The Middle Beckons by Riley McIntosh

Riley spins a fantastic yarn about a particularly nasty section of a Nelson trail called Elephantitis.

Check it out here...

so no picture of the "middle"?

Awesome! Sign me up.

4000 ft? I didn't think Elephant was that high, doesn't look it from town

cool write-up!

I agree with Sethimus….no picture of the "Middle"? Oh, come on….

great article riley!

your trail insight has inspired me to see the greater picture of my own scene, trail network, and the direction we need to head.

my 'middle' starts at 4:56: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gjh7GVPwQQ

rode this with jeff from baldface last july.

Apparently 'The Middle' doesn't show up on film or digital CCDs. All you get is black. You can't see it in a mirror either - it's that elusive.

What's with ze Germans? Didn't Riley paint a detailed picture for you in words? :lol: Just kidding.

Riley's great with words but he doesn't shoot. It would have been cool to have a shot of that section of trail but I also kind of appreciate not having it. It adds to the mystery and allure.

What's with ze Germans? Didn't Riley paint a detailed picture of you in words? :lol: Just kidding.

Riley's great with words but he doesn't shoot. It would have been cool to have a shot of that section of trail but I also kind of appreciate not having it. It adds to the mystery and allure.

Cam, in all honesty…you have to bear in mind that us Tchermans are a rather blunt people, straightforward and we cannot be impressed by poetry. And a lot of us love The Hoff.

Is the name Elephantitis a mistake?

before i rode "the middle" i asked my buddy to describe the trail. his response, "treacherous peppered with insanity"

i like to think of myself as a pretty strong technical rider, but honestly that section of trail is completely unreasonable for bikes. i walked probably 60 to 70 percent of it. there so many places where if you fall, you are taking a helicopter ride out.

think dead dog steep with volkswagon sized boulders everywhere along with near fatal exposure.

Apparently 'The Middle' doesn't show up on film or digital CCDs. All you get is black. You can't see it in a mirror either - it's that elusive.

What's with ze Germans? Didn't Riley paint a detailed picture of you in words? :lol: Just kidding.

Riley's great with words but he doesn't shoot. It would have been cool to have a shot of that section of trail but I also kind of appreciate not having it. It adds to the mystery and allure.

as i like steep trails i just wanted to know what scares canadians ;)

I witnessed Evan Schwartz clean the entire Middle on sight without ever having hiked or ridden it before.

One of the most impressive bike things I've seen, if not the most impressive.

Is the name Elephantitis a mistake?

I'm pretty sure that's the name of the trail. Maybe Riley can chime in.

What were you thinking it should be? Elephantiasis?

From Wikipedia

"Elephantitis" is a common mis-hearing or mis-remembering of the term, from confusing the ending -iasis (process or resulting condition) with the more commonly heard -itis (irritation or inflammation). Its proper medical name is lymphatic filariasis.

as i like steep trails i just wanted to know what scares canadians ;)

:lol: ….zing.