Still Summer

It’s sure a far cry from last year when we had snow in the hills and cold temps all around.  They say it ain’t over until the fat lady sings, and at this point she’s still in her dressing room getting ready.

With highs around 24C today, Mike D’Antoni put in an appearance to check out the south Okanagan trails.

I think he found them suitable.

Although he did spend an inordinate amount of time pumping up his rear tire.  He’s been on a bit of a trip around BC, so I think it’s just the mileage catching up with him.  But if you’re going to get a flat, odds are it’s gonna be here.  At least the scenery was nice today.

We also found some trails that I’ve heard about but haven’t gotten around to checking out.  This is an older trail in the Mice called Ferngully.  Not sure why they named it that…

I also introduced Mike to another post-ride tradition in the Okanagan.   It’s not quite pizza and beer, but it’ll do**.

http://instagram.com/p/t84JPdH-cR

**We went for pizza and beer right after this.

Shreddy Finally Gets His Kobau On

Yes, that rasta coloured hippy over there is the one and only Red Shred.  He showed up last night with no plans and few other Cariboo boys looking for an adventure.  The dude abides…

I think they like what they see.

Coco was loving the old school woodsy feel out there.  Turns out the young gun has a taste for the skinny.  What’s old is new.

…and some things never change!

Gustav feels the same way about the skinny.  So long as you gotta give ‘er some flow, it’s all in the playbook.

Since we had the brawn on hand, this side of Kobau got some love today too.  That’s right….  KOBAU IS CLEAR!  BOTH SIDES, TOP TO BOTTOM!

Even with the stop and go pace dictated by trail work, we still had a good run going.  Of course, once we got out into the sage, it was all game on.

The big smile on Capt. Kurt’s face says it all, does it not?

Shreddie will now demonstrate why lots of bright colours work so well in the bike world.

The finale on Cawston Creek is this spine line near the bottom.  This is the first time I’ve seen anyone crash off the steep side.  Way to pop that cherry, Kurt.

Everyone else had a smoother time of it.

Round two was the infamous TKO, which Dave and I cleared a couple of weeks ago.  Since it was clear, we smashed it.  I mean, really hard.  To the point where I didn’t bother taking the camera out.  Well, just the once to get this banger of Shiny dropping in.

The boys were freaking out the whole way.  Coco said he’s never ridden a trail this long where you had to be focussed in the entire time.  Here he is celebrating that fact with this sniper stepdown at very end.

OK, not quite the end.  There’s this little scenic corner to take care of first.

No TKO run is complete without partaking in a tasting at Tinhorn Creek.  I love how the woman on the end is reacting to the presence of greatness.

Yes, Coco greatly appreciates the subtle hints of baked apple and pear in this citrusy Gewurtztraminer.

Kurt would rather slam a beer and wrestle.

No time to waste though, as I had to get home for a family dinner.  We barely had time for a swim.  Still managed one though.  Great to see the Cariboo clan down the the South OK.  Gotta remember to pay them a visit up there again soon.

…and if you’re in the Williams Lake area and looking for sporting goods, remember Red Shred’s has all your bare essentials.

Last Ride of the Summer

Wow…that was quite a ride over the past few months.

To wind down the calendar summer, Jochen and Angela are here.  This is Angela.  She smiles…a lot.  I think she’s having a good time (and who wouldn’t with weather like this).

Jo is also having some fun. I think his recent experiences on the Sunshine Coast must have gotten him into the log rides, because we really don’t have many of them here and he was all over it.

It was a nice, casual day in the Mice.  We rode…

..we jumped…

…and then we retired to Misconduct for a session of wine tasting.

OK, I’m done here for a bit.  I’m pretty close to a hundred rides this year, and I need a bit of a break.  Funny how the summer weather broke almost to the day that the calendar called it, too.

Next up is even more riding. With the cooler weather, it’s time to really hit it hard.