I had the opportunity to check out Panorama’s Bike Park on its opening weekend this year. I hadn’t been biking there before, and my only other visit was a boozy snowboarding trip in the late 90s. I had heard reviews of the “dude, you should totally go” variety, but no details. I was bike-curious, so off I went.

The Ride

Panorama is bigger than you might think. The Mile One Express chair gives you more vertical than you will get from the Fitzsimmons zone at Whistler. Unless you yawn at Schleyer, you will find something to challenge you. With a few exceptions, the trails are mostly tech. If you like gnar, Pano is awesome. Most trails are chock full of rocks and roots, and the black trails add in drops and jumps. The tech trails have varying levels of flow. Quadzilla was one of my favourites, working well with my middle-of-the-road speed and skills. The buff trails are Let It Ride, Mercy Me, and the totally rebuilt jump line, Hell’s Bells. Overall, Panorama’s trails reminded me of old-school freeride – steep, sharp turns, chunky rock and TTFs with consequences.

I had the chance to speak with Jason Simpson, Panorama’s Director of Mountain Sports. We talked about how the trail crew just used hand tools [!] for maintenance three years ago, and had one mini-ex the year after that. For 2015, Invermere business owner Ralph, stepped forward and offered up two machines – for free. “That was huge”, says Jason. They were able to build Let It Ride [super fun green run] all at once, instead of doing it a bit at a time over many months or seasons. Hell’s Bells got a massive facelift at the same time, with modern jump shapes better suited to current DH bike designs.

The Panorama Experience

Jason is very passionate about the lift-serviced trails and very positive about their future, despite the fact that biking is not the main draw for the year-round resort. “We get a lot of families coming here to just be a part of the mountain experience”. Unless it’s race day (BC/Canada Cup DH July 16-19), lift lines are pretty much non-existent. Hiking, XC/AM riding, golf and hanging out by the spectacular village pool are huge draws for visitors. Surrounded by towering peaks, you get a feeling of being “in” the mountains that’s somehow different than what you get in Banff or Fernie. It’s… cozy.

Off the Bike

From my house in SW Calgary, Panorama Mountain Resort is a brisk 297 km drive. The fastest route is Hwy 1 to Hwy 93, a spectacular (and winding) route through the Kootenay Rockies. Before jumping on the bike, I took the time to look around the village area and grab a bite to eat at the Picnic Cafe. Located steps from the chairlift, they pour Kicking Horse coffee and provide plenty of good food to go with it. I recommend the breakfast sandwich – very nice. For dinner, I stopped in at the T Bar & Grill. If you’re looking for more of a modern restaurant feel, check the Grey Wolf clubhouse at the golf course. However, the T Bar is exactly what I was after – cold beer and a tasty burger. Charlie, the new Food and Beverage Director, is responsible for the nice selection of BC craft beer and quality imports on the draft menu. The ESB and stout from Invermere’s Arrowhead Brewing Company were excellent.

Verdict

Panorama is a hidden gem. There is a lot to do besides riding, which makes it great for couples/families/groups when not everyone is on bikes. The trails are quiet, the on-hill accommodation is excellent, and the base-area village is chill. Factor in the easy drive from Calgary, and it really is a great option for a week or weekend getaway whether you’re riding or not. Embrace the mountain – check out Panorama.