Kicking Horse Bike Park - Trail Crew Update #6 - 2012

The straight goods on Kicking Horse Bike Park, straight from the trail crew's fingertips.

By the time you read this, the park will have closed for the season. Those aren't rain drops (finally). They are tears. But mostly they are happy tears for the amazing summer season that was Kicking Horse 2012.

The focus at the end of the season was entirely on Superberm. It is the target of our current Blue Campaign. As the Green Campaign is almost finished, we want to try make Superberm as truly a blue run as possible. Have you ever tried to build a blue run? It ain't easy. It has to be progressive so moderate riders can get better, but easy enough so beginner riders can have a crack at improving too. Then you have to consider the black riders who will be tearing it up and aren't shy to tell you what sucks. So, while it is a blue trail, we have to build it for green, blue and black riders. I don't even know what that colour all mixed up would be, but I hope it's pretty.

So the first order of business was to reroute the entrance. Yes, I know some black riders will be upset because the old one was fast. But therein lies the problem: the berms weren't being used, instead the insides were getting railed and brake-bumped. And why have a run called Superberm if A, there aren't any berms; and B, they aren't super?

Creating an entrance off the 10 Road onto the new reroute. Another section of trail above this will be built in the future. That will allow for the momentum required to get up to speed for this section.


Have you ever seen so many rocks? Matt looks weary from carrying out his sisyphean task.

Guess where these rocks came from.

The mini-ex misses the odd one. But luckily Piston and Bully managed. Brian Morgan (Bully), wearing the civvies, has had the pleasant habit over the years of routinely showing up just when we needed another couple of hands. In this case, I needed someone to help Matt sweat this beast out while I framed the shot.

One of the boulders Hobo had to move with the mini-ex.

It will be interesting to watch what happens above this berm over the coming years. Matt is pretty squinty-eyed about it.

Tweaking the features to make them bluer. Still have some work to do on this one. We know the old table here will be missed. It really was great. But the blind landing was always a concern, as in: how big will the bomb holes be this time, and will they cause me to smash my face into that tree? And don't get me going on sustainability. ...Too late! Ok, I'll keep it short: the landing was unsustainable. Good riddance.

Brady Starr testing the new step down. Fun! But needs bluing.

Work on Superberm and other trails will continue into September until the tools are pried from our filthy, calloused hands and we are told to go home. We'll report on that progress when it comes. Here's a hint though: we'll wrap up the Green Campaign, put a new alpine trail in so we can get off the 10Rd sooner next season, and we'll see if we can tame Swamp Donkey.

Until then, ride on while you can!

Crowe

I followed a very slow rider on sweep. I had lots of time to find berry stashes. This isn't the best stash, it's just really pretty. But if you look closely there are raspberries and huckleberries.

Smoky skies.