Hope's first signature black diamond trail is officially open.
"It has been so awesome to see the momentum build, and the excitement, and to see so many mountain bikes in town," said Tannis Hendriks, AdvantageHOPE board chair. "This event is all about celebrating this epic trail. And I have no doubt that Hope could be the next world class mountain biking destination."
Cars were parked nearly to Highway 3 late Saturday morning (June 28) as over 200 people and their bikes showed up for the grand opening of the First Blood mountain bike trail. The ceremony, which took place at the trail's parking lot, located 500 metres up Mt. Hope Forest Service Road, was part of the weekend long celebration hosted by AdvantageHOPE, in partnership with the Fraser Valley Mountain Bikers Association and First Journey Trails Ltd.
Mountain bikers from all over the province, some travelling from as far as Williams Lake, showed up to the event and were cheering loudly as they listened to speeches and finally got the chance to try out the intense biking route. The crowd also got the chance to engage with the Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue, and the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike program, who had informational booths on-site.
The five-kilometre, hand-built trail had officially been in the works since 2020 and owes its existence to a partnership between AdvantageHOPE and the bikers association. Specifically, the trail's conception came from the bikers association's past-president Michael Woods, who had been working to bring a mountain bike trail to Hope since 2015.
The trail, which had a total cost of $416,450, was constructed by Thomas Schoen and his company First Journey Trails over the summer of 2024. Schoen and his team were brought on by AdvantageHOPE and the bike association after securing two grants, totalling $485,065, from the province's Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program. Construction of the trail took 21 weeks to complete. Once completed, it was then left alone in the winter "to set" and be ready for its grand opening.
Woods, who spent five years trying to bring the trail to life, spoke with the District of Hope council, on July 27, 2020, about creating the multi-purpose trail. His idea, however only found its footing when Woods approached Sarah Brown, the Hope Cascades & Canyons Visitor Centre's former operations manager and curator.
"I'm not ashamed to admit I cried when the trail got approved," Woods said. "It was an absolute nightmare to get this approved. But it was worth it and now there's a pretty sick trail in Hope."
Additional speakers during the ceremony included Hope Mayor Victor Smith, Schoen, Fraser-Nicola MLA Tony Luck, and trails advocate Rocky Blondin.
The trail is fully open to the public however, considering its steepness and sharp curves, it is advised that the route be used by experienced mountain bikers. The celebrations, which have been running since Friday evening (June 27), will conclude on June 29, with family themed fun at the Hope Bike Park, located on 805 Kawkawa Lake Rd, at 10 a.m.
