Three Mountains, One Mission - The Longest Day

Dec 20, 2016 at 13:57
by Rocky Mountain  
The Longest Day

Today marks the shortest day of the year, December 21st. The Winter Solstice. It's the perfect day to reflect back to when temperatures were warmer, rides required less layering, and daylight lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Six months ago on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, we set out with the silly idea to ride 100 kilometers in a day on the North Shore.

Here in North Vancouver we are incredibly lucky to have three mountains flush with diverse trails that are all within spitting distance of each other. We hadn’t planned on doing a classic North Shore “Triple Crown” (riding up and down all three mountains in a day) but we knew that that was our best option to collect the kilometers we needed. With a route created to snag all the steeps and deeps, all hands were in and alarms were set.

The Longest Day

Our start time was 5:00 AM at Panorama Park located in Deep Cove. Eight sleepy souls with eyes at half-mast feverishly stuffed food, layers, and tools into their packs along with copious amounts of coffee into their bodies. With our tires ceremoniously dunked into the calm waters of the Cove we began our mission.

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

You never know what you’re going to come across in the forest. Old rusted out pots, glass mason jars, beer bottles, broken china plates, all pointing to a very different era in these woods.

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

With Seymour done and dusted there were two mountains that lay ahead of us. The signs of how tough riding on the Shore can be began to show with our Garmins only reading 35 KMs after one and a half mountains.

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

After navigating our way across a steep, sandy slope where a landslide had occurred a couple of years prior we figured we should probably stop again. While we definitely weren’t hungry, we knew that if we didn’t keep feeding the fire it would burnout without hesitation.

The Longest Day

bigquotesI needed that Vaseline earlier. I wish I knew Dre was packing it around before we did all of that climbing. - Kevin Calhoun

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

With the light fading, dirt and rock transitioned to gravel and pavement, we were at the homestretch. Pedaling through the streets of Horseshoe Bay we arrived at the parking lot where cold beers and salty potato chips awaited us.

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

bigquotesOnce everyone is tired and things are starting to get weird, that's when you find the character within, and you truly know the grit of your friends. - Andreas Hestler

The Longest Day

bigquotesEveryone in this group impressed the hell out of me. Eight of us tearing up the climbs and fully pinned back down! Bunch of legends! - Jesse Melamed

The Longest Day

With the sun dipping below the horizon we submerged our tires into the waters of Horseshoe Bay and the journey was marked complete. The numbers were in: 3706 metres of climbing, 3712 metres of descending, 15 hours and 42 minutes in the saddle, and 87.1 kilometres travelled. We all decided that even though we had come up short on the distance that we set out to do, it was one hell of a hard ride that included some of the best trails on the Shore. We did it all in one day, and as a group without any losses.

A special shoutout goes to Margus Riga who made this entire journey with a massive camera bag strapped to his back all while hitting rad lines and leading the climbs with flats to boot!

Photos by Margus Riga
Words by Scott Pilecki

Mountains that were ridden:

