Perseverance pays off!

On October 30, I volunteered my time at the Perseverance Trail Run, an annual trail running race held in Cumberland, BC. The day before Halloween, all the racers showed up ready to Trick or Treat in the woods! Well, actually, all the sweets to be had on race day were to be found at the finish line, where a box of donuts went to the best costume of the day.

Babes in the woods

My job was to man Checkpoint 6, just a bit more than halfway in to the 10.5 km course, where racers would come charging down the Bear Buns trail before making a hard right across Sykes Bridge, and then continuing on to Off Broadway. The action was fast and furious and the terrain treacherous. Many's the racer that was so intent on his or her footing that they barely noticed me pointing and yelling, "Turn right!" as they came close to overshooting the turnoff. But even if they safely made the turn, they weren't out of the woods yet, so to speak. Sykes Bridge is a narrow wooden bridge that is very bouncy at the best of times, and on race day was slick with the morning's rain. Woe to the racer that didn't heed my warning to "Walk on the bridge!"

Racer after racer passed my checkpoint - about 150 of them, many decked out in their Halloween best. Some of these guys were pretty quick, but probably the most impressive performance was that of the last pair that came through before the "Grim Sweeper" - an elderly couple, the man leading his visually-impared wife through the woods with words of encouragement.

Back at the finish line everybody celebrated their success with burgers and hot dogs, medal presentations, and draws for some cool swag.

The Last Unicorn?

Many thanks and congratulations to Sarah Seads of Equilibrium Lifestyle Fitness (ELM) and the other organizers for running such an incredible event!

The "Grim Sweeper"

Gettin' Crafty on the Butcher

Crafty Butcher double teeter-totter

So apparently there's some mountain biking to be had in Cumberland, BC. So says the map that shows the piled-spaghetti heap of trails just outside of town. So says the mud-splattered hordes of dudes and dudettes wheeling down the main drag on knobby-tired bikes of all description. So says the groups we've recently had here at the hostel, one of which traveled from Whistler to ride here, and another of which included a couple of national champions and the rep for one of the largest Canadian bike manufacturers. So says the organizers of the BC Bike Race, the 7-day-long epic torture test for masochists. So yeah, I suppose there's some mountain biking in the area.

Jessie demonstrating the angle on the wooden berm

"Most Trails are Advanced." That's the beginning of the Cumberland entry in the Mountain Bike Vancouver Island guide book, and let me tell you, they're not kidding! If you learn to ride here, you get really good, really fast. Rocks and roots and ridiculous steeps are prominent features of just about all the trails in the area. Oh, and what about the woodwork? There's a strong community of trail builders in the area who have put an enormous amount of work into building and maintaining all the singletrack, and many of the trails showcase their creativity and skills with a chainsaw. For example, "Thirsty Beaver" is a newer trail with oodles of bridges and ramps and skinnies, most of which go a long ways to keeping the trail sustainable through all the crazy and wet terrain that it traverses. And yes, there's the "Crafty Butcher", a trail with a double teeter-totter in the middle of it - just because. Why the heck not?!?

Railing the corner on the Crafty Butcher

And just in case you get tired of what Cumberland has to offer, all of the communities in this area are host to mountain biking trails of various degrees of epic-ness. Courtenay's Forbidden Plateau is apparently festooned with downhill-friendly trails. I haven't ridden there yet, and my intel is based on the trail maps and oh-so-handy guide book, but it's on my list. Again, "Most Trails are Advanced." Campbell River's Snowden Forest (which I have ridden, "Most Trails are Advanced") is swoopy, flowy, just-keep-pedaling double- and single-track. Just watch out for the arrows labeled "50 km." I started following them for lack of any other plan, and while I can't attest to the actual distance of the route, I can tell you that it keeps on going, and going, and going... And there's Quadra Island ("Most Trails are Intermediate"), where apparently "the fastest man in the world" and owner/operator of Naked Bicycles can be found leading group rides.

Derelict canoe on the shore of Morte Lake, Quadra Island

I haven't even come close to exploring all the trails in this area, but believe me, I'm gonna try!

Iceline - Celeste Lake - Yoho Valley loop

Just getting caught up on posting some of my adventures from this summer...

In August I spent a few weeks in the Canadian Rockies, and if there's any place in the world that has more spectacular and varied hikes than here, I challenge you to tell me about it.

I started the Iceline hike a bit later in the day than I'd intended. I had planned to hit the trail in the afternoon, with the hopes of catching Takkakaw Falls with the late-day light that's more favorable for photography, but I got delayed by some unexpectedly nice views at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, so it wasn't until after sunset that I returned to the Falls. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The Iceline Trail starts and ends at the Takkakaw Falls. They were spectacular, but I didn't take any pics as I set out on my hike. "Later," I told myself, since my folks had already taken many of those shots. So across to the Whiskey Jack Hostel, and up the trail I went. Steep at first, the trail switchbacked up and up and up... And the view of Takkakaw Falls kept on improving. And suddenly, I was clear of the trees.

