Trails Update: May 28, 2021
A Cut Above (the sidewall)
This volunteer-built trail was originally designed as a climbing trail, but quickly became a popular descent due to its steep, technical terrain. It follows a rib of old growth forest peppered with bedrock protrusions and large tree roots. When the trail officially opened, we quickly upgraded it’s climb rating to “black” and left it at “blue” for descenders. After a few years of tires the trail has been showing even more “texture” and we deemed it time to reign it back in (to blue). We’ve started by focusing on widening some of the high fall zones and exposed choke points.
Since we were working from the bottom, I sent Benoit up on the heckler to put a “trail closed sign” at the top and gather a few of the tools we’d stashed near there last week.
… Some time passed…
What should have been a 10 minute journey, stretched into 30…
Hoping for a simple “bear encounter” setback, I was starting to worry that he had fallen off of a high, exposed spot.
We texted.
“I’m on my way down.”
Benoit walked up to us a few minutes later carrying tools. Sans bike.
“Where’s your bike?” “did you get mugged? ...By a bear?”
I flatted. 3 times. I’m out of bacon strips and BOTH tires are flat.
Indeed the trail has developed some texture!
We’ll be in there for more blue-ifying next week...
New Rubber!
Lucky for Ben, his predicament occurred pretty close to the valley bottom. We can’t have this sort of thing happen in the deep woods, leaving us stranded at Jane lakes or the middle of Comfortably Numb…
Coastal Culture hooked us up with some abuse-ready DH tires!
Thanks for the peace of mind Ryan!
New Ribbon (of dirt)!
Tuesday dig nights are on a roll with another completed project: The Business-Vision connector is ready for tires! Thanks to Vision Pacific, Comor, Barelli Concepts and Coastal Culture for supporting the volunteers on this one!
Also:
The Whistler Waldorf grade 9 class put their pulaskis into high gear last friday (while I was typing up my weekly update) and managed to get the Quick Expulsion re-route done as well! Their suggested name for the connection is “Cut Yer Roots” which is in keeping with the naming theme of this zone.
Tuesday Dig Nights will focus entirely on the Flashback trail for the next while. Cascade Environmental is hosting this week. More info and sign up here
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
