Trail work updates, Sept 25-29, 2016

[heading]Trail work updates, Sept 25-29, 2016[/heading]

Alpine Sproatt Trail

Raph and I have finished replacing the entire "easy" line of woodwork through the swamp section of Secret Trail North. I love building old-school features and we changed it up a bit... long live skinnies! We also took care of some precarious danger trees, opened up some drains and filled/capped some low spots. It's ready for the wet season!I was curious to re-inspect the Lord Of The Squirrels again after last weekend's torrential rains and hundreds of tires.**Fun fact about Sproatt mountain's alpine environment: It gets 2-3x more precipitation up there than in the valley**We finished building the trail at the driest point of the year so I expected a few wet surprises... It looks like the ground got saturated and with daytime highs in the single digits, the trail just might not get dry again this season. We upgraded most of the alpine draw crossings with countless buckets of rocks and will return again to tackle more.It always helps to let a winter compact and cement the trails tread (you'll notice conditions change when you reach the 2015 and 2014 build zones) so you can expect the trail to CLOSE when the autumn rains begin to fall... In the mean time, please enjoy the ride however:

• Stay on the trail (it is easier to wash your bike than to repair a trail)
• Stay in control (saturated soil is slippery)
• Stay at home (or ride wet weather proven trails at lower elevation)
• Consider these options: Lost lake, Riverside, Lower Sproatt, Danimal, A Rockwork Orange, Kill me Thrill me
• Or the recently upgraded "swamp thing" on Comfortably Numb (Secret Trail North)

See you on the trails![huge_it_gallery id="16"]

Trail Maintenance in Whistler Valley

This week we got started by doing a few more little armour projects on Lower Howler.  We then headed back over to Industrial Waste to get it finished up for the season.  We got the entrance of Industrial Disease opened up which is on the left just after where Post Industrial merges. We then headed down and got all of the challenging off-camber sections built down to the creek.  The last section of benching then comes up to where Baby Snakes meets Danimal Should be done by Friday.  The trail is a mix of bench cut and a natural surface so its going to be running a little slow at first for climbing but, as with the upper section, it will bed in nicely with riders and some rain.[huge_it_gallery id="17"]