Trails Update: November 4, 2022
Cold week for CNES repairs
The return of wet weather has finally allowed Benoit and I to get some tread repairs done following the Canadian National Enduro Series (CNES) race in September. We worked our way down Baby Snakes and Danimal South, armouring holes and supporting the tread where racers had “blown off course”. We also took the opportunity to tweak some minor line changes and enhance the switchback berms. It was nice to get back into rock and dirt work before the ground freezes.
We also took the opportunity to play with the hammer drill… There’s a big rock where Industrial Waste meets Danimal that has terrified many riders. Wide handlebars have clipped this boulder (plenty of strike marks) in a high exposure spot. The rock is too big to move so we planned to break it up. First we studied the big rock, identifying “likely” cracks. We figured this was going to be a multi step disassembly to get the worst of it out of riders’ way. After drilling a line of holes, the “feather and wedges” worked their magic to remove a chunk of granite. We repeated the process until the batteries ran out. We’ll return to chip more off the ol’ block next week…or not… due to the snow!
Thanks!
As we wind down the 2022 season, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers that complement the work that the trail crew does so well…
Props go out to our eyes all over the valley: the Trailforks reporters (and e-mailers) that share what needs attention across the network. Gold stars to Barb, Paul and Andrew!
High five to the cutters: They ride with saws to clear the trails so that the trail crew can focus on repairing major issues. Pat and Ben have been outstanding this year!
Fist bumps for the WORCA board members that devote countless hours to make Whistler’s trail scene a cultural tour-de-force! Thanks Scott for fulfilling double duty as Trails Director while working full time on the trail crew.
And of course, the diggers! Whether you attended Tuesday dig night(s), joined the trail crew for some time, got dragged to a trail day by your coach or spent time hermitting in the forest, I want you to know that Whistler’s trail network would not be the same without your contribution!
I can’t sign off without also thanking WORCA’s donors, sponsors, the RMOW and of course our members for trusting us with the stewardship of our most precious community asset: the Trails.
It looks like it’s time to get ready for the snow sliding season… time to take my boards to Renee at Spicy for a tune.
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
