VK XXVII: Sm0k3 Sh0w
Schedule
Fri, 27 Feb, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
Smonk Bluff Parking Lot | Squamish, BC
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AIGHT:Meet at the Smoke Bluffs parking lot 7pm on Friday, Feb 27th! Bring your charged headlamp and a thirst for granite and loam.
For this, the XXVIIth edition of the Squamish V.K. Trail Series, we've got another absolute belter guest-designed course, this time assembled from the twisted and terrific mind of Brendan Shannon. If you know anything about Brendan, it's probably a) he's a runner-ass-runner, and b) he spends an estimable amount of time bopping around the Smoke Bluffs with his pooch Jasper, a network which features some of the least-runnable trails in our Shining Valley.
When Brendan intimated that he'd be interested in putting together a VK course based on his years-long (and ongoing) Bluffs research project, these two facts, precisely in the manifestness of their antinomy, made the proposition simply irresistible. Indeed, what would a Smoke Bluffs course look like when composed by a certified Real Runner®, and not just a mere Arcane Festishizer™ such as myself? The deal was made even more moufwatering when the mad lad informed me he was going to forego whenever possible the trade routes of the Bluffs. The deal was thus sealed, and I'll leave it to the man himself to outline the course!
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Sm0k3 Sh0w is built to run fast for those willing to push the edge. It flows like a race course with punchy, relentless climbs up loamy singletrack, sharp transitions along the Bluffs, and fast technical descents that demand commitment.
We deliberately avoided the pleasantries of Loop Trail, Silver Spoon, and the softer connectors [read this last bit pejoratively]. This route is about linking the steepest lines in the Bluffs with purpose. Direct. Efficient. A little reckless.
VK XXVII: Sm0k3 Sh0w
(5.8 km, 490 m gain)
https://www.strava.com/routes/3457898883705687494
-Starting from the "Parking Lot Wall", run up the trail on the Left side of the wall. Turn Left once you reach the top of the rock and turn Left at the creek.
-Continue to follow the path and run Straight through the 4-way intersection onto "Park Avenue". Continue on this path as it winds its way to the Left. Once the path opens up, keep going uphill and to the Right.
-As soon as you continue climbing, there will be a couple switchbacks to the Left. Take the 2nd Left hand turn, followed by a quick Right hand up to what I think is "Unblasted". Head straight up this incline and then turn Left as you crest the climb.
If you somehow ended up on "Loop Trail", it’s because you turned Right.
-Continue North on this trail which flows slightly downhill. Before you find yourself bombing completely downhill, hop up a ledge on the Right hand side. Keep your eyes peeled for another Right hand turn that rolls up a small slab.
-Continue along the trail as it turns into a flowy slab sequence. Once back into the woods, keep Right and head up a small rooty slab. Take the next Left down the small drop. From there, you mostly head straight or slightly Right.
-The next stop is the FM tower. Straight shot yourself to the hill, and take the shortcut on the Left side that connects you to the last hill climb in the Squamish 50. Reach the tower, and drop down "Mountain of Phlegm". The world is your oyster on the downhill and take the line of your choosing.
-Exit off "Phlegm" and Left onto "Equinox." Turn Left onto "Rampage" and charge to the top of "Cougar Ridge." Turn Right at the top and do your best Jesse Melamed impression on the twisting descent. Try to make it down in one piece and turn Right to avoid the slab of death near the bottom.
-Turn Left onto "Summers Eve" and another left onto "Seven Stitches". Bask in this mellow section of the trail by going full tilt until you reach the end and turn Left on "Pipeline."
-To minimize our time on "Pipeline", it’s recommended to skip all switchbacks. Continue along pipeline and turn right onto the Big Cut. You will eventually connect into "Doggystyle."
-After summiting "Mt Doggystyle", keep an eye for a right hand turn. Keep right and then look for the "Zig Zag" trail. Continue about halfway down "Zig Zag", and then turn Left to exit off "Zig Zag." Turn Right at the big tree and navigate your way downhill. You will eventually hook up back onto "Park Avenue" and from there, stick to the same route back to the parking lot.
Pretty easy, no?
Post-toss, we'll convene for pints at Cliffside Cidery! All are welcome to join.
SEE Y'ALL SOON & STRANGE TRAILS 'TIL THEN
xoox
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