4:20

Proper Four Twenty, That Is….

Posted on by Smoke

No, that’s not a trick. That really is my odometer turning over 420K. I parked the Great White last year just for this occasion.

I had some business in Vancouver this week, so I started the weekend off with Dan, Seb, Wyld Willy, and the Pemby crew. Keep in mind, this was the warmest day of the tour…

Wyld Willy even pussed out because of the cold and didn’t go the distance up to the Cariboo. At least he made it out for the weekend, and had perpetrated some shenanigans down on the Sunshine Coast.

Dan wore his best pajamas in honour of the day. He also declined to go north.

The boys made up for it with this creek gap.

I took these fisheye shots with Willy’s camera. I gotta get one of these. The guy stylin’ below is some dude named Smokey. I think he’s just trying to be like me…..

Yeah, check that light on Dan.

Willy droppin’ in on Jim Jam.

Some more stuff from Dan.

Here’s my camera on that same creek gap.

I also stopped in to see my old pal Kaili. Looks like she beat me and Barb to the wire on the baby derby.

Intersting place they live in too. That kid is gonna have some cool tattoos.

OK, back to the trails.

We rode late into the day, and tied one on in prep for the big weekend.


Wyld Willy photo 2008

FourTwentyFour

Posted on by Smoke

Another sick, bluebird day. Here’s the view from camp.

Mmmmmmmmmmm….Jolly Ranchers.

With it being such a nice day, we decided to tear it up in Farwell some more. Besides, it was over 30C again, so why not pretend it’s summer? Our first run was on the Fingers. It’s a fast run, but it gives a good view of our later destination, Godsmack. Those lines in the background are where we are headed to.

Can’t you just taste the fear?

Mitchell dropped theis line to get us rolling.

Actually, it’s way freakier than the pics do justice. LOTS of exposure, and don one has ridden these lines in a couple of years. This shows it a bit better.

Somehow I managed to keep my feet on the pedals the whole way down, but I had to deal with a ton of speed to do it. Biggest headrush I’ve had on a bike in years.

It’s just so much like skiing. Here’s Kevin getting some face time.

Dan took another line, and it looked just fine.

JJ drops in.

The beauty of these lines is how long they are. The vertical is so deceiving. It just keeps coming at you. Too bad about the half hour hike a bike out under the now 34C sun. I got seriously burnt today (a week later my lips are STILL peeling).

We did a few more rides in town, but nothing can top this day for early season. Anyone want to go up there soon?

Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
July 9th to July 27th.
Click for details….

FourTwentyThree

Posted on by Smoke

Yeeehaaaa!!! Farwell Canyon and some jetboating onthe agenda today. First we hit a couple of classics in Farwell. This shot is a total fluke. I was playing around with the white balance in low light and forgot to reset for the bright sun. Sorta cool….

Steve hanging out…

Dan gets vertical on one of the many chutes in the canyon. It’s way gnarlier than it looks.

Kevin (I think) on the same line. Everyone was spooked enough by this one that there were no takers on it the second time around.

After a couple of runs, we hit the xc for the tour out to the Fraser. It’s about 30 km’s to the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers, which was our destination. We were supposed to start at 2PM, but we hung around waiting for stragglers for another 45 minute, just in case. Remember this, as it became more important later.

After about 20km, wee got out to the canyon. Before we dropped in, a little fortitude was called for. (like it isn’t wild enough out there).

The first part of the descent is pretty mellow, still following an old doubletrack.

That ridge is where we had lunch.

Once you get down a ways, the trail gets a little radder.

It’s more like backcountry skiing than anything else.

Well, except that it was about 30C at this point (remember the -8 from a couple of days ago?).

Unique hazards for Canada in April, especially this far north.

Ahhh, the shuttle vehicle.

We went downstream for a ways, just to burn some more time in case there were any stragglers. It was a wicked ride. Lots of standing waves, some 360’s, full on redneck style. Still, we saw no other riders come in to the beach.

Which was sort of funny, since Johnny Bejoin decided to chase us out and missed the ride. I heard he got back at about 4:30 am…..

Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
July 9th to July 27th.
Click for details….