Around Moose Mountain Epic Loop route

Epic ride requiring long distance endurance. Food, extra water, a first aid kit, tools, pump, spare tube are mandatory. The last section on Tom Snow was badly damaged in the 2005 and 2013 floods so should be pre-ridden a few weeks before attempting.

This is a classic 1990s Epic Cross country ride and is recommended for fit riders only. For a time, the Bow 80 bike race was roughly on this loop. Over 80 km of riding. Trail elevations and conditions vary wildly, so be sure to check the weather, bring extra layers and extra water and food and a printed map. A good option if you are riding in a group is to have a support vehicle to meet you at Station flats, Prairie Creek and Dawson trailheads to refresh and refuel. The best place to start the loop is from West Bragg Creek trailhead.

Starting up the Mountain Road you will climb for 5 km and take a left on Tom Snow. Take Tom Snow 5.4km all the way to Station flats. There are a couple of muddy spots, but don't reroute. The extra hills will hurt your endurance. Follow Diamond T loop for 900m. Station flats Parking lot is to the left if you want to take a break. Continue along Diamond T for 400m and keep left to link up with Elbow Valley Trail. You can follow Elbow valley trail 6.42 km all the way Powderface creek trail, or take Sulfur springs instead, adding 500m of trail and a nice view. Either way you take, You will end up crossing Canyon Creek, which is hopefully just a trickle. You may have trouble finding the trail after crossing the creek. Look out for little orange trail signs on the other side of creek and the adjacent gravel roads. If you can't find it, just find highway 66 and take it the 3.2 km to Powderface trailhead instead. At Powderface you can take either Prairie creek trail or Powderface Creek trail or a combination of the two. The shorter way with less elevation is Prairie Creek. Next up, take the Gravel Road, known as Powderface Trail road North for 5.4 km until the road takes a hard left. At that that hard left is a parking lot and Jumpingpound ridge trailhead. Across the road is a memorial for a plane crash. There are alternatives to taking the road, but the trails are in bad condition and overgrown. Jumpingpound ridge is difficult. It is steep, it needs a lot of walking and water and do not be ashamed to take a break.This part of the ride is by far the worst, 5.4 km of climbing. Followed by 3 km of mostly gradual, then you hop on to Cox Hill trail, which has 3.3 km of a few more hills to tire you out, followed by an epic 5.5km of descent. at the bottom of cox hill, there is a quick access to dawson trailhead, where hopefully you stashed some sandwiches and extra water. The rest of the way is on Tom Snow. This trail is muddy. Always muddy. but overall it is flat for 21 km back to mountain road, hanging a left on mountain road and cruising back to the parking lot. overall loop is 81km