Baseline Mountain Road Trip
Where and What
Baseline Mountain is located 2 hours drive from Calgary, west of Red Deer. There is a fire lookout located at the top of it, and because of this, there is an access road that enables shuttle access to some incredible terrain. There have been builders and bikers active there for many years, in fact there was a Canada Cup Downhill race held on Baseline in 2001. Today the Baseline Mountain Bike Club and it's enthusiastic members have put in many hours refurbishing old trails and creating new ones.
The trails are best described as steep, that's the word that repeatedly comes to mind. Technical brake burners are the norm, and seemingly that is also the favorite trail style of the club. There are a couple of blue trails, but even they have some steeper sections. The closest comparison for Calgary based riders would be to the trails on the East shoulder of Prairie Mountain (aka the Husky Road Trails) except the Baseline trails are double the elevation drop and shuttle-able!
Alberta 66 MTB first traveled to Baseline in the spring of 2018. We didn't know what to expect, and we didn't know anyone that rides there. By the end of the day, we were getting tours from a whole crew, and hanging out with everyone around their campsites. So much stoke!
Baseline Gallery
The Road Trip Details
We want to share the Baseline Mountain experience with you!
We have obtained the blessing of the club to travel to the area with small groups and enjoy these trails. There will be a representative of the club riding with us, acting as a trails ambassador.
What's included:
-
Transport to Baseline Mtn. from the Calgary area.
-
Shuttles from our arrival time (~10am) till departure time (~6pm). Though, we do tend to go longer if people are still stoked and there is still daylight.
-
Knowledge of trail conditions, hazards and features.
-
Guide with wilderness first-aid training, Spot location device and capability to offer instruction if requested.
-
Transport back to Calgary, from a commercially certified and insured (and sober) driver.
-
Various photos and videos compiled and distributed as available.
Itinerary:
7:00 to 7:15 - Meet at TBD location in or near Calgary to load bikes and people into the Vans.
7:15 to 10:30 - Transport to the base of the Baseline Mountain Access road, and meet our club Ambassador.
10:30 to 11:00 - Base-camp setup, safety chat and discussion of how the day will work.
11:00 to 6:00* - Shuttles and shredding! taking breaks for food and rest as required. We will warm up on the easier trails first.
6:00 to 7:00 - We pack the base-camp back into the van while you relax with a beverage.
7:00 to 9:30 - Transport back to carpool location with options to stop for dinner if the group is in agreement.
*the end part of the day and everything after it may get pushed back if there is still stoke and daylight to keep riding.
Things you need:
- Bike; in good working order, lots of brake pad, decent tires. Enduro or DH are ideal, but whatever you are comfortable riding steep terrain on is fine.
- Safety equipment; full-face recommended, whatever other pads and equipment you feel comfortable in. Remembering there is very little pedaling.
- Clothing for whatever weather is predicted, and a change of clothes for the ride home.
- A packed lunch, fluids for the day of whatever type you prefer.
- Skills! we recommend a skill level of 5 in order to be able to enjoy all the trails on this trip, but as there isn't a lot of pedaling, a fitness rating of 3 will be fine (mostly DH endurance). Visit our Skill and Fitness ratings page (opens in a new window).
Cost: $115 per person plus 5% GST
Other Media
Bryce posted this great video on Pinkbike taken at the 2018 poker rally. This successfully captures some of the steepness of the advanced trails.
Christophe Voegeli provides this video of Baseline's premier trail Bearded Lady. Check out the steeps and then all the features.
One of our favorites Jawbone Trail, in this video by Youtube creator Liam Sproule