10/12/2008

Earlier this summer, I had the good fortune to be invited to join the folks from Sacred Rides mountain bike tour company on one of their singletrack tours of British Columbia. After some deliberation and research through their catalogue, I ended up deciding on the 12-day Ultimate B.C. Epic. The trip was billed as a singletrack extravaganza that started in Fernie, B.C. and traversed the Kootenays in the southeastern part of the province, with stops in Rossland, Trail, Nelson, Golden, Revelstoke, and Kananaskis Country before coming to an end in Calgary, Alberta.

I've spent a fair bit of time riding in the Okanagan, but hadn't done much in the Kootenays and I was really looking forward to hitting up the trails in these areas. I was also stoked about to the high alpine riding that was going to be the focal point of several rides.

A glimpse of things to come as we got further into the trip, and headed north to ride the alpine

The trip itself promised to be a physical challenge - a 12-day adventure with 11 days of riding, and only one official rest day. I figured that I could handle the days in the saddle, but what really had me worried was the altitude. I live about three blocks from the ocean and do the majority of my training rides (and I use that term loosely) on the road at no more than 200 or 300 metres above sea level. Some of these rides were going to be high-altitude epics, and left me a little concerned. There wasn't much I could do, though, so I sucked it up, put in as many miles as my 9-to-6 job allowed and started rounding up the necessary gear for this odyssey.

Day 0 - The day I travelled to Fernie

Packing for a 12-day XC trip a lot more work than you'd expect. You need baggy shorts, Lycra shorts, a long sleeve jersey, several short sleeve jerseys, a rain jacket, arm and knee warmers, a few pairs of gloves, clipless shoes, a large hydration pack, water bottles, tools, tubes, and camera equipment. Then there's the off-bike clothing. And the computer gack, iPod, book, and the requisite bike mags. And the bike - a Santa Cruz Nomad built for both climbing and descending.

All of that was crammed into a Dakine bike bag, a Dakine duffle bag, and a Dakine backpack. Not surprisingly, my luggage was overweight but the ticket agent must have felt bad and I only got stung for the bike bag. A comment - if you are ever going to fly with your bike, get a Dakine bike bag. Beg, borrow, steal, or split the cost with friends, whatever. Throwing your bike in a padded and reinforced bag with wheels and a handle is soooo much more civilized than a cardboard box, and it makes travelling through the airport about as painless as it's going to get with that much crap.

A short hour-and-fifteen minute Westjet flight to Calgary later, I picked up my bags and went in search of the guides from Sacred Rides. I met up with Eddy, a 23-year-old from Quesnel, B.C. who was the lead guide, in the terminal. He had just dropped off the previous group at the other end of the building and we headed out to the van. Out there were Amanda, the other guide who was 21 years old *cough* 31 *cough* and from Toronto, Rick, 62, from Ottawa, Marco, 48, from the Tuscany region of Italy, and Blair, 52, from Boston. We threw the luggage into the small trailer and piled into the 10-passenger van for the three-hour trip to Fernie.

The drive was relatively uneventful, and the crew took the time to get acquainted. Rick, Marco, and Blair discussed relatively benign things like politics and immigration policies, while Eddy, Amanda, and I talked bikes and riding in B.C. Things were off to a good start, and nobody felt the need to kill anyone else.

On arriving at our accommodation in Fernie - Pinnacle Ridge condos in the bottom of the valley looking out at the hills on both sides of us - we were introduced to Jansen, a very quiet 20-year-old from Holland. Marco and I were in one condo and the other guys were in their own. Everyone was too amped to sleep and it was still early, so we pulled bikes out of boxes and started building. And that was when I got the first sense that some of these people didn't really know what they were in for when they signed up to ride B.C. singletrack.

This was what we got to wake up to every morning while we were in Fernie...

