Ale Trails - Season 1, Episode 2: Squamish

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Mike Gamble and Ben Haggar - Cold Salt Collective

Squamish has been setting the gold standard for craft beer and mountain biking for over 25 years. Both scenes have developed in tandem offering progression, diversity, and most importantly, an experience that keeps you coming back for more.

As A-FRAME Brewing founder Jeff Oldenborger states - “beer is... a mechanism through which people can sit and chat and use gather around.” This philosophy holds true to the Squamish craft beer scene. From Howe Sound Brewing’s beginnings as one of BC’s first craft breweries founded in 1996 to the contemporary IPAs and sours pouring at Backcountry Brewing - each of Squamish’s three (soon to be four) breweries complement each other offering a variety of beer that is hard to match.

This diversity of recreation opportunities abound with world class rock climbing, hiking, kite boarding, river sports - but it’s the mountain biking that truly sets Squamish apart. As an early adopter of the once fringe sport, Squamish locals took to riding moto and trials bike trails on rudimentary mountain bikes that were barely equipped to take on the granite rock slabs and steep rooty hillsides. With the capable mountain bikes of today, the experience is much more inclusive with over 300 trails ranging from Green to Double Black, there’s something for every style and skill level.

We acknowledge that we work, live, and ride on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples - Skwxwu7mesh (Squamish), Tsleil-Waututh & Musqueam First Nations. This Acknowledgement comes with our support for these nations’ efforts to reclaim and revitalize their territories.

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'Ale Trails' is a collaboration between Mountain Biking BC and the BC Ale Trail, and produced by adventure filmmakers, Ben Haggar and Mike Gamble / Cold Salt Collective. This doc-style mini-series looks at the intersection between mountain biking and local craft breweries, and how both work to support and enhance their community.

Special thanks to:

Tourism Squamish, Howe Sound Brewing, Backcountry Brewing, A-FRAME Brewing, Dream Wizards, and the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA)