Spring Season Ender
I always love a bit of a rush first thing in the morning… Last Tuesday’s Trail Night blasted through everything we had laid out so I needed to get some corridor cut and flagging in the ground ASAP! We focused on the lower end of the blue Danimal South bypass. For a shorter commute and to avoid sucking curious riders in to check out a project with no exit. The crew pulled stumps as I frantically planted the short pink ribbons. All of the prep work came together just as the volunteers arrived. It was already furiously hot but a few volunteers were keen to work on their tans… digging under the powerlines in full sun. Appropriately, Evolution, who sponsored this event, had brought some branded shades for the volunteers! I opted for the cooler forested benching but there was a hefty price to pay for shade: countless roots entangled huge rocks making the work hard and complicated. In the end, everyone was satisfied with Sarah’s chili with a side of Coast Mountain Brewing’s best seasonal suds. We managed to put a dent in this project but it’ll sit idle until Crankworx… stay tuned for details on when you can join in on the digging fun.
Bring on the (Long) Weekend
It was a short week at the trail factory thanks to Canada Day but the crew rose to the occasion when we were presented with an opportunity to work with @rocdoc (Ken Melamed) on a particularly complex problem. It was just a blown out berm near the bottom of Bring on the Weekend, however, the same glacier that shaped this particularly sweet bedrock slab had also stripped the nearby landscape clean of any usable material (dirt or rocks). Ken had a plan. He had located some rocks “nearby” that needed to be broken down to movable size and he had set-up a rope line to help maneuver the rocks into place. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with a master of his craft and this project was a “doozie”. Thanks Ken!
BTW:
As you can see in this week’s pictures, upper Lord of the Squirrels is still under snow. While the Michals only made it up to Squirrel Lake, their feet were wet and they would have needed snowshoes to make it any higher (through On the Rocks). My estimate for anticipated full loop opening - July 16. If you’re jonesing for some alpine riding, I’ve heard that Windy Pass in the Chilcotins is clear of snow…Oh, speaking of the Chilcotins, if you do want to check out Windy Pass or the Chilcotins in general, you might be stoked to hear that WORCA members receive 15% off of accommodation at Tyax Lodge, as well as 15% of tours with Tyax Adventures (see here for details)! So if you haven’t got your membership and want to head to the Chilcotins, buying one will save you a lot of money.
See you on the Trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
