Worst Day Best Day

Thursday was ugly. It was relatively warm in the morning but wet, wet, wet. The rain seemed to gain strength over the course of the day and, in defiance of the forecast, the temperature fell. I had organized a ride with Jamie Houssian – of The Collective fame – and I was thinking he’d likely bail. Most people would. I had thought about it myself on this crappy afternoon in late November. The sky was so dark that it looked like dusk before lunch.

As the day wore on I hadn’t heard from Jamie so I tossed my bike in the truck and headed to Fromme. There was no sign of any riders when I turned left onto Coleman  and stepped on the e-brake. I was just about on time so I huddled patiently in the cab listening to the radio. After just a couple of minutes Jamie pulled up. Once he was out of the car we both laughed at the ridiculousness of riding on such a day.

“This has to be the worst riding day of the year,” I said, thinking of it as a badge of honour, proof that we were two hard men, undaunted by the elements. Worthy of the title: Mountain Bikers. I was secretly wishing I was snuggled up on the couch wearing one of those blankets with arms, watching Sex in the City reruns.

  Jamie Houssian, happy not to be rained on at the third switchback. iPhone Photo ~ Cam McRae

We geared up quickly and started to grind methodically toward the first yellow gate, catching up on a couple of years of life as we climbed. More snow than rain was coming down when we reached the gravel and by the water towers the road was white and the forest muffled. The snow was dry enough at this point that we didn’t even get wet, and it wasn’t deep enough to impede our progress. We were feeling pretty lucky.

  Unsure of what we were facing at the top of Ladies Only. iPhone Photo ~ Jamie Houssian

When dry snow falls on frozen ground the riding conditions can be all-time. The grip is good and everything is a little more forgiving. This wasn’t one of those times It had been raining earlier in the day so we dropped into Ladies Only not knowing what to expect. I’ve been running more pressure and skinnier tires lately and on this day neither choice was optimal. Things were fine until we got to the first wooden down ramp. Braking on the wood was not going to be an option. I came firing off the downcoaster writing dollar signs in the snow, and I just barely made the next corner.

  As I cranked to get some speed my front wheel slid – which was enough for me. iPhone Photo ~ Jamie Houssian

We each had a few mishaps (only Jamie rode the A-frame at Bart’s Bridge) but we survived more or less intact. The snow stopped on the teeter-totter over Digger’s multi-tiered water feature and neither of us disturbed the Great Blue Heron’s peaceful vigil. I was a little gun-shy after a few close calls but unfrosted rock, root and dirt made the lower trails manageable. We got wet towards the bottom but we were both grinning, chuffed not to have bailed and missed a great ride.

  Morgan Taylor shot these photos from the trail day and delivered our lunch. Then he rode with his BOB trailer down Aftertaste. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

This past Sunday was scheduled to be our last trail day of the year on Dale’s Trail. Not ideal timing, but we had committed to five days as part of our nsmb.com/Rock Shox TAP commitment and there was no way we were going to shirk, despite packing about eight day’s work into the first four. With both Digger and Jerry Willows at the helm, and an awesome crew of dedicated volunteers, we’ve covered some serious ground.

  With few big projects and lots of smaller issues to deal with, there was more than enough work to go around. Here’s new dad, Jerry Willows, making the most of his last day without a child. His son Samuel was born this morning. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

Again, I have to admit that I wasn’t super keen. Parting the curtains first thing confirmed Environment Canada’s prediction: ridiculous amounts of rain. Noah was wagging a finger and wearing an I told you so grin, but Jerry was resolute, so I stopped by Mark Wood’s place to get the tool storage key and headed for Different Bikes.

  Lots of trenches were built to allow water to run off the trail – this one by Garrett Thibault. This is a challenge on a mature trail like Dale’s because in most areas the trail is lower than the surrounding forest. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

I figured it might be just Jerry, Eamonn, Digger and I, but then I found out Digger was going to the Grey Cup. Despite his absence we had a crew of about 14 when the final count was done. I wanted to bail and I had to be there, but these brave souls hadn’t made any promises. That’s a pretty solid definition of character.

  This little creek that crosses the trail was over capacity and it was overflowing its banks and running down the trail. We cleared some blockages, moved some boulders to improve the flow. Hopefully this doesn’t mean the bridge will wash away.. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

As we trudged in from the Mushroom parking lot, Incline trail was a creek. By the time we turned onto Ned’s it had become a river. When I first looked at the entrance to Dale’s I felt like I’d been kicked square in the nutsack. Perhaps because of increased traffic, the water running down Cabin Trail was flowing directly down the steep top section of ‘our’ trail. Much of the golden soil we had mined and then lovingly tamped down was washing away before our eyes.

  We weren’t sure if anyone would come out to work in the downpour – but we should have know 15-year old Cameron would make it. He’s been to more trail days than any of the volunteers. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

The wettest days are the best for trail maintenance; I’ve heard this maxim, and even echoed it, but I never really believed it. I figured it was just a way to get volunteers out when it was crappy. I’m now a believer. The first thing we did was rough in some drainage across Cabin Trail to divert the water harmlessly into the woods. Seb Kemp, almost as adept with shovel and Pulaski as he is with words, explained that both velocity and volume are your enemy when dealing with water issues. The strategy is to get water off the trail as soon as possible in small doses rather than using large culverts spaced widely. Heeding his advice I walked up hill and diverted the first flow of water off Cabin long before it got near Dale’s. After about 15 minutes work the trickle off Cabin was almost completely gone. We spent the rest of the day repairing damage, 

  Piper standing guard. Poor drainage, low elevation and a nearby creek make Dale’s a bit of a wet weather nightmare. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

The rain slowed toward midday and stopped shortly after but more than enough water had fallen to show us where the problems were. Dale’s follows a creek and there are even spots where feeders cross the trail. One of these sections couldn’t handle the water volume and again water was flowing right onto the trail. Ben (one of our most loyal volunteers) and I spent most of the day moving boulders to improve water flow and lower the water level so this wouldn’t happen again.

Standing water was an issue in many places and we raised and reversed grades in many spots along the trail. By the time we packed up the trail was still mucky but we’d dealt with dozens of issues we couldn’t have foreseen in the drier seasons. I was frustrated not to make progress and ‘finish’ the trail, which had been our goal, but in the end we did even better. The water issues we saw on Sunday were the worst case scenario for Dale’s, and if we hadn’t arrived this late in the year the line would have been a disaster by spring. Instead we’re cautiously optimistic that it’s going to survive the winter. Please help us out by giving it a rest until things dry out or freeze up. There are some all-weather trails on Seymour, but Dale’s isn’t yet one of them.

  It will likely be like this until spring in many areas of Dale’s – so please give Dale’s a rest so our work has a chance to bed in. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor.

It’s a lesson I need to re-learn every year; with proper clothes, common sense trail selection and good company, riding in shitty, nasty, cold mucky conditions can be as much fun as riding mid summer. And maybe even more satisfying. It’s not as clean or as easy or comfortable, but if we were looking to be civilised we’d all be playing badminton. 

As Seb eloquently stated, when the weather makes you feel like a little boy, putting on your big boy pants is always rewarded.

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Are you a fair weather rider? Do you play badminton? How about croquet? Any suggestions for wet weather trails? Send it all below.