Takakkaw Falls from up high

The Iceline trail is justifiably popular and well-traveled, although due to my late start I saw only a few people, all going the other way. (Hmmm... Did they know something I didn't?) The views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys - and yes, the Falls - were magnificent. Unfortunately, as I reached the high point of the trail I looked up to see ominous clouds spilling over the mountain's peak, and I was encouraged to find the quickest way down. The "quickest way" - and I mean quick, as I was chased by the darkening sky and the splatter of fat raindrops on the rocks - essentially meant running down the trail to Lake Celeste, and the subsequent trek along the Yoho Valley back to my car. As luck would have it, the thunderstorm never did more than threaten, and the rain had subsided to a light, steady drizzle once I was off the exposed slopes. Traveling at a more relaxed pace, the Celeste Lake trail was quite pleasant with lush sub-alpine meadows and forests everywhere. At one point near the peak of the Iceline trail I had looked down on a meadow and thought to myself, "I hope the trail goes down there"; and lo and behold, forty-five minutes later I was striding through that very same verdant meadow, crossing merrily babbling brooks, under the stern eye of an unidentified raptor. It was magical, but since I had packed my camera to keep it out of the rain, I've got no pictures to share. Ah well, that's one sight that's for me alone!

Life on the edge

The trail became substantially easier as I descended, and by the time I had reached Laughing Falls and turned on to the Yoho Valley Trail, it was flat, wide - and quite frankly - boring. Ah well, at least the lack of challenge allowed me to make good time on it, which is just as well. Remember the late start that I had alluded to at the beginning of this post? Well, despite the speed I was able to maintain on this final part of the trek, I missed the evening light on Takakkaw Falls, and only caught the last of the sun's rays as they crept up the cliff face.

Sun's last light falling on Takakkaw Falls

I suppose there's always next year; after all, this is a trail that I wouldn't hesitate to hike again.

Pressing "pause" on life's movie

Riding Fool sign

So I've been more-or-less on the road for almost six months now. To me that seems like quite a lot - especially for a self-avowed non-traveler. My pace has definitely slowed considerably since I left Ottawa back in April. I haven't really had a strong urge to move on and explore in the past several weeks; recent forays to Tofino and the Juan de Fuca Strait were done with company, which certainly kept the enthusiasm up. Admittedly some of the lethargy is due to a nagging (but healing!) injury that I received during some ill-advised antics in Golden, BC, but mostly I think I've seen all the scenery I can handle and just need to sit an process everything for a bit, as well as give myself an opportunity to figure out what to do next.

Riding Fool interior

The old Tarbell's Store

So where am I? To date I've spent over a week in Cumberland, BC, a small former coal mining town in Vancouver Island's Comox Valley. It's a cute little town with a very strong sense of history and many heritage buildings lining its main street. There's rivers and creeks and trails and mountains nearby, and the ocean is a short 15-minute drive away. Mountain biking is supposedly epic, and from the trails I've been able to walk it seems that the reputation is well-deserved. I've been staying at The Riding Fool Hostel, which is on the second floor of the old Tarbell's hardware store, the remainder of which now houses a bike shop and cafe. This is a nice hostel, with a fantastic common area, well-laid-out kitchen, and comfortable beds. The folks who run the place are awesome and I can get discounts for weekly stays. What's not to like about this place? :)

I figure I'll kick around here for a while, maybe find a place to live and work and return to "real life". In the meantime, I'll get caught up on some blogging since there's a bunch of hikes I did in the Rockies for which I've got notes and pics, but never got around to posting. Keep your eye on this space!

Perseverance Creek

Powell Forest Canoe Route

I spent four days in September 2011 on a solo paddle of the Powell Forest Canoe Route.

I'll come out and say it right away: It was just ok. I guess I had been expecting more of a wilderness experience, but there was no escaping that the Powell Forest is a working forest, with active logging happening during the weekdays. The construction-zone-like noise and swaths of clearcuts drove me from some otherwise charming campsites. Other than the visible industry, the only other complaint I had about the route itself is that I wish that it had involved some river paddling. I much prefer gliding down a meandering river to paddling an open lake, but that's just my preference.

Other than the mismatch between my expectations and the reality of the area, the Powell Forest Canoe Route was quite pleasant. The lakes were clear and quite warm and would've been perfect for swimming, if only the weather had been more cooperative. There were tons of fish too, and this trip would definitely be of interest to those who are keen on a fishing expedition. (Aside: it took me three days to figure out how to catch a couple of cutthroat trout - I've only really fished in Ontario for walleye, pike, and bass, and have no clue about what makes Western species tick. I did manage to have a decent shore dinner on the 3rd day though.) The portages are straightforward, if occasionally a bit long, and bridges are thoughtfully built over and around wet areas and streams. In fact, the portages would be nice walks unto themselves, if you could ignore or somehow do away with the boats and gear you're lugging as you traverse them. The campsites are typically situated at the portage terminations, and in the case of a couple of the longer ones, at the halfway point. To that end, they're apparently sited more for utility than for view or surroundings, but the one at the southernmost end of Horseshoe Lake is quite nice.

