This chapter focuses on the hiking and cycling trails located on Beaconsfield Mt., more commonly known as Apex Ski Resort, as opposed to the numerous trails on adjacent mountains, many of which are featured in this book. I’ve focused on Beaconsfield’s trails in this chapter, as any attempt to lump all area trails together creates a quagmire of GPS tracks. The opening image presents case in point; even as minimalist as it is, there still exists a plethora of trails to assimilate.
You may access large, high-resolution versions of the images shown in this chapter by clicking on the images.
The only exception to my on the mountain rule is the Prometheus trail. While it is not actually within ski-area boundaries, it is physically located on the mountain – and since it’s one of my favorite rides, I felt compelled to include it. As described earlier, Apex Mountain Resort is actually built on Beaconsfield Mountain. The actual Apex Mountain, generally referred to as “Apex Proper”, is located to the south of Beaconsfield Mountain, beyond a lowland connector described locally as ‘the saddle’, also known locally as ‘Windy Gap’.
In the late 1990’s, Apex Mountain Resort began developing on-mountain hiking and biking trails. In 2007 however, the project was deemed a money-losing proposition and trail development, as well as summer ski lift-access, was halted. As of this writing, the future of mountain-biking at Apex Resort via lift access is unknown. My inquiries to the resort administration have been answered with “We don’t know what’ll happen in the future.” Regarding the public’s access to the constructed trail network in the meantime, I was advised the following: “Trails are no longer maintained by Apex Resort Corporation. If you venture upon them, be aware that there are bound to be unmarked obstacles including downed trees, washed out sections and other unknown dangers”. I was also asked to inform others that: “If you use the trails, please stay on the established network and do not add to them in any way.”
At present, all of the resort’s existing trails are in fair to excellent condition though water-borne erosion is evident on the steepest runs. This was also the case while the lifts were operating, as frequent, downhill specific mountain bike traffic on them created a maintenance nightmare. These days, few in the cross-country mountain biking community make the effort to climb to the top of Beaconsfield Mountain, and the steeper sections rarely see DH bikers as shuttles are inconvenient and the resort has fallen off the mountain biking community’s radar. Recent motorcycle activity however, is causing damage to sections of the mountain’s singletrack trails.
As a dirt-bike rider myself, I understand the draw of singletrack, but hope that my peers grasp the concept of ‘gentle on the land’ when using these trails. My own tests demonstrate that dirt bike riders can be as soft on trails as hikers or mountain bikers – they just have to use common sense when throttling.
The local downhill mountain bike community has adopted Silver Star Mountain Resort in Vernon as a favored destination. Silver Star is convenient to access, offers a wide variety of all-season amenities, a bike culture atmosphere and some really amazing trails. Though Apex Resort is quiet all summer, there is grass-roots trail maintenance occurring. This is exemplified by the ‘phantom cleanups’ that I have witnessed on many visits over the past few summers.
In keeping with the standard commercial practice of offering something for all skill levels, Apex Resort created summer trails with a variety difficulty levels. The easiest on-mountain route would be the service road which follows the Grandfather’s Trail. The most difficult is ‘DH-Sudden Impact’. Though I have not specifically detailed the Grandfather’s trail in this text, it can be found by starting your journey at the Apex Village parking area and making your way to the front of the Gun Barrel Saloon. On your right you will find a gently sloping ski run / road rising northwest.
Apex Resort sports nine official on-mountain trails: The Gauntlet, Tarantula, Bronco Billy, Sudden Impact, DH, Dirty Harry, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, Moby Dick, Scout Trail and Prometheus. I’ve dropped Tarantula from this overview because it is blocked at its junction, and simply follows a two-track road directly back to the village. The other trails listed above are each reviewed in this section.
Tarantula and The Gauntlet: These two trails are closely related. So much so, that they share the same starting point atop the mountain. Tarantula however, soon splits off from The Gauntlet and merges with an easy-out roadway, then junctions into Bronco Billy. This junction is currently blocked with a great deal of deadwood. On the assumption that this was done for some higher purpose, I excluded Tarantula from both this text and in the image above.
To ride The Gauntlet, start at the summit of Apex Ski Resort, adjacent to the quad-chair’s top station. Step up onto the wooden viewing platform and stand facing due south. There you will see two trails heading off in that direction: a grassy two-track and a rutted singletrack. At the time of writing, the two-track, while in better condition, takes one along an unrelated ridgeline road and will leave you scratching your head, wondering where The Gauntlet went. Instead, head down the deeply rutted singletrack and keep your eyes peeled for a distinct left fork in the trail 250 meters along. Take it, and stay left.
