Trails Update: May 10th, 2023
Powerline Mayhem (there was more)
I thought we were done with the “clean up” of woody shrapnel… turns out BC Hydro’s crews have been busy at every corner of the valley since last Fall. Young Lust’s exit was also covered in debris. I figured enough was enough! Perhaps the plant trimming mess presented an opportunity (nudge) to make the best of things and modernize that section of trail.
Adam and I discovered a pleasant descending line accentuated with a slab finish that stayed out of the powerline right of way, scheduled for vegetation control again in 2029, 2036, 2041... The new line is soft and raw, waiting for tires to expose some rooty texture.
Volunteer digging news
Tuesday dig nights are off to a strong start! The latest dig session, sponsored by Big Mountain Adventures, hammered out 100 metres of swoopy flow to Flashback 3! The BBQ crew rolled out smokies with toppings that put multinational corporation’s condiment stations to shame and the coolers featured the outstanding seasonal Gaper Juice provided by the kind folks at Coast Mountain Brewing. Next week’s event, will be brought to you by Into the Gnar and the digging work will continue on Flashback 3.
The Whistler Secondary School students returned to Delineator this week, getting their bypass into the finishing phase. They’ll be back to get it connected next month however the ribbon cutting for this section will need to wait until the fire thinning work is complete.
NO FLOW zone fire thinning closures
Fire thinning work in the No Flow Zone is scheduled to start on May 15 and is expected to last into September. Affected trails (closed) are Delineator, Shit Happens, Anal Intruder, Up Shit Creek, White Knuckles and Rainbow Creamsickle. Howler and No view will be closed from June 19 to September.
As always: Please obey all signage and closures. The area will be a veritable danger zone with heavy machinery performing tree falling, hauling and chipping. Some trees will be harvested as merchantable timber by the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF).
By the way: The CCF are taking feedback about their 5 year logging plans for the Whistler valley through their website survey and in person sessions occurring May 15-16.
It appears that some popular riding areas are in the crosshairs again… your opportunity for feedback is here.
If you’re looking for some advanced XC riding to replace your No Flow fix this summer, I recommend a trip to Cheakamus to test your skills on Garbage>Rubbish>Trash, Dirty Beasts>Danimal or Business Time. Howler will be hard to replace if that’s your go-to… I suggest heading to Blackcomb for some alternative all-down thrills.
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