I had the Nomad I was testing, with a RockShox Lyrik fork, 2.35" tires, and 7" disc brakes. The guides - Eddy and Amanda - were on a new Giant Reign X and a Santa Cruz Heckler with a single-crown Marzocchi Shiver fork. Marco had a titanium Kona hardtail with an 80mm fork, a negative rise stem, and V-brakes. Jansen was riding an aluminum Orbea hardtail with a 100mm fork, very narrow bars, and Magura rim brakes. Blair was on a new, nicely equipped Specialized Stumpjumper with a saddle bag as big as some hydration packs. Rick was on a Giant NRS 4" full suspension bike from a few years with flat bars, bar ends, and very small clipless pedals. Tom, a 47-year-old Englishman who arrived late in the evening, unveiled a Maverick full suspension bike with a Rohloff hub, a 100mm Pace fork, and Hope disc brakes when he got rolling in the morning.

This was going to be an interesting trip.

Day 1 - The day we learned about altitude
and heat

As mentioned earlier, I live at sea level. So did most of the rest of the crew. The town of Fernie is located at 3,200', so I was already higher in elevation than most of the rides I'd done this year. And it was hot. Temperatures in Fernie on this particular week were in the low 30s, which was apparently cooler than the week before. It was still hot enough to have you sweating within 10 or 15 minutes of getting on your bike.

The first few days of the trip were going to be spent in Fernie in order to acclimate everyone to the conditions, the elevation, and the heat. And they were meant to give the guides an idea of everyone's abilities on the bike so they could plan out our riding for the remainder of the trip. The Ultimate B.C. tour was rated as technically and physically demanding, but apparently that hadn't stopped people with limited bike handling abilities from signing up in the past.

The program for this part of the trip was pretty simple - get up, eat, ride from the condos and spend a couple of hours on the trail, return for lunch, chill for a while and let lunch digest, head out for another ride for a few more hours, return and find a restaurant for dinner, crash early, and repeat the whole process again. Things would change when we hit the road - we'd be driving before, in between, or after rides. And sometimes a combination of all three.

Eddy sat out the morning ride in order to run some errands, so Amanda was joined by Val, a Quebecois who had been living in Fernie for a long time and guided for Sacred Rides when she wasn't working as a massage therapist. The morning's ride was a relatively easy spin that wound through the trails just above town. Hardpacked logging roads let to tight singletrack trails in the trees, and it was a good way to break us in.

Blue blazers are nice, but they're much more pleasant when you're chilling on the lake with a beer
than climbing in the sun.

Amanda and I chilled at the back of the pack, admiring the view as we climbed the logging road to access singletrack, letting the rest of the crew size each other up. As is often the case, I was content to watch the hammerheads tear away. I knew that I'd be able to catch them on the downhill.

The sun was doing its best to bake all of us, and there was very little shade to escape the heat. Everyone managed the climbs without too many troubles, but the altitude adjustment made a few people breathe harder than they expected. The situation changed, though, when we hit the singletrack and the group got a bit of a wake-up call. It wasn't very technical at all by B.C. standards, with short uphill bursts, some slightly technical climbs with roots and switchbacks, and short but steep downhill sections, but was a far cry from what almost everyone was used to riding on.

There weren't any major incidents on the ride, but I was smart enough to give myself a good rotor burn on my left calf that would prove to be a nuisance for the remainder of the trip. We all headed back for the condos for lunch, and some respite from the heat.

After gorging ourselves, the crew puttered around and prepared for the 3 p.m. departure. This time, it would be Eddy and Val guiding - Amanda had to pull a shift at one of her many other jobs. We pedalled out from the condo, this time in the other direction, making our way to the Gorby climb. Gorby is an old logging road climb that takes riders between the cedars towards the base of the Fernie ski hill and an extensive network of trails that range in difficulty from relatively mellow to moderately challenging. There are a few stunts, a few rooty sections, lots of loam, and a whack of ripping singletrack.

