A Bellingham company offers mountain bikers a chance to go deep into Galbraith’s trails
As Bellingham continues to establish itself as a must-visit place for mountain bikers, a new business is helping visitors and new residents navigate the miles of trail options.
Dig Deep Tours began offering tours in June and so far business is off to a brisk start. Owner Ike Bancroft has already given 15 different tours and is currently doing around two a week.
As Galbraith Mountain becomes more known to the mountain biking community around the world, Bancroft noticed more and more out-of-state license plates parked near the trails. As local mountain bikers already know, Galbraith has a 65-mile intricate trail system in place. Even with maps and phone apps, it’s easy to get lost or end up on a trail more difficult than expected.
Bancroft said in an email that the company puts together the tour based on the experience level of the bikers, giving them the best possible ride. For beginners, the tour involves easier trails and more advice/instruction, while the more experienced riders get less instruction and longer runs. There are a variety of half-day and full-day packages available, starting at $95, as well as bike rentals for $40 a half day and $55 a full day.
“We have our own mountain bike rental fleet, so that our tour guests do not need to bring anything other than themselves,” Bancroft said, adding that if a customer rents a bike, the company brings it right to the trailhead along with a helmet, water bottle, and snacks.
Most of the tour guests to this point are from out of the area, hailing from Canada, other parts of the West Coast and the East Coast. The company is seeing more locals interested in the rental services, and Bancroft is hoping to drum up more interest from local bikers for tours.
Currently, the tours are focused on Galbraith Mountain, but Bancroft said he’s looking at more multi-day events, touring other areas in Whatcom County and in other parts of the state.
Bancroft, a Western Washington University graduate, moved away from Bellingham for a few years before returning. In 2019, he began to put together a tour guide business plan, but it was put on pause during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interest in mountain biking on Galbraith Mountain has only increased in that time.
“I knew it was the perfect place to dive into my own guiding venture,” said Bancroft, who previously worked for guide companies in the southwest before moving back to Bellingham.
For further details, visit the Dig Deep Tours website.
