Scion Whistler Report #20
It’s always hard coming back to real life after an extended weekend of really good times with your friends. Our annual Fall trip to the Chilcotins went off in fine fashion, although instead of sunny weather start to finish, we had sun with high winds, then cold and rain and wind, with snow at higher elevations, and finally heavy heavy rain. We were all pretty glad to have made the decision on Saturday at noon to go for the Taylor/Camel/Lick route, as the forecast was looking less than favourable for the rest of our stay. It was certainly gorgeous, although the winds were something fierce! Getting blown off the trail happened more than once, and that isn’t something I’ve experienced before. With some rain the previous couple of days however, the conditions were exquisite; lots of traction and low on dust. Lots of smiles after that ride, although it did claim a derailleur hanger, rear shifter, and a pedal that got ripped out of cranks. Definitely a good reminder that it’s imperative to have the things you need to make sure you finish your ride. Zip ties, duct/electrical tape, spare hangers, cables, you just never know what could happen out there, so it’s best to prepare for the worst! This time of year extra dry gloves and jerseys were also pretty key to avoid hypothermia.
Sunday the clouds were ripping fast and furious at ridgetop and really dark clouds high on the mountains, so we opted for a pedal up Cinnabar to have some fun and flow.The aforementioned handsaw did the trick first lap to clear out the evenings blowdown, then a couple of truckloads of us decided, after lunch and a mid-day hottub, for a second lap via shuttle. Very good times, especially having never done it before that morning. A fun night around the fire pit and Sunday morning saw us groggy and looking at another nasty weather day. We decided to load up and hit Bralorne. That did not disappoint either! We rode a couple of trails there, the second climbing in the driving rain, but once we hit the forest we weren’t as wet, and we had fun slipping our way back down over wet roots. To say the hottub felt good after that would be an understatement. While we were happy to get into the alpine once, it certainly wasn’t a typical Chilcotins trip, in that we saw ourselves opting for more of the near valley stuff. It’s definitely easy to overlook those stellar trails that crisscross the forest right by Tyax, but I’d definitely recommend taking the time check them out. Great for a first day warmup ride, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, or a last day shorter one before driving home. There are lots of hidden gems out there, that’s for sure. Thanks to the builders! If you do plan on trying to get a late season visit in up there, take note that there has been a number of grizzlies in the Frieburg campsite area, on a regular basis, a friend had an encounter with one and decided pretty quick to move base over to Tyax where they were doing $10 camping for the weekend. Not bad for access to showers and a hottub, especially in the chilly fall.
I’ll have to apologize again to those looking for comprehensive bike park conditions, I can only go on what Paulo reported on from his riding today, and that was, pounding out excavated trail laps with a posse of hard shredders. Sounds like machine built was the way to go, with the singletrack in the woods still leaning towards wet and greasy. While Thursday still looks to be sunny and warm, the start of the weekend looks wet again, so prepare accordingly, and know that there is snow at the roundhouse level. Not much, but enough to make you want some warm gloves and a jacket should you be interested in Garbanzo this weekend. Things are wrapping up pretty quick on that front, so get your hot (cold) laps in while you still can. Things end on Thanksgiving weekend – which is early this year.
As the wetter fall-like weather has decided to grace us with it’s presence, I’d recommend setting your sights north on Pemberton. Pemby is always better after some rain, and we’ve definitely had that. You could also tie that in with a Cove Bike demo day this weekend if one was so inclined. The Pemby Bike Co and Cove will be hosting a 2 day demo this weekend. They’ll have 10 G-Spots, 10 STD’s, and 5 Shockers to shred up. Sounds like XC riding on tap Saturday followed by a BBQ and then shuttle mayhem on Sunday – 11am start time both days. With more showery weather it’s pretty likely that conditions up there will remain firmly in the ‘prime’ category with guaranteed good times shredding.
Also on Saturday, WORCA will host it’s annual vollie appreciation day. The Bike Park has graciously stepped up with some park passes and there’ll be an apres at the GLC at 5:30pm with some bevies, appies, and a whole load of prizes from local businesses. Tickets will be available for pick up at the GLC patio starting at noon, if you’re on the LIST, of those who have pitched in at WORCA events this year. So far Anthill, Chromag, Icebreaker, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Legends, Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, Scandinave, Whistler Art’s Council, Evolution, Bike Co, Cross Country Connection, Bearfoot Bistro, and Nesters have thrown in prizes with more being added every day. Should be a fun time showing thanks to all those who so graciously donated their time and effort to the riding community this year.
With the past week of stormier weather, WORCA is also asking riders to please let them know if you come across any problems on the trails; fallen trees, damaged bridges, erosion, etc. E-mail [email protected] with a description of the trail, location, and nature of the issue. This would be a good place to mention that there are really handy things called folding saws that fit great in a hydration pack! Makes quick work of lots of trees that may fall in the way. We used it more than a few times up in the Chilcotins last weekend, both on trees felled by heavy winds, and some gnarly roots in steep tight corners on Lick that had become dangerous and wheel-grabby. It’s pretty easy to do your part along the way too!
This time next week I should also be able to report back on WORCA’s annual general meeting that takes place tomorrow (Thursday). Sounds like there’ll be some new faces on the board as there will be a few people stepping down after years of faithful service, and we’ll get some final tallies on the year’s events and membership numbers. A huge thanks to the whole board for another amazing year, your dedication is greatly appreciated by all of us! Talk to you next week, stay dry, ride your bike, have fun!
Are you going to brave the weather and head to Whistler today or this weekend? Had some extreme weather rides? Tell us here…
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