wildlife

Shock Monkey SSC – Day 3

Posted on by Smoke

Even wetter today.  Yes really.  We’re doing another up and over and staying off anything even remotely steep.  Jeff has taken to referring to “Black Tower” as “Black Shower” it so wet out.

Sidewinder is a good call for days like this though. 

Yep, that’s some water coming down the hill.

After living in the brown all winter, this much green is nice.  I have a feeling when I get back to the Okanagan it’s going to look more like Ireland than Nevada though.  These storms are coming from the east, so it must be wet up there too.

The Aussies don’t know the difference anyway, and it’s pretty awesome riding right now.

Nothing like trying to ride stunts in the dark rain.

Jay learning to wall ride.

Jen took fewer tries…

…and as usual upstaged him.

Local fauna (a Pacific Garter Snake). 

Oops, left my door open all day.  Luckily none of the thousands of passers by nicked anything.

The quiver, or as we like to say, “Nice Rack!”

May Long – Day 3

Posted on by Smoke

The Vancouver guys all went home and look what happens…the sun comes out!

Just went for a little rip on Smith Creek with Jonny, Brant, and Jasmine today. I haven’t seen the upgrades this year, so it was cool to check out what’s been done.  Pretty rad set of teeters here.

Just a pleasant day for a climb.  That new Altitude I got sure goes uphill well.

Lots of other folks out today taking advantage of the nice weather.

Before you freak out, she has a helmet, but it’s a full face and without a pack she got Jonny to carry it for her.  The climb is pretty relentless, so it’s fine to take it off on this one.

All that rain sure greened the place up.

Brant borrowed a bike that was a bit much for the full climb.  That’s OK, buddy.  None of us are getting any younger.

Jonny sold his bike last night at midnight, and bought this one at 10 am today.  Nice timing.

And Jasmine survived her first Smith Creek climb.

After the full pull climb, it’s a fast descent.  On the way out, I saw this guy on the road.  Sorta blew it getting the camera out (wrong setting altogether) but I managed to get a pic and a half of this young coyote.

 

Now to get the DH bike built.  Hopefully the parts will show up finally…a month late, but finally.

St. Georges KVR – Day 4

Posted on by Smoke

Good morning!  Sleep well?

Some guys just don’t get the hint.  We’ll see if anyone figures out what will happen tomorrow.

Day 4, the best day of the trip in a lot of ways.  Great weather for starters, and a fun section for riding.

It’s also a lot more interesting for things to look at.

Since we were supposed to be going all the way to Otter Lake today, we are going through the canyon a little faster than usual.

We still were going slow enough for Cruickshanks to fetch his litter.

At least he didn’t cry like his brother did.

The light at the beginning of the tunnel…

There’s still one more day to go, so it’s not the “end of the tunnel” yet.

The trail is in much better shape this year.  Last year it looked like this section was going to fall into the river.  Which would have gotten rid of some of the boys neatly.  This year it’s just this one section of sand.

Cruickshanks still managed to find a harder way to do it.

Feeling OK there, big fellah?

Halfway, time to cool off.

Yeah, that’s the way.

Is it warm?

Yeah, a warm river in Canada in early May.  Riiiiiight.

Today’s wildlife is the Western Toad.  This one has yellow toes, how chic.

OK, enough goofing off, time to get back on the bikes.

Besides, we’re making you race today.

It’s a tradition now.  We run them in a relay around the track…

…and see how many of them can crash into each other at the hand off.

Ok, so here’s where the day got sideways.  We were supposed to camp at the Otter Lake campground. Every year it seems like there’s a problem with that place.  Honestly, I wonder why BC Parks even pretends anymore.  They’re useless.  At least this year it said that it was open on the website and on the signs. Usually it’s closed and we have to jump the gate.  This year we get there and there’s a logging crew dropping trees everywhere.  The park has been closed for 5 months, and they decide to LOG IT during the first week it’s open.  Brilliant move.

Oh well, this way we got to camp at Granite City, and hang out with our old pal Cody.

Nice moves, Cody, but I think she’s just being nice to you so she can ride your bike.

And now for an odd episode.  Did you know that there’s such a thing as Bananaphobia?

Yeah, neither did I.  Anyway, this guy has it and in his haste to get away from the yellow peril he tripped over the guy wire you can see in the lower right of the next pic.  Poor guy didn’t even get his hands out.  Even worse, he’s on the rugby team at school and they all know about it too. 

Well, it’s the last night of the trip, so the guides are having a party.  Anyone else feel like playing the bongos?