Kicking Horse Bike Park - Trail Crew Update #1

Posted: Jun 5, 2009

The straight goods on Kicking Horse Bike Park, straight from the trail crew's fingertips.

June in Golden, BC means many things. But most importantly, it means that Kicking Horse Bike Park is opening for the season (June 12). In anticipation of this earth-shattering event, the trail crew has been shattering the earth, crushing boulders and splintering logs into ribbons of dirt upon which to plant a few thousand tire tracks.

The theme this season is Improvement. True, that has been the theme for the last couple years, but Improvement is probably one of those things we should all strive for all our lives. So we are making some ice cream up here. With almost 4'000' (1220m) of vertical – the most in Canada - there is a lot of ice cream to make.


Within 10 minutes on my first day back to work, Ryan and I wrestled this beast from Superberm's embrace. Now it sits as a silent testimony to what was. And makes a neato glove holder.


This Improvement is being realized with rakes; shovels; pulaskis; chainsaws; hammers; nails; multiple lifts of dimensional, rough cut fir; an excavator; a loader; a bobcat; and buckets of blood, sweat and (because Woodchuck is on sabbatical) tears. And people. We have a couple new faces in the summer program, but interestingly, everyone on patrol and trail crew has worked at KHMR before – all but one as a ski patroller. So everyone knows this mountain well and is very prepared to provide TLC to those who forget to stay on their bike.


We are super stoked on the success of the drainage campaign so far. We have never before seen the trails so dry in May. We will be continuing to identify and rectify leaky ground. Also, we are going to be redirecting or reshaping problem areas. By “problem areas” I mean spots that interrupt flow.
As we all know,
flow
makes us go
fast, not slow.

For me, the most exciting thing this year is the official launch of Stickrock. We got her opened at the very end of last season and I only got in two rides myself. A couple more tweaks are required, but she looks like some tasty ice cream…on a dry day.


Lots going on up here this summer in terms of events. There is a downhill race, an endurance race, and some extended play nights. Go to www.kickinghorseresort.com for more details. And don't forget to get your Early Bird season's pass. Nowhere else will you get more buck for your buck (get it? it's a horse reference). Regular prices go into effect on June 14. From June 12, KHBP is open Fri-Sun, then on June 26 we go 7 days a week.

If you are still reading this, stop. Turn off your computer. Go riding.

Ride on.

Crowe

www.kickinghorseresort.com