The Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance (BVMBA) has been hard at work since the first spring like weather that began in mid-March. To fill you in on the happenings and to get you as excited as I am about the season ahead, I’ve asked Doug Topp, BVMBA President and bikepirate guest blogger, to provide the following report on the new trail planned to open this fall.
Spring has finally sprung, where are you riding?! To help answer this question and to get you out on trails that are good to go, instead of ones that you might inadvertently damage by heading out on them too early, read on.
I’ve had a number of bikepirate followers email me asking about the status of the new trail being constructed in Banff. Originally dubbed “Black Star,” partially because it is located above Star Wars, this new singletrack trail is well underway. The BVMBA has been working hard over the last few months to scrub and mold the new technical singletrack that will wind its way down to the start of Return of the Jedi or option out on the Hoodoos trail.
Over 75 people showed up and signed in for the first of the season trail day hosted by Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society. The event was held at Moose Mountain and started at 10:30 am today. Volunteers gathered at Ing’s Mine Parking Lot to take part in building segment 2 of Family Guy, from Toothless to Billy Dog.
The trails of Bowmont Park are dry up high, this includes Sideshow Bob, and are generally in great shape. There are a few muddy sections throughout, but overall the signletrack is drying out quick. I would stay away from the river or the lower part of the park as the trails near the river bank are super muddy with a few snowy and icy patches.
News which warmed my soul on this extremely cold winter day came from Aaron McConnell (President, TransRockies Inc.). Aaron has informed me that the TransRockies Challenge in 2011 – North America’s original epic Mountain bike stage race – raised over $17,000 for local non-profit groups.
To Ride or Not To Ride: This was the question on my mind all morning. I watched as the temperatures in Canmore reached a high of 6 degrees, and wondered if I should take a break from work and head out for a spin.
A few months ago I reported on a new downhill trail, the first of its kind, being built in Banff National Park. Today I’m happy to share with you the progress the Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance (BVMBA) has made on the trail since work began in late June. I spent a few hours volunteering to help the trail builders move along and can’t believe the amount of work that has gone into building this sweet and very burly trail.
Summer is finally here – bring sunscreen, lots of water and don’t forget your bear spray. Nordic Centre trails are dry, hard and fast. Great conditions to take your bike out for a spin up or down your favorite trail. New trail junction signs are out; now it is even harder to get lost!
The rain spells didn’t affect the Nordic Centre trails, which are still hard packed and in good condition. The trail crew brought out more trail filler on Baby Beluga to fix the drainage problem last week. While new trail junction signs were put up last week to help you find your way around the plethora of trails!