Trails Update: September 16, 2022
UGH!
We book-ended this week with more angry wasp encounters:
First, Andreas and I were mid-demolition of a rotten feature on A River Runs Through It (RRTI). They attacked as I tried to pull some huge spikes that had been nailed into a live tree. I got hit on the back of my hand a few times and they got Andreas in the neck! With heavy adrenaline flowing I suited up: Safety glasses, double-gloved, hood up, helmet and chaps… to deal with the dangerous nails. It took me 2 attempts to flatten the hazards. Satisfied that the wasps were the only danger left at the site, I posted a report to Trailforks and we Carefully moved on to another feature…
After completing a few more feature upgrades in RRTI, including a new double-black rated log ride, Ben and both Michals headed up to clear the bushy section of the Flank Trail. Wasps once again got in the way of a smooth job. There’s about 15m of vegetation that they just could not cut back. Use caution on your way to Old Binty’s…
WAS Class of 2022
Dakota is back! You might remember him from the Lord of the Squirrels crew (2015-2016). After a few years working for SORCA in Squamish and now digging on Vancouver Island, Dakota joined me for a few days with the Whistler Adventure School (WAS). This Fall’s curriculum featured some benching and rockwork in the No-Flow zone. The woodwork portion of the course took place in RRTI where we studied various forms of “carpentry” and we bridged a seasonal overflow creek.
Squirrel in the news!
Regular readers to these reports are familiar with my adoration for furry acrobats… This week, they’ve been dropping douglas fir cones on us! Devious little critters. Last week, the local paper featured a feel good story starring a baby squirrel:
That’s pretty much my dream encounter!
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