You will quickly find yourself dropping into an area known as The Saddle (pre-resort pioneers refer to it as “Windy Gap”). This also marks the beginning of steep, loose and eroded singletrack trail. Luckily, it soon morphs into a smooth, winding cross country track, dropping precipitously into the Wild Side bowl. The danger zone increases significantly at the beginning of kilometer two as you pop out onto what looks like an innocuous side hill. I’ve witnessed several cyclist friends experience face-plants in this area. If you clean this section, it’s pretty much smooth sailing and loads of fun from here on in, as trail surface firms up and plunges back into deep forest for a smooth and flowy and technical descent. You will alternate between crossing open ski runs and dipping into dense forest canopies time and time again until you arrive at the bottom of the ‘Quickdraw’ high-speed quad chairlift. From there it’s a short trip back to Apex Village.
Keep your eyes peeled for fallen trees and wooden bridges - we encountered two large trees across this particular trail in 2009. At that time the numerous on-trail bridges were in excellent condition, but you should never take it for granted that they will be safe to cross. The elements can contribute to the erosion of lumber at a rapid pace. Riding this trail with friends one clear blue day, we found that the rapid, repeated transitions from dense forest canopy to bright trail and back again played havoc with our vision.
All in all, a highly recommended trail – just keep your eyes peeled for unmarked obstacles at all times!
DH / Sudden Impact / Bronco Billy: Designed and built so that ‘DH’ is the main route and Bronco Billy / Sudden Impact break off from it to the right, these three trails represent some of the most challenging man-made routes down the mountain. Once again, to offer you the best perspective, I present the accompanying image with a skewed orientation - with north at the bottom of the page.
To scout your entry to DH, stand next to the top of the QuickDraw high-speed quad chairlift and face north-northwest (the quad chair rises from the northeast). A trail adjacent to a well established road heads north, northwest, offering approximately a quarter-kilometer of easy-going, warm-up riding before it plunges headlong into the forest. The path soon begins an eastern descent, but by this time you’ll be so focused on keeping the rubber side down (whether you’re on foot or bike) that you will scarcely have time to consider directions. The trail soon intersects with the top of Sudden Impact / Bronco Billy.
Sudden Impact appears as a faint, barely used right hand turn ‘side-trail’ a little less than a kilometer from the beginning of the decent. It quickly manifests itself as a 250-meter long, jaw-dropping descent into vertical madness which soon reconnects with Bronco Billy. I’ve not shown it on the accompanying map - though I may eventually do so as a web-based GPS track (sweetsingletrack.ca).
I have omitted Sudden Impact as is it steep to the point of being nothing more than a curiously-implemented erosion-fest, ideally ridden only by the most skilled pilots on downhill-specific bikes. If on foot and determined to travel the route, you’ll want to employ the support of quality walking poles and possess the capability to use them to their fullest. I have left it off the overview maps in the hope it will be rarely used - partly for safety reasons, as well as to preclude further soil erosion. Those so inclined can locate it quite easily by following the directions above.
At the intersection where Sudden Impact splits off (above) you can continue down and to the left on what might be referred to as ‘Upper DH’ as you make your way toward Bronco Billy. Within a few dozen meters you will see a second intersection with an option to turn left. Ignore it as it leads to the decommissioned ‘Lower DH’ area which was torn up soon after completion due to its location directly atop a drainage basin.
It is displayed on the accompanying map for historic reasons - or perhaps because I was foolish enough to actually try riding it. I ended up walking much of the trail with the exception of the final kilometer which I rode under the T-Bar. Suffice to say; stay right at this intersection as Lower DH is a heinous experience!
Sticking right, you will head down Bronco Billy and re-enter the forest. Just as you do so, you may notice Sudden Impact steeply merge with your path from the right. The hike is fairly firm, but riders will be descending so fast, and be so preoccupied with survival, that it may go unseen.
Bronco Billy continues along a route in the forest shadowing the QuickDraw chairlift, eventually dropping out at the bottom of same. Along the way you’ll enjoy a technical, yet flowy singletrack across numerous small bridges, offering one of the most exhilarating rides on the mountain.
This isn’t by any measure an easy ride. You must have your wits about you all the way down in order to avoid painful interaction with tree and earth. The top section sports some surprisingly steep twists and turns, but the trail mellows somewhat as it moves along toward the bottom of the quad-chair. Highly recommended hiking, but designed for advanced riders only.