As for my trip, I've already alluded to its most dominant feature: cloud cover and rain. For the weeks leading up to my departure, Powell River and the rest of BC's Sunshine Coast had been awash with sun. And the day I was dropped off at my starting point by the lovely lady who runs Mitchell's Canoe and Kayak Rental promised more of the same. I overnighted at Wilson Lake, and awoke the next morning to heavy cloud cover. Well, at least it didn't rain that day...

View from Wilson Lake campsite

One thing I hadn't really accounted for was that the shortening days left less time for travel than I was accustomed to, and had to adjust to making camp by 5:00 in the afternoon in order to not trip over my tent's guylines or fiddle with my stove in the dark. Just as well, I had allowed myself 4 days to do what would normally be a 3 day trip for me. The extra time came in handy since I started paddling late - at noon - on the last three days, which is about when the rain let up. Even so, I came in under the wire, arriving on the afternoon of the last day at my take-out point at Lois Lake with minutes to spare before my outfitter started charging extra for waiting.

These little pink flowers were all over the shoreline at Lois Lake

Golden, BC: Mountain biking destination!

I've spent the past two days mountain biking in Golden, British Columbia.

I'd heard about the mountain bike trails here in Golden from a guy who was fishing on "my" pond while I was kamping in the Kootenays. He noticed that I had a "cross-country" mountain bike, and suggested I give the Moonraker system of trails a try. (Brief aside: I think it's funny how my bike, a Santa Cruz Blur LT2, is immediately identified as an XC bike out here. In my "home" trails in New Jersey/New York, it's often mistaken for a downhill bike. Just goes to show what the standard is west of the Rockies.) So after leaving Canmore - not a bad place for XC riding itself - I wandered over to Golden with the explicit intention of riding Moonraker. I eventually got to those trails, but in a bit of a roundabout way.

My first ride in Golden turned out to be a full day of downhilling at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. I hadn't actually intended to ride there - I was actually there to see if I could ride the gondola up to take sunset pictures from the mountain top. Well, one thing led to another, and I found myself encased in a full-face helmet, dressed in body armor, waiting in the chairlift line with another guy and our guide/instructor. Oh yeah, the instructor: never having done any lift-accessed riding before, I thought it prudent to have someone along who knew what he was doing, so I tagged along with this guy from Calgary who had signed up for a full day of guided riding at the Resort. Tom, our guide, quickly assessed our skill level, and after our first run on intermediate trails, it was nothing but black diamond runs for the rest of the day. Oh yeah, did I mention I'd never done downhill before? Turns out that a decade of regular riding in locations like Ottawa, New Jersey, and New York, combined with a couple of years of racing early in my career counts for something! I learned a lot in those hours and before too long I was flowing (as opposed to bouncing pinball-like!) down the trails. Alas, something I ate at lunch didn't agree with me, and towards the end of the day my stomach was churning, my concentration was shot, and despite the experience of several clean runs, on my last trip down the mountain I ended up falling more than I had in the past two years of riding. All the padding I was wearing certainly did its job! All I ended up with was a bruised knee.

Day two started with a bonus - an unanticipated shuttle up Mount 7. This guy in the hostel had nothing to do until his afternoon rafting trip, so he offered to drive me to the top of the mountain that had formerly hosted the Psychosis downhill race, also a launch point for para- and hangliders. I put my newly earned downhill skills to good use and railled all the intermediate runs to the bottom of the mountain. Note that I stayed off the black diamond runs this time: as mentioned above, unlike what some East Coast riders may think, my own personal bike is *not* a downhill bike! The bottom half of the mountain was especially fun and flowy, culminating in a sweet half-pipe. And that was just the start of the day...

I *finally* made it to the Moonraker trails - my reason for being in Golden at all - in the afternoon. Long story short: WOW! All kinds of flowy, fun, singletrack goodness threading through pine forest. The CBT Mainline trail, which actually connects the trail system to the town of Golden, is especially not to be missed.

There may be another Golden mountain biking day in my future...

Update Sept 6, 2011:
I did manage to do another day of mountain biking in Golden. I'd headed up the CBT Mainline trail for another XC ride in the Moonraker trails, but at the top of CBT I decided to turn around since my knee had started giving me problems from all the crashing I'd done on my first downhill experience. On my way back to the Dreamcatcher, I rode by this cute downhiller girl I'd spoken to a few times on the trails; she was loading a bunch of bikes into her pickup truck. "Wanna go for a ride?" she asked. "Sure!" I replied. (Really, what else could I say?)  She and her friends took me to a little-used downhill trail that only locals go to. Let's just say that while I'm a pretty good descender for an East Coast XC rider, I got nothin' on real honest-to-goodness Rocky Mountain downhillers.

The aftermath

Will and Kate had tea at Skoki Lodge...

Skoki Lodge. A very lovely lodge that we neither stayed nor ate at.

...But we didn't! At $5 per person for tea (albeit unlimited amounts, but how much tea can one drink anyways?), it seemed a bit steep (pun intended - sorry!). Rice Krispy squares at $5 also was a bit much, so at the end of the day all we sampled at the Skoki Lodge was the atmosphere and filtered water. Ok, I'll fess up: a very nice lady - one of the legitimate lodge guests - donated her share of the squares to our cause so we didn't walk away entirely empty-handed.

A very notable pair of signatures