Road-Trip Objective: Explore the northern Canadian territory known as Yukon. See, bike and experience its rarely spoken-of bike culture. Hosting more trails than the total population of riders, this remote location supports a thriving bike world thanks to an abundantly passionate community and a supportive history. We were positive that the people and the trails would be just as valuable as the landscape, naturally rich in gold. With that optimism, we headed north.

Grizzly tracks were imprinted in the remaining snow pockets and the twisted, opal-colored Yukon River flowed below our pedals in the vast valley. With an unobstructed view, we spotted a ski hill that serves as a bike park in the summer and spied six other trail networks, not including the one we were perched atop, with the help of Trailforks. The mountain cradling us once hosted a thriving mining operation. Since its closure, the trails have been developed into modern bike routes, a welcome transformation from their previous lives as spindly prospector footpaths.

Alive. Everything felt so alive as we sat on our saddles, soaking in the vastness that is the Yukon. The land, the history, the wildlife and the bike community — all these things shared our current location with a heartbeat of their own. Hailey Elise and I relished the moment before I stated, “I’m never going to be ready to drop from this view, but I have a feeling the trails are going to impress us in a whole other kinda way. Shall we?” Without hesitation, she gracefully rolled over the edge and into the pleasantly spaced boreal forest. Five kilometers (about 3 miles) of steep descent flowed under our bikes. In a fluid nature, the trail featured tightly bermed corners, drops, and playful poppers; its layout echoed that of the lively Yukon River that shaped the landscape we were playing on.

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