The Trailforks app is for more than mountain bikers

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

The Trailforks app is a god send for mountain bikers since it has amassed 1000’s of trails around the world that people use for mountain biking. But where I mainly
ride in Cumberland on Vancouver Island I see many other users on the large trail system. There are dog walkers, trail runners, people out for a walk or hike as well as mountain bikers and but with over dozens of trail options it is always good to know where you are and this is where Trailforks comes in. Most mountain bikers already have Trailforks on their cell phones but many walkers and trail runners may not. 

                                      The trails at Cumberland are for more than just mountain bikers

Once you load the free app on your phone you will get a map of the trails with trail names and difficulty (difficulty for biking) and the gps in your phone will locate you on the map. So if you want to hike or trail run on the Cumberland trails and want to know where some trail might take you the trailforks app can tell you. Or if you twist an ankle walking and need to get out via the shortest trail possible the app will show you the options. It also gives the distance of a trail and a profile of it so you know the ups and downs.  The app is easy to use and with the free version you get a large local area you have access to.  With the Cumberland trails there are 3 different trail types- Nature Trails which are mainly for walkers or hikers, Multi Use trails which as the name suggests are good for hiking, biking etc and Gravity trails where hikers and walkers must yield to mountain bikers. 

                                                            Trail runners on the Cumberland Trails

Be aware that the app is was developed  for single track mountain biking so paved trails or easy trails in city parks usually will not be featured. In the Comox Valley the Trailforks app includes trails around the upper Puntledge (in and around the dam) down to Nymph Falls, the Cumberland Trails, many trails at N E Woods and the multiuse trail at Seal Bay Park. It also features the mountain bike trails on Hornby Island as well as steep trails descending down from Forbidden Plateau. So check it out for your next outing- https://www.trailforks.com/ See you on the trail.