FourTwentyThree

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….

Damn Hicks….

Won’t they ever leave me alone?

Oh looky what the cat dragged in. ‘Ole Wyld Willy is in town, huckstering his latest venture, Spectrum Techwear.

I’m still getting my bikes ready (still waiting for parts), but I managed to get out for one ride with the crew. Dan gets a little air in the early season here.

Willy, “Gettin ‘er done” on his new Transition.

Ian from Idaho was back with Willy for the tour too. Or as we like to call him in Canadian, “Eric”.

I know, that makes no sense at all. You kind of had to be there.

Here’s Brad hanging on to a savage drop.

Dan decided to one footer it. Yeah…he meant to do that.

Funny lookin….

Natural wall rides.

Some exposure.

Some more exposure. Ian drops in.

Chaz on the steeps. Cool over exposure on that one.

Big spoon or little spoon?

ONLY 2 SEATS LEFT!!!
Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
July 9th to July 27th.
Click for details….

First Tour of the Season

Meet Sara, the first victim…uhhhh, I mean client, of the season.

She’s your atypical English scientist type, out on a field trip to investigate solar power. Leave it to the Solar industry to have a conference in Vancouver. The sunshine capital of … oh never mind.

At any rate, Sara is in a LOT of trouble. Kneepads, bridges, freeride hardtail in pink camo…..

Yup, looks suspiciously like a freeride kind of day to me.

At least she has the decency to clip her feet into her pedals. Anyway, a great start to the season. We went for the pedally version of Shore riding today; up Seymour and around the far side and back. I’m a bit hurting after lying around ski hills and drinking beer all winter. All in all, a full on blast of a ride.

Blurry over-the-shoulder shot on the climb.

More proof….

Yeah….trouble. My apologies to the boys in the bike shop in London, but I think she may be corrupted.

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