Get your Google Earth version HERE.



Holy crap it's cold this morning.



Beautiful day though.


Steve Mitchell photo.

As yesterday was overly gnarly in the effort department, we had a mellow start to today. It's funny, but the forecast had today as the ugliest weather of the week. We actually saw the storm pass us by to the south, but it just slid on by and the summer came back with a vengeance.



This next one is Steve's too. Killer shot.



The landscape and vegetation is markedly different this side of the pass, but there's still lots of sidehill rocks to deal with.



Whattya say to THAT?!



Probably the same thing you'd say to this.



Steve and Guinnea take a break.



Once we descended a little further we got into classic Spruce Lake meadows and fields.



Hour after hour of this kind of riding. What a drag...





Those are the heights above our destination, Spruce Lake. My mom tells me she used to go fossil hunting uup there in the 50's. It's pretty cool looking at her old pics of this area. It really hasn't changed.



Today wasn't all smooth sailing. Theresa's B.O.B. finally packed 'er in, so it was sacrificed. We divvied up the bits and carried 'em out.



Shane had a couple of issues too, but he was able to keep moving forward.



Yup, that's broken alright.



Spare parts for next year.



Ha Shreddie...that's what happens when you bring your dog AND your girlfriend. It's one or the other, buddy (Theresa's gonna punch my arm pretty hard next time I see her over that one).



Ho hum, more epic grasslands with alpine vistas.



Once we got near the end, there's these aspen groves and crazy grasses and shrubs that you go cruising through. It's hard to show it in a pic, but it's simply amazing.



Just one little push up, and we're going to be at the lake...



Oh yeah, in the clear now. Shane in the shadow of Mt Sheba.



We ran into Dale, of course. It's too bad he's so busy, becasue I know he'd enjoy this trip. He'd probably do it in 18 hours straight, but he'd be into it.



Steve grabbing some agua at Spruce.





..and for dessert, the birthday boy meets the green fairy.

Again...your Google Earth files are HERE, or if you're Googley challenged, have a gander at this screenshot...



Day 3 looked to be huge. After another night of wind and fitful showers, we packed up and began our climb to Warner Pass. The big bonus? It's ALL singletrack from here to Tyaughton, which is still a few days away.



Mitchell tries riding some Shore with the trailer.



I found it amazing how well the bike climbed pulling the trailer. The weight of it helped push you through stuff that you would normally bog down in. Also, it didn't get really steep until the last couple of pitches, so it was pretty smooth going. Lyall enjoys a rare moment of downhill in the sub-alpine.



The last creek crossing, and someone has wet feet.



These sub-alpine meadows were astonishing, and the trail was fantastic.



So were the views. That's Peter working his way up the climb.



Little tiny people in big ass mountains.



Steve going hard at 7000'.



No, this isn't just scenery. Steve, Chris, and Punky are in there somewhere. Maybe Lyall too. Warner Pass is just at the upper right. We walked over that snowpatch to the summit.



Lyall, Guiness, fresh snow on the peaks, and snow falling from the sky. Welcome to summer in the mountains.



Time to take a rest as we close in on 7000'



Shane catches a snowflake on his tongue.



...then he enjoys a rare downhill moment. At this stage, downhill knd of sucks, 'cause you know you're going to have to make it back right away.



OK, I'm not really that hurting here. Just hamming it up for the camera. I actually felt great here, and helped everyone else as much as I could. I crossed the pass a total of 7 times....



THE TOP!!!



Chris was first up, by a long shot, and Steve was right on his ass.



We had to take a break to enjoy the summit. According to Chris, who's been here several times, we were at 8 100', but the map places the pass at more like 7 800'. Whatever, it's freakin' UP there.

Since we were at the high point of the tour, I figured we should celebrate. I'd managed to carry some limejice, tequila, and triplesec all the way up here, and combined with some fresh snow it made a delicious margarita slushie. Cheers, eh?



Of course, at around 8 000' it also made for a great buzz. Somehow that equated to Mitchell and me developing Hans and Franz accents and a constant stream of oddball pseudo-german comments all the way down.



"Ja...you think you are ze good rider, but I am ze one who is riding good, unlike you little girly boys."



Oh yeah....now look closely and you'll see little tiny riders way off in the background.



One of the smoother parts of the trail. Another great thing about riding with a trail is that it's impossible to endo, which made riding down these massive talus fields possible. Being drunk may have helped....



