Trails Update: May 31, 2024
Garbage Chute
The trail crew’s schedule runs from Sunday to Wednesday. You might think this is odd but there are more pros than cons to this. Regularly working on Sundays gives us the flexibility to shift the Tuesday Volunteer Trail Nights to Sunday Benching Brunch when the Fire Rating goes up.
Anticipating this, remember that June 4th will be the last Tuesday night of the spring session. We’ll get back to digging on the morning of Sunday June 16th. “What are the cons with your schedule?” Sundays are typically busy with trail user traffic which can complicate the sort of repair we can perform on an open trail (like tree felling, bridge replacements, etc) I have been lining up some “off grid” projects for Sunday such as a reroute of the last section of Garbage. The exit descent was a water trap through pebbly river rock. We’ve left the original line as it is more suited for hikers and dog walkers. The bypass rides more like the rest of Garbage. Enjoy! …If extra stiff cross-country riding is your cup of tea…
Whistler Adventure School
Last week I once again wore my “professor” name tag for another instalment of the “Sustainable Trail Building” class. We explored route finding and orienteering tools in the No Flow Zone before studying trail design, layout and construction on the Creamsicle Rainbow renovation. It was impossible to talk about rockwork applications without visiting “The Thing” to see what an experienced Master could accomplish.
We also traveled to Flashback to learn how to build berms and put on the finishing touches before letting tires roll on it. Speaking of tires rolling on it… We were surprised by a family that wanted to “check it out!” Their tires left deep ruts in the freshly benched trail. We’re making great progress but the trail is still a construction site! Please stay off of the trail until we’re fully connected.
The Tuesday Night Volunteers are keeping me on my toes with yet another hearty push to the last piece of flagging. Digging through rain and rainbows on a chilly night, they were rewarded with 24hr slow-cooked pulled pork and swag courtesy of Smith Optics. I’ll be rushing back up there to lay out some more flagging before the June 4th dig. Sign up here!
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
