Trails Update: May 15
How many nails?
With a (Covid-19) shortened work season, the trail crew is focusing on more technical repairs and upgrades. Runaway Train lived up to that description: It needed a 250m re-route and over 50m of cedar features! That’s a lot of clearing and carpentry to make Whistler’s first snow-free trail rideable (sans-wetsuit). It took 5 hard days supported by top notch equipment and supplies (at trail supporter prices!) from Sabre and Windsor Plywood to get it done. The fresh exit will bed-in (with some traffic) to the same rooty flavor as the rest of the trail.
I think riding Trash to Trainwreck to D-railment to the upgraded Runaway Train gives the south end of the valley its own “KMTM” for technical XC fans… albeit, with less headwind (if returning via the Sea-to-Sky trail)
Danimal archeology
Danimal North needed some love. In a case study for “what happens when a trail gets prematurely snow-cleared”, the evidence shows: tires pounded the winter tree litter into the saturated soil… creating thick, drain-blocking black muck.
“It just needs a rake” said the report… More like shovel and mattock!
Some spots got new drains, some got upgraded berms and in others, we found beautiful bomb-proof armouring under up to 15cm of muck.
Nature moment for the trail crew: working to the sounds of Raven chicks in a nearby nest!
Danimal North is back to solid (slippery) roots and rock. Enjoy
Waldorf week
We’re sad to forgo this year’s Whistler Waldorf Work Week. It suffered the same (Covid-19) fate as our popular Tuesday Dig Nights. The Waldorf volunteers have made substantial contributions to our trail network. In the last few years, they’ve learned to “work smarter, not harder” on valley favorites Comfortably Numb, Yummier Numby, Muffin Man, Hot Dog Alley and Robin Yer’ Eggs. This spring’s project is simply on ice until…?
Meanwhile, Lucy Horn wanted to commemorate the efforts of her schoolmates for her grade 8 project: in bike form… a “fitting” tribute!
Tutored by Pete Fowler from Pinner Machine Shop , she learned how to work with metal to create a unique bench made almost entirely from bike bits! Chromag, Cutting Edge Signs, North Shore Billet and Fineline helped sourcing parts for the bench.
I look forward to taking a rest on it!
Thanks Lucy!
See you on the trails! (2m apart)
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
