Trails Update: July 17, 2020
The end of slug weather?
The valley trail is safe again. It felt like playing mario kart out there for the last month or so! Dodging bears, e-bike tours and slippery banana peels (slugs).
Whistler is blessed with several species of slugs. I’ll let wikipedia fill you in on everything you want to know about these fascinating terrestrial gastropod mollusks. Did you know that some of them have shell “remnants” inside their body. Also: reproduction is very…. different.
Their body is mostly water and they rely on spreading a slippery slime to slither around. When things get hot and dry, they retreat to whatever damp hole they can find.
My kale is finally safe!
The heat has also ripened my favorite trailside snacks!
The Chipmunk Rebellion (Pt 1) has begun
I first explored the chunk of forest where the trail will be constructed 5 years ago. The WORCA rokon moto broke down near industrial disease while commuting to the LOTS worksite. Abandoning the bike, I decided to hike straight up to save time. This shortcut revealed some interesting terrain that has been on my mind ever since.
We’re building it now! However, Forrest Gump famously said:
“Under the moss is a lot like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Connecting the good bits is going to be tricky.
Typical Mount Sproatt: Trail builder uses sharp tool… Ting, Ting. “That’s not dirt.”
Benoit and Renee spent all week assembling rock walls for the trail to navigate across unrelenting fingers of bedrock while the new recruits benched away at the dirtier sections.
Matthias: When are we gonna get to peel more logs?
Dan: When we finish this section.
Matthias: Let’s get it done!
I’m really happy with our progress so far!
You can get a taste of the rebellion (pt 2) in next week’s COVID virtual toonie! We’ve given it a tune-up just for the occasion.
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