Shreddie in his element.



The problem trailer of Theresa's was still hanging in there, but we did have to stop a couple of times to repair it.



Mark proved that it's not the size of your wrench, it's how you use it.



Warner Lake, our destination. Still a couple of hours away, and the margs were wearing off.



..but it's all downhill so "Give 'ER!"



Rubberneck break....



Funny how the lake never seems to get any closer, but we keep on truckin'.



OK, so maybe it's impossible to endo, but yours truly proves that it's not impossible to wipe out.



It's still a long way to go.



...and then his wheel fell off. Well, it was pretty old....



Finally, the bottom. You can just make out the entrance to Warner Pass in the background (just under the spiky sort of peak in the upper right).



Sunset at Warner Lake.



Finally, another good meal and some hot toddies around the fire.

Get your Google Earth goodness HERE.

We had a lot of climbing on the agenda today.




Day 2 started off pretty chilly. Fresh snow on the mountains, and a fair breeze with showers overnight. Actually, the forecast was looking sort of sketchy for later in the week, after weeks of hot and sunny weather.



After a hearty feed, we started off along the "trail."



...and soon after into another river crossing. This time we had to get wet feet, but it was a good excuse for a coffee break.



Top of the first climb, and the singletrack is over for a while. Oh well, at least the weather is getting nicer.



The camp at the end of the lake, and a late lunch. Get here ont the first day? Yeah, right.



Oh, uphill. Right. This could take a while...



Maybe I'll just soak up the view for a bit. Hey Shreddie! Ready for a break?



Mitchell, looking ready for the seawall...



Theresa's dad lettin' the mullet style off the leash.



Ahhhhhh, almost to camp.



Mark's dog, Guiness, wasn't too stoked about packing his food, but still wants to play fetch.



We were more into a nature moment.



Oh, and a little more blustery weather triggered another killer meal with a big fire....



..and bear bangers.

OK, so here's the deal. Every year on Red Shred's birthday, he goes for an epic across the Chilcotin Mountains by bike with B.O.B Trailers. Not just an epic, but "THE EPIC" as it is known. This year, the route was to go start at the north end of Taseko Lake and ride across Warner Pass to Spruce Lake, then go across Windy Pass, through Eldorado Basin, and out on Lick Creek.

Here's a map....or if you're into Google Earth, download THIS FILE to check out the first day.



Our first day was to see how far down Taseko Lakes we could get. Our goal was supposedly all the way to the camp at the far end of Upper Taseko, but since no-one we knew had done the trail, I had my doubts.

Here's a map of the first day, and as you can see, we didn't make the end of the lake. Not by a longshot.



After a very long drive out through what looked like Sir Arthur Conan Doyles "Lost World" (or at least the Stoney Creek Reserve), we arrived at Taseko.



It didn't take long to set up the rigs.





...and we're off.



It also didn't take long for us to get into some deep brush. This was the only really gnarly bush we saw on the trip, and it didn't last long....but what an intro.



Theresa's dad also brought his dog, a Pekinese named Punky. Keep that in mind when you look at our trip. He ran most of the way.



Ahh...smoooth sailing again, with Brian and Lyall.



There was seemingly endless singletrack like this. I quickly forgot about my trailer, like Steve forgot about his helmet.



Doh! The first casualty, and we're only a couple of hours in.



While Theresa's trailer was a bit lighter than the others, it was also lower and wider and was hitting every rock even on the smooth sections. I guess we'll see how it goes....



Ther we go, Theresa is back in the saddle just in time to see this wicked view.



A very nice late summer day.



About here we all came to our senses regarding getting to the end of the lake today. The trail suddenly got sort of tech, and we all remembered about the trailers we were pulling.



Shane almost fell off this cliff, but managed to hang on...just.



Some swimming in glacial water, some good food on the beach, some cold beers, and a few bear bangers made a fitting end to a great first day.

Sooner or later, you know I'm going to nedd a break. Well, here it is. I managed to get a bit of a lull in the schedule this summer, so I pinned it back up to Williams Lake to enjoy a bit of summer. Plus, Shreddie had his annual birthday tour lined up for an epic across the Chilcotin. More about that tomorrow.....

First, we had to go wake boarding. Here's Steve Mitchell, who turns up like a bad penny at ALL these events.



Yeah, I ride bikes more than I wakeboard. So what?



