Comfortably Numb
50°10′ N 122°53′ WDifficult (Resort Municipality of Whistler)Whistler Valley
Comfortably Numb suits fit cross-country riders who want a long day of forest singletrack north of Whistler Village. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) rates every segment Difficult and marks the whole trail two-way, so expect riders coming toward you on the climbs and the descents.
Photo Sébastien Launay · Flickr · CC BY 2.0
Chris Markle spent close to six years on Comfortably Numb and gave it its name in September 2003, once he had joined two older trails, one of them North Secret. He told Pique Newsmagazine he builds the intermediate trails he likes to ride, and he put go-arounds beside the more technical sections. The numb part, he said, comes from the length and all the climbing. The RMOW donated the suspension bridge over Wedge Creek, and WORCA planned a memorial on it to Al Gray. Gray led WORCA as president from 1994 to 1998.
The RMOW's Multi-Use Trails layer draws Comfortably Numb in seven segments and rates all of them Difficult. The first is a North Secret section that starts near the Wedge Creek Forest Service Road in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. From there the trail heads south into the Resort Municipality of Whistler and ends at a junction with Yummy Numby and a connector trail. Every segment is open to hikers on the layer.
Worth knowing
- Leave a trip plan with someone and carry the ten essentials that AdventureSmart lists, because a two-way trail this long keeps you in the forest for hours.
- The RMOW lets standard e-bikes (up to 500 W, assist to 32 km/h, riders 16 and over) and light e-bikes (up to 250 W, 25 km/h, no throttle, riders 14 and over) on most recreational trails and posts signs where they are barred, so watch for those signs at junctions.
Quick answers about Comfortably Numb
How hard is Comfortably Numb in Whistler?
The RMOW rates every segment of Comfortably Numb Difficult in its Multi-Use Trails layer. Chris Markle built go-arounds beside the most technical sections, and the length and climbing do the rest.
Is Comfortably Numb one-way?
No. The RMOW marks Comfortably Numb two-way along its whole length, so you meet riders and hikers coming from both directions.
Who built Comfortably Numb?
Chris Markle built Comfortably Numb over close to six years and named it in September 2003. A Mount Currie work crew hired by the municipality and WORCA volunteer days helped him finish it (Pique Newsmagazine).
Where is Comfortably Numb?
Comfortably Numb is on Whistler Valley.
Can you hike Comfortably Numb?
Yes. Comfortably Numb is open for riding and hiking.