Volunteer spotlight - Intergalactic Q&A with builder Phil Szczepaniak
The community of SORCA would like to thank and congratulate Phil Szczepaniak and the team of volunteer builders for their recent completion of ‘Intergalactic’, the longest authorized descent trail in the Squamish Network. This black-rated trail is a fantastic addition to the network and revitalizes the Galactic Scheissa zone. Phil worked closely with Rec Sites and Trails BC and SORCA to ensure all necessary permits were in place before building the trail and to obtain the appropriate sign-offs after its completion.
Please note that due to the topography and south-facing aspect of this trail, it is VERY dry at the moment and extremely loose. Do not attempt to ride the trail if black trails are the limit of your riding abilities, or wait for precipitation, as it is a long and challenging walk down with few other trail options.
We sat down with Phil to tell us a little more about himself and Intergalactic.
Q: How long have you lived in Squamish?
A: 11 years, originally from Dundas, Ontario
Q: Where did you first discover your passion for trail building?
A: Our group of riding buddies would do some upkeep on the local technical riding zone called Hilton Falls / Halton Agreement Forest. (now known as HAFTA) We’d do some basic rock armouring and trail maintenance to the network. Then, a group of friends in Dundas started an organization (now HBMBA) that was green-lit a project to design and build a trail network at Christie Lake Conservation Area. Our group took a multi-day IMBA trailbuilding course and were taught the relevant IMBA standards. They were all XC trails due to the topography. We ended up building 2-3km of trails in that area I think. These were very different from Squamish in that it was mostly clay-based, so proper drainage and grade reversals were actually super important!
Q: What is it about trail building that you enjoy so much and motivates you to contribute significant volunteer time?
A: I do enjoy the social aspect (I'm not your stereotypical trail-building hermit), but I really enjoy time in the forest. It could be on a bike, or digging. I enjoy both pretty much equally as long as I'm in the woods. I also enjoy the creative expression of trail building. There is a release of endorphins similar to that experienced with any other form of art. It's also a great workout.
Q: What trails have you built?
A: As a wise man once told me: "Nice try NARC!". In all seriousness, there are a few trails in Squamish that I have built but would prefer not to be on record. If you know, you know.
Q: Do you have a particular style common to all the trails you build?
A: I'm a big fan of using the terrain and natural features to get down the hill. And viewpoints!! Gotta have some nice viewpoints. I'm not a fan of sustained fall line, due to the limited shelf life, especially in our neck of the woods. I think even a well-aligned loamer can eventually evolve into an established and sustainable trail.
Q: What trail builders have you learned from or that you look up to as being ‘best in class’?
A: Dave Reid for sure for his insanely creative lines, and really pushing the limits on what is possible on granite slabs! Gary McFarlane also has an amazing 'eye' for a line. I've had him come walk some areas I’ve built in, and he just seems to find flowy ways through difficult terrain. And the Irish Lad, Pete O'loughlin, for his insane attention to detail and build quality - If I can hit HALF his standards, I know I'm doing a good job! There are so many great builders I’ve looked up to over the years. I’ve had the pleasure of walking and scoping some of their unbuilt lines with them, which is very much my favourite part of trail building.
Q: Some builders decide that the process to get the required approvals is too arduous and as a result, they take the risk in building without the required approvals. Why did you decide to get a Section 57 authorization before building Intergalactic?
A: I was pretty overwhelmed by the magnitude of this project after all the scouting. I thought that building a line that big would result in rushed building if I went without a permit. I wanted to see what it would be like not having the stress of all that, and potentially being found. It was (and is) nice to know that the trail alignment has been through the various referrals and that it’s ‘on the map’ for competing uses on the land. Many rogue builds are rushed, and therefore need a lot of effort afterwards to make them handle Squamish’s traffic.
Q: What initially led you to scout out the Scheissa zone for a new trail? What were some of your ah-ha moments that you knew a trail had to be built in that area?