No pics of the birthday boy out on his turn. He went Cariboo style (ie - NOOD)...and the pics came out just a little too clearly.

Anyway, one thing led to another, and welll....here's how it started.



A while later, on a different lake, we ran into these guys, who were charging offf this ramp with full on big bikes like V-10's.



It didn't take long for everyone else to step it up.



....bit of a kick there.



Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!



Oooooooooooooo.........



Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooow!



...and the biggest air of the day goes to Mitchell for tis massive buttdrop. He's still going up there, and landed ass first just in the frame.

Graduation time. Leo and Julian have totally destroyed the local scene, so they get a bonus day. Eagle Ridge today. It's worth the busted lung. As an added bonus, we're riding with Wyld Willy and the infamous Noel(you really need to check this link out) of Knolly bikes. Not to mention that Leo got to ride a Knolly for the day.



Of course, that's the very top, and we know that we're done climbing for hte day. No kidding we look happy and hungry.

Before we got to that point, we had to session the snot outta Four Lost Souls.



Willy with his inimitable style. He's one of those really tall guys who has to suck it up to get any air at all.



Noel throws down. That's his new bike, the Delerium. Sort of a lighter all mountain rig, but clearly capable of anything. Even big Noel throwing down big moves.



Leo hangs it out on the wall rides.



Not to be outdone, Julian gets into the act.



Once we got warmed up, it was off to the top of the hill and to Massage Therapy.



Lots of sketchy scary stuff up here. Only a few clinets ever get to see this stuff.



Harley, of course, is completely underwhelmed.



Willy continued to school the pack with his uncanny Hick Huckster skills.



Of course, that just leads to inspiration for evryone else, as Julian sets out to prove here.



Leo drops in at the top.







The biggest log ride in Canada?



Maybe...






We had a truly great day, and topped it off with a great meal at Arms Reach Bistro courtesy of our guests, including an impromptu clinic on how to buy wine.

Once again, a fantastic day of riding, and great company to be with.

On familiar ground again. We tore a strip outta Seymour today.



Multiple runs, not much stopping. Julian looks pretty good on that team Shocker, dontcha think?



And Leo steps it down on Neds.

A bit of an Allied Assault on Rainbow for today. I think we picked a good day for it too.

Our C-I-C, Oscar, managed to take himself outta the fight the day before.



Something about taking it easy and not doing anything hard. Then they go out and try to hammer A River Runs Through It. Ooops. And shoulder blew out crossing the river. Ahhhh, clipless....

No biggie, at least he didn't have to sit through the safety lecture at Blackcomb Helicopters.



Besides, it was such a crap day.



Oh, and the snow was sort of cold....



Yeah, right. Anyway, a big gang of guys from Florida who seem to know each other a little TOO well. I think they must shop at the same stores as well.



Except for this guy. I think it was Pietro? Anyway, hyper Italian guy, one of those smaller guys who kills it at every sport they try. Solid bike handler and fun dude. I like how he looks like he's 500' tall in this shot. Your new nickname is Godzilla.....



Oh.....how juicy is that?



AND you get the moon in these shots too.







....AND the heli.



Ah yes, Canada. Up close and personal. There was a little confusion on the steeps from time to time.



A few of the guys got it together to session this line though.







I thought that we were going to make it down in time to hit another big line off the other side of hte valley, but no dice. The Florida boys were just too beat down from a week in Whistler, and called it a day. Leo, Julian and I went for a little session down at TrainWreck.



...and that was that. Once more around Whistler and home.

Anyone up for the Woodlot? Hardly any shots today....we were too busy riding for that.

Here's Leo dropping in...



Julian doubles up on Smakes and Ladders.



Oooooo.....some Platinum action. This was actually my first time to Platinum. What a trail....I think I have homework to do.



Ahhhhh....holidays.

Hello Julian and Leo. Sorry for being a bit out of it at first. The last six weeks have been somewhat intense. I probably just needed to get out fro a little ride, like this one on Fromme.

The boys were quite the rippers. It was a nice break to just go out and shred some local trails with a tight crew.



As usual with our British cousins, not much adjustment was required to handle the local terrain.



The boys were nailing everything in sight, and seemed reasonably fit in the bargain.



Just like London...



We also got a look at the trail work done on Espresso. Nice work in spots, but BRUTAL flow. Note to vollies.....always stand back fifty to a hundred feet and check the entry line.