Near the top of the Gorby climb, with Fernie Alpine Resort straight ahead in the distance

The mid-afternoon heat, combined with a healthy dose of bugs, made the short climb a bit of a pain in the ass. Thankfully, the views were worth it once we got out of the trees and were able to see something.

There were plenty of opportunities to check out alpine meadows and flowers on this trip. This was one of them.

The best part of all rides in Fernie is that once you get to the top, you get a sweet rip down. This afternoon gave us a tiny glimpse of what lay ahead for our few days in Fernie. Most of the singletrack was tight, twisty, and through the trees. And there were even a few drops along the way. Eddy, a former DH racer, showed the group this steep run-in / drop, and even sessioned it a few times so I could get the perfect shot. A few of us rode the chute, but most people ended up walking down. It was still early in the trip and no one wanted to take any risks yet.

Eddy was forced to hike this a few times so I could get the perfect shot.

After suitably impressing everyone with his skills, Eddy led the crew back into the trees. Switchbacks were on tap, and everyone had a chance to open things up on this cruisy, fast section of trail.

Marco, taking advantage of a smooth and flowy section of the trail

Val and her perma-grin, rolling the inside corner of one of the numerous switchbacks

After threading the needle between the trees, the trail popped out half-way down the Gorby climb and we got to rip down the trail we had to work to get up. You had to be on your toes, though, because there were a few large ruts and washouts that were hidden in the long grass. I almost lost my front wheel in a large rut, but I was able to ride it out and catch Eddy. Just as I did, we reached the bottom of the Gorby climb and he stopped while we regrouped. That pattern of climb and regroup, or descend and regroup, became standard operating procedure for the rest of the trip.

Riding the trails below Fernie Alpine Resort was a great introduction to the area

Once everyone was back in formation, we headed off to a trail called Sherwoody Forest for one final rip to finish off the afternoon. The sun was coming through the trees, the temperature was cooling down a bit, and everyone was enjoying the ride. Just when people were starting to feel the effects of the day's riding, the trail popped out on the road and we headed back to the condos for a well-deserved shower before heading out to the Brickhouse Bar & Grill for burgers and beers.

Day 2 - The day we baked and swam

Day 2 started out with another big breakfast and the day's stage of the Tour de France. The Tour became part of our morning ritual over the course of the trip, and there were more than a few days when we wouldn't leave our accommodation until we'd seen who had won. Or, given the way things went this year, who had been kicked out that day.

The plan for the morning was to ride two trails called Roots and Roots Extension, a pair of uphill and downhill singletrack loops through an area behind town that had been logged. We formed our own paceline and rode from the condos out a logging road to the base of Roots, and started heading up. Short, steep hills with several plateaus allowed us to gain elevation in a somewhat painful but quick way. And once again, when we stopped to check out the view, it was pretty impressive.

Looking back at Fernie Alpine Resort from the climb up Roots

After hammering our way up some steep pitches, we came out in the middle of a log sort that the logging companies had used when they clearcut the area. It was as good a place as any for a snack break and photo op, so we shovelled energy bars into our mouths and made Amanda take pictures of us.

The crew - Rick, Jansen, Marco, Stuart, Eddy, Blair, and Tom. Amanda was behind the lens.

One of the coolest things about this trip was the opportunity to see new people learning about and experiencing B.C. Some days it was the trails, others it was the scenery. We spent a lot of time talking about bears, but never saw any - to the great disappointment of the young Dutchman. The lesson for today was the Saskatoon berries on the side of the trail. Everyone had a quick snack, until the subject of bears and their interest in berries came up. And then we packed up and headed down the trail.

