Mike's Ride Blog.: August 2011

So since I was on holidays and away from technology for nearly 2 weeks I'm lumping all the riding i did into one post. So here is rides 81-86

We started our trip to Smithers by driving to Williams Lake on day 1. We spent the night there and I got a quick ride in the morning before we pulled out. Courtney shuttled me up Fox Mtn where I rode AK89 and Mitch's Brew. This was a fun blue line with flowy corners and lots of jumps. Too bad everything it soaked from the rain and was slimer that Ledgeview north side in January. From WL we left and drove to Smithers. I managed to get four good rides in Smithers. I headed to COB Bikes once in town and picked up a map which showed me where most of the goods were.

For my first ride I went to "The Bluff". It reminded me of Ledgeview. The trails were nicely groomed, but it was what the shop recommended I ride that wasn't that great. Here's what I ended up riding: (up) Boardwalk, Long Way, Uptrack, Upper Bluff, Upper Remembrance, Broken Axle, (down), Broken Axle, Upper Remembrance, Upper Bluff, Uptrack, Long Way, All Screwed Up, Boardwalk. The trails were quite sedate and felt like the stuff they directed the tourists too.

SMBA has their shit together when it comes to signage.....super easy for a first timer to find their way around.

No reason skinnies.....they were everywhere.

These signed blocks were at every major junction....and they are labeled on the maps too!

The view from the top.

Old cars, or vans, in the bush are rad!

Next ride I headed over to the Ptarmigen area on the road up to the Hudson Mtn Ski area and rode Huckin Eh! HE looked to be a pretty rad jump trail, except that a rainy summer had left it a series of bombed out holes. I couldn't get close to carrying enough speed to clear the table top jumps. I did see a Black Bear on the climb up though, that was cool!

Smithers has a really well laid out and marked trail system that surrounds the town. So I pedaled out from the in-laws place and went exploring. I headed to Boyle Rd and planned on riding the Boyle Rd Trail and seeing what I could find. I ended up coming across a bike trail that wasn't on the map and spent the next 1.5hrs climbing up it. I bumped into a local who said it was called "Back Door" and that I was only half way up it. So I turned around.....thinking I was late for Julia's B-day party at this time.....and headed back to camp. Oh ya....I saw bears on this ride and I had my camera!!

Boyle Rd Trail

A little Mama and her two cubs.

Back Door.

Courtney's Uncle Gord shuttled me up to the Hudson Ski Area early one morning. The local I had bumped into previously told me to head to the bottom of the chair lift, so I did. On the way I found this sign:

That could only mean I was close right? Wrong. Turns out I found the trail, but not the start. I wasn't going to let it beat me, or miss what looked to be an epic ride. So one hour and 15 mins later I found my self at the TOP of the chair lift and at the start of Back Door!

Saw this tree on the way up! By this point I had seen so many bears that I wasn't worried about it.

ALPINE MEADOWS!!!

Finally at the start!

What followed was possibly one of the best trails I have ever rode. The trail is pure DH. I rode down as fast as I could make the Enduro go and 26 mins later I found my self on the edge of town. The trail was rooty and fast. The first time I rode it I was on my HT, this time I was on the Enduro which was a much better choice. By the end my forearms and legs where burned up. I want to ride it again!

Way up there is where I started!

The last ride of the trip was in Kamloops. We spent the night before in Valemount and I put the word out on Facebook, using the campgrounds wifi, that I wanted to ride Rio Escondido. At about 10 am the next morning Collin Burke texted me that he'd emailed the directions! Once in Kamloops we headed to McD's for free wifi and the route was retrieved. Courtney shuttled me and I schralped Rio!!!