Mount Seymour mountain biking trails

Mount Fromme mountain biking trails

Cypress Mountain biking trails


MENTIONS: @RockyMountainBicycles / @Margus



Author Info:
RockyMountainBicycles avatar

Member since Jan 14, 2011
142 articles

61 Comments
  • 27 0
 Props again to Margus and all of the great photo journalists who make these photo epics possible.
  • 8 0
 For sure. It's ridiculous how strong Margus is with all his gear on his back.
  • 6 8
 @RockyMountainBicycles: And Margus shreds
  • 1 0
 Wow! Great works by Margus. Epic Journey, and very nice article.
  • 1 0
 @Woodro: why would six cocksuckers down vote this comment?
  • 24 1
 3700 meters vertical is mighty impressive! Trip looks as awesome as it looks exhausting
  • 14 1
 Not a trip though. Just a rip through the three mountains in the back yard.
  • 10 0
 Thank you for starting my morning off with this stoke. I have bookmarked this post and expect to see the route on Trailforks and embedded on this page so I can plan an epic trip to BC. Thank you that is all.
  • 6 0
 I live at the bottom of the middle mountain (Fromme) and would like to see the route taken so I can plan a 3 day ride to do it.
  • 9 0
 Awesome, Thanks. I asked for you to embed a map and you embedded a map. Let's see if this works: Send me a Slayer for Christmas. Thanks you that is all!
  • 1 0
 @todd: How do you access the embedded route? All I can seem to see is the trailforks standard trail map and routes. I don't see a connected 84km route as taken.
  • 2 0
 @Dan686: Doesn't look like they embedded the route. If you look at other comments, I there are some clues as to why that probably is.
  • 11 0
 Man, I really need to work on my fitness. I wouldn't come close to finishing a one day trip like that.
  • 2 0
 Me too. And, me neither.
  • 9 1
 I've done this, except shuttling Seymour and Cypress, and stopping at the pub inbetween, much better way to do it, was still knackered at the end of the day mind!
  • 2 0
 Me too Smile
  • 1 0
 @wee-eck: good ol' days eh!
  • 1 0
 @app-uncture: indeed they were, indeed they were
  • 5 0
 Awesome ride! The 87 km is amazing considering there was no road ride linking the start and finish. I did 115km on my big triple crown but I rode from home to deep cove and home from Horseshoe Bay. Your ride has way higher mountain bike value. Sick!
  • 1 0
 The Full Meal Deal route. I was just sharing our 2007 ride with someone. Still can't fathom you did that on the full DH bike. Beastmode.
  • 1 0
 @shirk-007: transition Gran Mal was more of a big FR than a true DH bike. But remember my cramps up Cypress? I thought I was going to die! The Shuttlewhores Gatorade at P5 literally saved my life. Good times!
  • 3 0
 Does Wade's bike come with a onesie? I want his bike then maybe I could ride like him. These guys are beasts of endurance. Try riding up Seymour and Grouse in a day, is a mission alone. From Deep Cove just to the top of grouse is a slog and then they ride up Seymour and Cypress too??? Well done RM folks. You guys rock
  • 6 1
 I did not read a single word. the pictures are enough to make me want to go and try it
  • 7 0
 Well, there were only about 5 words, so you didn't miss much.
  • 1 0
 Third to last pic says it all. hahaha!
  • 6 0
 We have a casual competition on our hands.... Nice work boys
  • 1 0
 Hell yeah Reuben! Maybe we can join up next year.
  • 1 0
 @RockyMountainBicycles: I rode with OneUp this year. We did a shitton of road, but linked pemby-phd-bikepark-squamish hah!
I have an idea for this summer... But I don't think you'll like it Wink
  • 2 0
 @ReubenKrabbe: Sounds terrible already, we're in.
  • 1 0
 @ReubenKrabbe: I think we could collab on some terribly painful ideas.
  • 2 0
 Kudos to the crew for the full pull. I've done a few triples from my house in lower Lynn Valley but I edit the trip a bit. Ride the road east up to TNT on Seymour, up Fromme to executioner, across the BP's to Millstream trail and up to Jersey shore for the straight line back down to 21st street then home along the spirit trail. Still a respectful 85k's.
  • 1 0
 Man, I feel guilty having lived in Seattle forever and never having ridden the shore, I always drove past and went to Whistler, which was pretty awesome also. Also one of our buddies isn't allowed in Canada anymore so that makes it more difficult.
  • 3 0
 What mountains were ridden, and trails? I want to do that ride next summer!!
  • 4 0
 CBC, Expresso/Bobsled and BLT on Seymour, Fromme and Cypress. The best trails ever
  • 1 0
 @KruaThaiEnduro: Thanks!! I have ridden all of those places, but certainly missing some of the trails on there, especially the ones with the drops on Seymour.. Cypress is the goods, one of my favorites..
  • 2 0
 @billybobzia: Yeah, no, those weren't the trails ridden.
  • 1 0
 @kwl1: yeah...I've been riding Seymour kind of a lot but I have no idea of what trail is shown in the pictures! What trail is that???
  • 4 0
 Awesome! Route map please?
  • 1 0
 @RockyMountainBicycles What's the route from Fromme to Cypress? I'm hoping to get a version of this ride in the spring, any info would be appreciated.
  • 1 0
 Pretty much did the exact same ride in early July except without going all the way up to the lodge on Grouse Mountain. It's definitely a ride I'll always remember.
  • 2 0
 YVR lifestyle, you just can't beat it...
  • 1 0
 Luvely pics of maps with trails. Most of the trails in the pics are not on those maps Wink
  • 1 0
 I don't give a shit if they didn't get all 100k's. They fricken climbed vertical 15,000 feet!
  • 1 0
 Not to take anything away from what they accomplished, but they had 3706 Meters of elevation gain which equals 12,158+ Feet. Unless I am missing something...
  • 1 0
 And, nice job everyone. Super-impressive ride and pictures!
  • 1 0
 Wicked crew! These dudes are animals!
  • 1 0
 Great stuff, keep it coming PB!
  • 1 0
 @jawa this could be ace man. Thoughts??
  • 1 0
 killin it Scott!
  • 2 0
 photo's can make things look that way. Lots of stage make up, and they had to shuttle me to keep up with the rest of the guys. haha It's was a doozy, but great riding.
  • 1 0
 @onestuntwonder: You rode a Pipeline?

I will email you.
  • 1 0
 spoiled kids
  • 3 6
 Awesome write up! Funny though, I thought the trails on the dark side were all illegal? Weird it would be used for content almost encouraging people to go ride there.....?
  • 3 0
 Anyone that recognizes those trails from the pics are already riding those trails anyway. Nobody is going to see those pics and be able to figure out where said trails are based solely on the look of a fern or shade of a tree. In fact I doubt anyone even knew about the darkside until you just mentioned it...not that the darkside exists or anything.
  • 3 2
 actually no DS trails but they did ride on unsanctioned trails which probably is not that cool or surprising from RMB
  • 2 1
 @Tmackstab: my comment was directed at Scott based a conversion he and I had a few weeks ago about this exact issue! I lived in the cove for 4 years and only rode those trails!
  • 1 0
 @Tmackstab: on top of that just ask your buddy Demo Dave he'll tell you I am just a sarcastic ass like that! happy trails!
  • 16 1
 Gentlemen, no trail names were given, no directions. A Triple crown would not be possible without treading lightly off the map. The only reason attention is brought to any trail that isn't sanctioned is because riders such as yourselves ride those trails, recognize them, and then discuss them in the public sphere. The first rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club.
  • 1 0
 @kperras @bakewhore let's all hug it out! Hugs for everyone!!!

Ps Demos new name is Nitro (dont ask)
  • 1 2
 Do some work you homos.







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