Still loads of good times at any rate.



Some Lower Ladies action, and we're done.

Check it out on the Video Page.

Download for iPod

What? Last day already? Awwwww.... I was just getting to know you guys. Well, at least you lucked out and got a CLASSIC shore day. I bit of mist, a bit of fog, and we're on my home turf.

Oooo! And I've got a new prototype from Cove Bikes to test too.



We're calling it the Mingeebollockwanker for now. Lots of pics from CBC to show you today.



Hey, what can I say? It's a go to spot for me.



You KNOW you're going to get good shots here. It's a gimmee.



Pffft .....Al, ya freakin showoff.



He is pretty good though. I think he pretty much ruled the tour....even if he never did find the marmalade.

Today's star was Phil (finally). After struggling all week, he finally hit his stride on Seymour.



I think he was just waiting for everyone to blow up before making his move. I can relate. I use that strategy a lot.



Yo Phil, you're up there now.



Well, Tom was stomping everything in sight too, and he didn't look too tired.



Wa, on the other hand, had completely blown his load on Fromme yesterday. Hey, if this is struggling, you've got no worries....



Yeah, it's a cliche now. Big trees, misty ambience, silhouetted rider...



Oooooo......a change from the usual. Yeah, the ChocoFoot crew rates. We're going for the good stuff today. Welcome to Dale's Trail.



Not everyone gets to ride this.



Of course, Al continued to stomp.

Wa managed to hang out some fairly large lines, even though he felt beat down from 2 weeks of riding.



Oh....my.....god. Al has put his foot down. Turn off the lights, lock it up, take it home....it's all over.



Ahhhh screw it. Lets go for another run. CBC again....(see above for stupidly epic shots. Rinse and repeat). this time we got into Corkscrew.



How many guys can we get on the stunt at once?



Ye Olde Zipper Teeter.



Hey Al...there's some marmalade at the bottom.....



Awwwwwwwwww.....I was just kidding. Look, you're just gonna have to come back.



Boys, I had an excellent week. Come back any time.

What...we gotta pedal? Well, if you want any marmalade you do. Fromme is a no shuttle zone, didn't ya know?



It hardly sems worth it, when you get conditions like this. Just a little bit wet out, enough to make it interesting.



Or, as Wa puts it, "this was the best day's riding I've ever had on the Shore."



I made the boys sesson this first ramp for quite a while. It's funny, but if you can just conquer the first move, it seems like the rest of the day just falls in place. It took a while, but most of the crew stepped up and nailed it.



I think I'll continue to quote:

"The first time you ride the North Shore is like trying smoking. It's nasty, painful, and it's difficult to do and look cool. But you're going to be back for more because you're HOOKED. "



Wee, if you get the first big move, this next one is a piece of cake, and nothing... I mean NOTHING....can ever match the moment of rolling out onto Big Smooth with no idea of the other side, but hitting it anyway.



Yeah, I already know what's down there.



Tom doesn't, and I don't think he even realizes his back tire is off the rock.



Trepid?



Ooooooo....fresh trail work.



..it's still stupid hard to get up first try. We finished way down on the rollercoaster, where we saw this teeny tiny biker riding.



And there you go. A boy and his dog....another day in the life.

Oh no! What happened to our sunshine? Probably the same thing that happend to Ian's knee. It just got tired of behaving. Actually, it was a great day to be out on the Bog, even if Ian had to take a break (I have great sympathy for this. As I write this, I've just returned from getting an MRI on mine).



Anyway, I've never had a bad ride on the Bog. It's unreal how much different terrain there is on this trail.



Oh look!



Awwwww, Al thought he saw a jar of marmalade.



I guess you kind of had to be there, but Al (for those of ou who don't know him) is a bit of a self styled 18th century gentlemen vagabond. Some time ago he discovered that you can get away with pretty much anything if you cover it up with an apologetic manner and a posh accent.

Or, as Stu put it..."He just lathers on the Englilsh so no-one notice's he's fucking them off." Whatever, for a guy who makes remote controlled spyplanes for the British military, he's a damn fine rider.



Oh yes, Phil. "The Shadow." If he knew you were watching, it was a bust. He doesn't know I'm standing here with a camera, so I managed to get a shot. Tricksy I am....



Al.