Eddy explains the joys of trailside snacking - for people and bears

Classic Fernie singletrack on Roots Extension

Roots led into Roots Extension, an up-and-down section of singletrack that skirted through the trees that had been left standing on the slope. It was fast, and everyone was able to cruise through it with some speed. People were enjoying themselves, but the temperature was edging up and legs were starting to get a little starting to get a little tired after a fairly steady pace. After about 20 or 30 minutes of ripping the singletrack, the trail dumped out on the main logging road again and the group was left with a decision. Another lap or head back to the condo for lunch. Or ... go for coffee. Marco had been on a great coffee quest since he arrived in Canada, and had managed to find a small coffee shop in town that made espressos that were up to his exacting, Italian standards. Word has spread among the group and the thought of a nice, rich coffee lit a fire under our collective sagging butts.

We hopped on the pedals and hauled back in to town. Marco and I even managed to get a sprint going on the logging road, which was challenging in light of the fact that there's only so much sprinting you can do on a bike with a 36-odd pound bike with a 34T ring. Unfortunately, the coffee shop that had turned out the quality espresso was closed, so we were forced to go to the only other coffee shop that was open on a Sunday morning in Fernie.

Marco was very suspicious of the girl behind the counter's ability to make a short espresso, and he stood right by the machine as the girl made his drink. After a quick sip, he pronounced it passable and fit for human consumption. This experience would be repeated a number of times over the course of the trip, with a surprising number of positive experiences. Who would have thought that you could get a good espresso in towns of a couple thousand people?

Caffeinated and rejuvenated by baked goods, the group headed back to the condos to finish refuelling, grab a quick nap, and refill hydration packs before the afternoon ride.

The p.m. spin proved to be an interesting contrast from the morning spin. We were riding on the opposite side of the valley, which was largely a deciduous forest instead of a clearcut. We were heading up Stove trail, and down a Fernie classic called Dem Bones. The only problem was that it was damn hot, and there was no breeze. None. Absolutely zero. The brush was close around us a lot of the time, and it felt as though we were climbing in a sauna. There was no breeze, and the humidity was hard to take.

The climb up Stove wasn't particularly technical, but the heat made it a killer

There was nothing too technical about the climb, but the heat was a killer. We tackled it in pitches, with the promise of a great view at the top. It was hard to be too excited about the view when we were dying on the way up, and most of us took advantage of any excuse for a break. Eddy's drivetrain mechanical was just what I was looking for.

Even bike guides get the blues - Eddy flips his bike upside down to give it some love

We rolled out of the dense brush and high grass, and were able to breathe a bit better. But we still weren't at the top. By this point, everyone was pretty hot and the thought of more climbing really wasn't what we had in mind. The idea of a nice view from the top was a good teaser, though, and I was interested to look back across the valley to see where we had ridden in the morning. The last part of the climb seemed the toughest - short switchbacks, logs and larger roots across the trail, steeper pitches and very few chances to get some flow going. By the time I got to the top, I really didn't care much about the view. It turned out to be nice, but not stellar. The valley was smoky because of fires in Washington state, so there was a grey filter across everything.

I took two shots at the top of the afternoon's climb - this one...

...and this one. The view shot isn't nearly as cool as the bikes.

And then we were presented with a bit of a cruel surprise. We were turning around and heading back down the trail we'd just humped up to get to the summit. Seriously? Yup. Thankfully, the last section of uphill proved to be a fun downhill and the rip down Dem Bones was definitely the best part of the afternoon. It was fast, flowy, tight, twisty, and too much fun to stop and shoot pictures - especially after the wickedly hot climb. You'll have to take my word for it.

What I did take pictures of was our final stop for the day before we went back to the condos - the swimming hole at the bottom of the Gorby climb (which was right across the road from the Dem Bones descent). Soaking in small whirlpools in the chilly, mountain-fed creek was a pretty sweet way to end the day, and none of us cared how silly we might have looked with cyclist tans and were wearing spandex shorts.

The post-ride swim in the creek. Guess who the roadie in the group is. Yup, the guy with the
super-tanned arms and white torso.

What did day three and four of the trip bring? A forbidden trail and a shuttle ride on an XC trip? You betcha. Check it out.