuttle by plane, he’s got a van too.
All caffeinated and somewhat limber, we loaded up the shuttle van and Dale drove us up to a singletrack that started in a cut block near the lodge. We saddled up and made our way down Cinnibar, a sweet, dry line that had a variety of features with a heavy dose of flow. (Note: My ‘07 Norco A-line ripped on this trail, but if you have an alternative XC bike at your disposal - I’d recommend it over a tank.) Views out over the valley popped in and out of the peripheral vision as we blasted our way through the dry fir and pine forest, everyone getting a feel for the tight corners, and loose soils that the Chilcotins are famous for.
Just another day out of the office…Rider: Pete M.
Winding our way down the mountain for an hour and a half, we ended up on the resort trails that head back along the rim of Tyaughton Lake and put you right back at Tyax lodge. Awaiting us on the sun-drenched patio was a pre-made lunch and cold beverages, so we refueled and rested prior to our next adventure. Instead of riding my 45-pound DH bike, Dale offered a more sensible solution; one of the resort’s Norco Fluid 3s.
Yeah, yeah…this is what I was expecting from the brochure.
Starting from the resort for the next ride, Andre led us up a short climb and down a wicked and windy trail, laden with switchbacks. We made our way down a ridge that eventually dropped us at a beautiful viewpoint above Gun Lake. There were some good photo ops so we hydrated as the sun was beating down. (I was definitely stoked to be riding a lighter bike at this point!) 
Follow the leader- Andre, Lee, Peter.
A couple super-steep, loose sections of trail got the back tires sliding and dust flying, and put a smile on everybody’s face. Even those riders never accustomed to riding soft sandy soils were getting the hang of staying loose and limber in this glacio-fluvial landscape. 
Chilcotin dust devils: Lee Imrie
Eventually ending up on some lower, mellower trails that wound across a terraced horizon, we had our guide radio to Dale for the pickup, and none too soon. Shortly after we had loaded the bikes and jumped into the van, the dark skies that had been forming opened up and a summer deluge began, complete with thunder and lightning. Needless to say, the bikes came home clean.
Your chariot awaits sir.
Now what kind of accommodation might you expect on attending a guided ride at Tyax? A true Canadian mountain experience! There is the hotel-style main lodge, which is the largest log home structure in the world, but we found ourselves taken away from the masses and plunked into one of two massive chalets that have been finished beautifully inside and out. Our six-bedroom chalet came with a full kitchen, hot-tub, BBQ, fireplace, entertainment centre and a massive deck overlooking the lake and snow-capped peaks behind Braelorne. After a couple lengthy rides a hot tub was a welcome sight and it soothed our ravaged muscles. The chalets can easily accommodate 14+ people, and with the built in features you and your crew could have your own meals and entertainment to keep costs reasonable.
…and you think it looks good from the outside.
Lee, host of the Ticket-2-Ride folks, prepared a BBQ for his guests while I cleaned up and headed over to the main lodge with my girlfriend for a sampling of the buffet dinner that occurs nightly. Much to our delight we were greeted by friendly wait staff and two full-length tables of salads, soups, appetizers, prime rib, salmon and desserts. We got a nice bottle of BC wine and slowly plowed our way through the feast. We wandered through the massive resort, looking at the heli-ski maps and checked out the games room by the bar where there were darts, pool tables and foosball, enough to keep everyone happy. Internet is available at the resort so even though you may feel like you’re in the middle of the wilderness, you can stay connected to the outside world.
One should reward oneself after such a strenuous day of exercise, non?
Rising the next morning from a sound sleep in our plush beds, we went down for another gourmet buffet breakfast, and met the group ready for the float plane fly-in, ride-out Spruce Lake trip that is the highlight of the bike tours offered at Tyax resort. We took our bikes down to the dock and anxiously awaited the arrival of the de Haviland Beaver. We loaded our bikes and climbed into our seats. 
Car drop? Fuhgetaboutit…
Having ridden this trail I knew what lay ahead, and was just as giddy as the first time. Another cloudless day lay in front of us, and the mineral-stained Chilcotin Mountains looked spectacular against the bright green alpine meadows and blue-green spruce forests.
Spruce Lake from the air.
We unloaded at the dock and began our ride along the shores of Spruce Lake. The wildflowers in the area were in full bloom and in sections the forest floor glowed purple with lupines, which added to the delight of blasting along in the wilderness. We stopped at an old homestead site called the ‘Potato patch’ and had our lunch, which was perfect timing because the next section of trail is what dreams are made of.
Things could be worse. Andre, Andrea and Matt breeze through the meadows.
The alpine meadows above the Gun creek have foot-wide ribbons of trail cutting through them and you can rip at high speed. The rusty mountain peaks made this area famous and those minerals brought miners to Goldbridge and Braelorne. The trails we have been riding are old, and have been tromped by foot, horse and bike for over a century. 
You may remember this shot form the last article, except I added a mountain guide, Andre.
The group was really flowing now, and we sped along the Gun creek trail winding through the meadows and aspen stands until we reached Gun creek. It was mostly downhill at the creek and we kept the speed up.
There is a little uphill every once and awhile. Just kidding.
We stopped for a couple of breaks along the route to soak our feet in the creek and have a snack and we finally arrived at Gun creek road and our shuttle. There was the possiblity of another ride, but we decided as a group that lakeside beers was the right way to cap that epic ride off.
Cold beer by the lake after a floatplane drop to four hour mountain bike decent. Put a fork in me.
That evening we went as a group to the buffet dinner, feasting again and filling ourselves with a variety of fantastic dishes. We retired to the bar and made use of the foosball, darts and pool, and even managed to get a few more beers in us.
Ahhh après at Tyax is fine indeed. In fact, I could stay right through to ski season!
The final day of the tour would lead the group up the Taylor Basin and loop back around to the lodge, another epic 5-6 hour ride, with more alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks surrounding you. My problematic ankle had flared up, and I had to set my sights on an early departure to hit the Pemberton music festival. I thanked Dale, Andre, and the management and staff at Tyax lodge and my fellow riders for a wicked summer excursion. Having sampled more of the trails around this area I know I will return.
One last rip of a lifetime. Thanks Andre!
For tour rates and dates, accommodation information, or perhaps to contact Dale about these trips of a lifetime, check out the Tyax lodge and Tyax Air websites. Interested in a Ticket2Ride tour click here.
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