OK, favourite shot of the tour. Yes, the frame is slightly angled, but it looks like how it feels when you ride it, especially right there.... There's a bit of a double bump as you just get onto the log, so you're sort of falling for the first couple of bike lengths. It's kind of hard to explain, but there's a long moment at the top of this log that feels so committed.



Dom's crash from yesterday seems to be well behind him.



Here's more proof.



Al of course, is so freaking tall that he makes it all look sort of wimpy.



Round two we got into Knuckleduster. I love lap 2, because there's way less stopping.



Of course, we sessioned the snot out of the setdown/stepup combo. I might have some vid of it for you in the near future.



A couple of 3500' laps, and we're done another one.

Happy Birthday, Courteney! Look what I got ya!



Yeah, yeah, nothing to write home about. Back at Powers Creek again. Can't get enough of this zone these days. Even if does feel like I'm riding in circles....



All seemed to be grooving the skinnies today.



Al, of course, continued his search for more Marmalade in fine style.



After all the techy skinnies lately, it was a bit different getting the boys to let her go on the berms, but after a couple of tries it all came together.



This was also the hottest day of the week, and I think a few of the guys were affected by it.



Dom started off by styling lots of the better wood moves (here's proof), but had a bit of a problem down lower with Crazy Train. If you see the big red smear on the upramp, that's just paint from Dom's helmet.



I think he just got suckered by the birthday girl.



Of course, in honour of Tony we had to have a huge session on the JediF*cker. Look...



Not crashing!



We even had Phil taking a serious look at this one.



Yup.... another crap day.



I'll just shut up here while you enjoy the views.








...and some cake and ice cream, and we're outie.

Ahh yes, more deeeeeeeee-luxe accommodations a la Casa De Smokey.



Time for a skinny fest. So we're going to Arawana to ride some pinners.



Right then, par for the course.



Yup, no problems here.



Oh wait, there's a problem. Uhh Dom? The wheel neds to go OVER the hole. You'll get it sooner or later...



OK, back to busting out the airs. Here's a little road gap to sniper tranny.



Slightly out of order here, but this is the Bud Height Gap. LOTS of takers here. One good spill, and I think WA had a baby.



We hit the beach for lunch, a swim, and a shuttle retrieval



Post feeding frenzy we took a mellow afternoon run down the V-Line. A bunch of forest fire smoke drifted in, giving us this cool lighting.

Since we didn't really get into Kamloops until late, I give you this shot of the campfire at Harper. Sweet accommodations again, right n the middle of hte trail. In fact, our breakfast was interrupted by several riders cruising through our kitchen.



It was going to be a hot and dusty one, as evidenced by the clouds of it on the warm up descent.



Nothing like Harper to get your jumping legs back.



Here's Wa all mystical and backlit, like the woodsy little nymph that he is.



Canopy gap....



Obviously a shit day.....



Everyone loves this one, especially since Specialized made it famous. We so very nearly had a full house on it, but Phil just couldn't get his head around it (so close ... so very, very close). I guess he'll just have to come back for more....



It's just like being flushed down the toilet, what could be easier?



Al continued politely destroy every move in sight.



That is, when Tom hadn't already killed it first.



Two and a half laps of Harper, we went into town for some seriously gay lattes ("Would sir like it with a lemon twist?"). I guess you had to be there. Anyway, we still had plenty of daylight left for a couple of Rose Hill runs. Once again, it was shit.



I guess because it's so similar to England no one had any real problems with Rose.



Well, there was a little lock up on this part, but it was in part due to some sick locals hitting this HUGE stepup from ROAM that had the intimidation factor up a little. I don't have any stills of that one, but I'll get some vid of it up in a while.



Phil, you'd better stay back there and keep an eye on the girl.



Yeah, yeah, we get it. Bluebird and warm.



Huge day, I hope those guys get tired soon......

Did someone say "Marmalade?"



I'm telling you again, I just can't make these people up. Another gang of Brits. These fellows come to us via a strange and wondrous place known as ChocolateFoot. Go hang out on their forum. I bet someone tries to sell yo a bag o badger dung within five minutes. Seriously.

Anywhoo, I have a feeling that none of them invisioned these f star accomodations when they signed on.



As previously mentioned, we overlapped with the last day of the Jedi Tour in the Woodlot. Pretty cool, but lots of Englishmen in one place eh? At least we had Barb and Courtenay along to keep the egos firmly disciplined.



Meeeow. The Jedi crew got Wa into riding in the first place, so it was pretty cool having them all out at the same time.