A: A number of years ago, I took a buddy getting into mountain bikes on the old Galactic Scheissa adventure ride, where you shuttle or ride to 19th and do the big traverse towards Alice Lake. I sent him down the trail first and followed. I spent my time looking at both sides thinking... wow this terrain is really something. And then I was hooked. Many many days were spent hiking that zone with some patient friends tagging along. I also really liked the barrier to entry (it takes an effort to get to, even with a shuttle) and also the fact that it gets a proper winter. I think this will help the trail stay in decent shape, but I guess only time will tell.
Q: One of the reasons I speculate that nobody has built a trail near Intergalactic in the past is how far it is to travel when building it. Roughly how long was your commute to get to the trail, and how long was the building season up there?
A: The building season was late spring to mid-fall for the upper half. The lower bits were accessible for most of the year minus freak snowfalls. The commute was always around an hour, no matter what end we drove to (19th Hole from the top, North Side Connector from the bottom) and included up to 45 minutes of walking to get to the build site.
Q: When did you apply for the sec 57 for Intergalactic and what was the timeline like to get the approval and construct the trail?
A: The timeline was roughly as follows:
Late 2018 - Sec 57 application was submitted
Late 2020 - Sec 57 approved
Spring 2021 - Broke ground
Spring 2025 - Completed
Q: Have you ever estimated how many hours you and all the other volunteers invested in this trail from day to this point?
A: I started by logging my and all volunteer hours, but then got lazy! Lots!
Q: Did you have any key learnings from the process of building this trail that you will take with you for future trail builds?
A: I think the big thing was not to take shortcuts, and take the time to build a finished product the first time around as best you can. I'm certain there will be edits and maybe a few reroutes needed over time, but doing it right the first time will make the maintenance and future modifications less daunting. We were not anticipating the initial high traffic the trail received, and had it not been built to a standard, it would have been destroyed. Especially because the terrain on or near Round Mtn. is ‘pudding stone’ (dense conglomerate). Bench cuts were mandatory.
Q: Where does the names Intergalactic, Icarus and Daedalus (the two lookout names) come from?
A: Intergalactic - My friend Aja was with me on one of the early hikes and we crossed Galactic coming back down to the car. “Intergalactic”, she said. Brilliant! It crosses Galactic, and it made so much sense. Not a reference to the Beastie Boys track, but that's cool too.
Icarus Ridge - When digging the trail, Mike and I went for a little hike up an old logging road and came across an incredible ridgeline with a ridiculous view of Squamish, Howe Sound, Tantalus range etc. Although a slight deviation from the original plan, it had to be built. Icarus ridge - because we were flying too close to the sun.
Daedalus Ridge, on the other hand, was the original plan. When we were digging on the lower ridge, Owen Foster suggested Deadalus to keep the Greek methodology theme.
Q: Have you started thinking about your next trail build? Can you share any hints on where it might be?
A: I already have a submitted application to improve the access with a short hand hand-built climb trail. And another application to double the length of Intergalactic. Dream Big!
Q: At the top of the trail, there is a sign thanking the team of volunteer builders who supported you with this trail. Who were some of your core co-builders who were instrumental in this project?
A: Mike Reed, who is THE MOST understated volunteer trail builder in this community. Every day that I went up, he was keen to join me and is basically a human excavator. Ben Haggar is also a weapon and his creative vision on the lower half of the trail was incredible. The trail would not be what it is without these two. And of course a massive shout out to all the other guest builders who are named on the sign (and sorry for those that I missed).
Q: Are there any stories or especially difficult or rewarding moments you had when building the trail that you would like to share with the community?
A: So many. The trail sign installation was an especially memorable one. Hamish Fraser and I rode in with e-bikes with frame packs and the individual slats for the trail sign loaded. We strung it up using climbing rope and Hamish climbed up the tree and had the sign installed in just over an hour. I anticipated it taking us most of a day but Hamish is not a normal human. From day one, I always knew that tree would have a sign on it - it was just a matter of how we would get in there (see gallery image of Hamish up the tree).
The graphic on the sign matched the Icarus vibe and was an homage to my hometown of Dundas, Ontario (here).