Dirty Harry & Moby Dick: The shortest among Apex Resort’s trails, Dirty Harry is also the most uniform in that it’s simply a series of tight switchbacks situated on a substantially steep side-slope. Dirty Harry can be ascended as a stand-alone hike and coupled with the upper section of the Moby Dick trail for an ascent to the summit of Apex Resort. It may also be experienced as a smaller, looping descent by hiking or riding up the lower section of Moby Dick, then descending Dirty Harry from the point where it intersects with Moby Dick. Note that the accompanying image is rotated 180 degrees, providing the best view of the trails.
To access the trailhead of Dirty Harry or Moby Dick, drive to the old Apex Resort parking lot adjacent to the original Gun Barrel Saloon (what locals refer to as “the top parking lot”). Continue beyond the southern end of this parking lot to the base of the ski-runs and the Ski Patrol A-frame building. Make your way along the gravel road (Power-line road) which appears on your right, for approximately 700 meters. Cross the cattle guard in the road and drive into an open area where you’ll see an old decrepit log cabin on the edge of the clearing to your left.
Park here and walk 60 meters southeast to The Grandfather’s Trail. Hike up the Grandfather’s trail approximately 35 meters and you’ll see the bottom trailhead of Dirty Harry. If you instead wish to navigate to the Moby Dick trailhead, continue along Grandfather’s a further 600 meters, at which point you will see a small wooden bridge on your left and a trail leading into the forest above. A kilometer up this trail Dirty Harry rises up to junction with it.
A loop consisting of Moby Dick trailhead up to Dirty Harry junction and back down Harry is a mere 2.4 kilometers. While short, the trail’s surface is in great condition for the most part and you’ll no doubt be impressed with the lush forest which Harry runs through. You can also continue along Moby Dick to the summit of Apex Resort, returning via Moby and descending down Harry to finish the hike.
Be sure to bring at least two layers of clothing on Apex adventures. You may find yourself overheating during the ascent, but too chilly on the way back down. The weather at this elevation bears little resemblance to what you might experience in Penticton. On average, it is ten degrees cooler at the Beaconsfield summit than in downtown Penticton.
As with nearly all of the resort’s trails, both Dirty Harry & Moby Dick are well-trodden and obvious, thus no specific directions apart from those provided are necessary.
The image accompanying this description combines The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (GBU) and the Scout Cabin Trail as they share a similar route. In it, I have inverted the lay of the land to best present the trails. GBU departs the summit of Apex Resort in the same manner as the Gauntlet, dropping down to the south on an old rutted trail for a distance of approximately 250 meters.
Follow a right hand trail at the intersection where one would hang a left if they were accessing the Gauntlet trail. Stay right and you’ll begin to swing around west-northwest, hugging the southwest backside of Beaconsfield Mt. as you descend. A number of trails junction with the GBU on both your left and right as you navigate the descent. Although you cannot usually see it through the trees, a major ski trail parallels GBU on your right (the Grandfather trail) and the Apex service road hems you in on your left.
If you end up on the ski run you’ll unquestionably be drawn back to the old village parking lot. If on the other hand you stumble onto the service road to your left, head down it and it’ll soon intersect with the Power-line road. Hang a right on the Power-line road and you’ll be drawn back to the old parking lot as well.
Keep to the main singletrack and you’re in for one of the longest trails on the mountain and an excellent descent into the valley. Along the way you’ll see a wide array of man-made and natural stunts. At the time of writing there is no official maintenance to any trail or its features. Several man-made structures have been partially dismantled and others remain questionable.
Scout Cabin trail: is a lesser-known route down the mountain, one which soon junctions with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and follows it down to the valley floor. The top of ‘Scout’ is accessed by poking around behind the Billy Goat Hut - a small log cabin atop Apex Resort named after an old mining claim in the area. The Scout trail’s steep, rocky trailhead drops quickly down into an open area of scrub, crosses a service road and enters an open area. Here you’ll see the Scout troop cabin and an outhouse on your left.
The scout cabin features an interesting history. It was built prior to the existence of the ski resort by Naramata resident Carroll Aikins as a refuge from the trappings of everyday life. Here he spent time with his family on weekends, wrote plays and explored the local mountains and valleys. Mr. Aikins is also the man responsible for building the regal old stone house one sees on the shore just south of Naramata. The road up to the cabin was also constructed by Carroll. A description of Mr. Carroll’s life is presented in the journal BC Studies - Spring 2003 edition.
Trending west, Scout trail soon crosses another service road (an alternate route to the Beaconsfield summit) and enters the forest. 475 meters along it edges the Grandfather trail before intersection with the GBU as it drops to the valley. The top section of the Scout Cabin trail is technical enough that it might be considered a black diamond run so use caution.
