Trail Work Update: 28 July 2017

[heading]Trail Work Update: 28 July 2017[/heading]The hype is real! I guess some people just can't help themselves. Hopefully the Lord of the Squirrels (LOTS) poachers can also come out and help repair the damage caused... to the trail and to the reputation of mountain bikers.MTB advocates have been lobbying for the opportunity to ride our bikes in the alpine for years. It was the first point of business in the formation of WORCA in 1989. It took 25 years before we got a chance to put our money where our mouth is, and our moment to shine is nearly here. How we behave on the mountain is being closely watched and all we fought for is at risk.I went up there this week hoping to fully open the trail (to the lake). It has been HOT! We can see the peak from the valley and it's snow free! Alas, the snow that we blissfully shredded in March remains. I took pictures to save you the trip (see below).We can't wait to share this gem with all of you, but please understand that like in winter, we need to "play to the conditions". Sometimes, that means NO playing.Did you know... Alpine heather can take 20 years to return after being trampled. It only takes a few travelers to mark a path through the alpine (see photo below). Saturated alpine soil is like a sponge... it looks dry until you press on it. Plus, traversing is treacherous on wet alpine heather slopes (good luck self-arresting while carrying a bike).In other news... Last Friday's downpour eased the fire rating enough to fire up the chainsaw and build a couple of bridges on Comfortably Numb. It was nice to pack in some tacky dirt too.By popular demand: Howler is next to get the "no stick in the eye" treatment. We've also been smashing some sharks and agitating wasp nests...Dan Raymond, WORCA Trail Builder[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="6" gal_title="Trail Work Update: 28 July 2017"]