Follow the GBU to its conclusion or cross the Grandfather’s ski run at the point noted above and connect with Moby Dick. The area also hosts a brief trail section which crosses a ski run known as Ben’s Run before rejoining the GBU and dropping to the village.
It is easy to become disorientated in the many routes as the Scout Trail nears Ben’s Run and the Grandfather Trail. Keep in mind that as long as you relocate the GBU you will enjoy a great trail back to the Village.
Once in the old Village (what locals refer to as the ‘top parking lot’) GBU drops you into an area that’ll leave you wondering where the trail went. Most folks will simply follow the road or Grandfather’s ski run to the main Apex Resort Village (aka; the ‘bottom parking lot’). Readers of this book however, will know to hunt around 20m from the northeast corner of the parking lot in order to locate a route known as Rookie’s Trail back to the lower Village.
At the time of writing there was a great deal of construction occurring near the end of this trail, just above the lower parking lot. I’m not sure how this will affect the trail system when it’s complete. For updates beginning in the summer of 2010, check out the companion website at sweetsingletrack.ca
Prometheus: In Greek mythology, Prometheus - a Titan known for his wily intelligence, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock. Each day, his liver was eaten by a vulture, but nightly it grew back only to be subjected to the same excruciating fate the next day. Hercules slew the vulture and freed Prometheus from his chains, then Herc’ and his sidekick Newton built this fantastically flowy singletrack on the west face of Beaconsfield and named it after the rescued Titan... or something like that.
Though sometimes enjoyed by locals as the ascending section of a loop in conjunction with one of the previously noted trails, in this chapter I’m going to describe access to Prometheus as a downhill via The Good, the Bad and The Ugly (GBU) or the Scout Cabin trail. The trailhead to Prometheus - one of my favorite Apex trails, is found one and three-quarter kilometers from the top trailhead of the GBU or 300 meters beyond the junction of Scout Cabin trail and GBU.
I generally locate the Prometheus trailhead by descending the GBU as far as the point at which the Grandfather trail comes into view on my right. I then bear left until I intersect with the main Apex Mt. service road. A few meters of scouting in this manner will find you at the trailhead. When last I was in the area (2009) there were still some old signs in the forest showing the route. The Prometheus trailhead is also well marked.
Cycling Prometheus requires none of the abs-on-seat descending style required on many of the resort’s trails. In fact, hikers, snow shoe enthusiasts, equestrians and trail runners will all find this trail to their liking. In place of gripping fear, you get a smooth, fast and flowing trail that delights riders who hanker for speed. As with all things too good to be true however, the Prometheus trail isn’t perfect, if only in that it’s not very long and does not loop directly back to the village. Instead, it drops you out onto a small two track trail which acts as a summertime ATV track and wintertime Nickel Plate Lake cross country ski trail called Vindicator.
From here you have a wide variety of route options. Here are three to choose from:
- Hang a left and proceed 490 meters south, then exit the main trail and turn north-west to cross Eagle’s Nest and Hidden Mystery XC ski trails on the way to the Midnight Sun trail & the Nordic center XC-Ski Lodge. Head out of the Nordic center’s driveway and hang a left at the main gravel road (Hedley-Nickel-Plate road) and proceed west (left) five hundred meters to the Nickel Plate trail trailhead (AKA: 'Claim-Jump'). This trailhead appears as an obvious singletrack exiting the road on your right.
- Turn right and follow Vindicator XC-Ski trail north approximately 500m to a four-way intersection with Power-line road, Nickel-Plate road & Winters Creek FSR. Next, follow Hedley-Nickel Plate road thirteen hundred meters west to the Nickel Plate Trail trailhead (as above). This less interesting route eliminates the possibility of getting turned around in the many trails which constitute the XC ski area.
- Turn right and follow Vindicator XC-Ski trail north approximately 500 m to a four-way intersection with Power-line road, Nickel-Plate road & Winters Creek FSR. At this point you can ascend the brief, sandy pitch on your right and use the Power-line Rd. in order to return to the top parking lot. Three quarters of a kilometer along it (east) you can also connect with the lower section of GBU.
Prometheus can be a gateway to explorations of Brent & SheepRock Mountains and has been part of numerous loops I’ve explored within the area. Be sure to visit sweetsingletrack.ca where you can scrutinize, download and print maps from all angles as well as GPS and Google Earth files.
Getting there from the Peach in downtown Penticton – head up Martin St., following it until it changes its name to Fairview Rd. (you will not notice). Follow Fairview Rd. to the intersection with Hwy.97, then cross it. Signage will guide you from there to Apex Resort.
Low: 1683m | High: 2175m | Length: Varies | Water: Not Potable | Cell Access: Total