Quesnel, BC - DH riding
Source: Brett Hornfelt
Home Sweet Home part 2 - The DH Story
Well now that you have seen some of our local XC trails here in Quesnel BC, it is time to get into the nitty gritty of the trails around here. The local DH trails are amazing. The ones that are shown in this article are definitely a couple of my favorite trails. If you like to be challenged to go fast in some tight, technical and extremely rough terrain than these trails are for you. If you like big rock lines than once again this is place for you.(in case you missed it, Link to Part 1)
The first trail is a new one for this year, it has only been open for a couple of months. The first time we rode this trail I was blown away. Having been riding on Dragon Mountain since I got into DH in 2000, this trail was not what I was expecting. It is one of the roughest trails that I have ridden. This to me is a good thing. It actually reminds me of riding the Mont St. Anne DH course. This will be a good trail for training for the 2010 season. You start at the top of Dragon Mountain right beside the towers, and it gets technical right off the start line.
The top part is my new favorite trail section, it is awesome with the rock lines and ladder bridge connections. Once a person figures out the trail, the speed and flow of it, it is such an amazing section to ride. A couple of the rock lines make you look a few times before you're willing to drop in, but once you do it you will be stoked and wanting more. And more this trail has! Being a new trail on the side of a very rocky mountain, the trail is still quite hard to make out in some spots. It is very tricky with the rocks and rough stuff being covered over still by the moss and undergrowth that hasn't been taken off yet. This is truly a virgin trail, which makes it even more fun and amazing to ride.
No matter what level of rider you are, this trail will be a challenge. Actually no matter how many times you have ridden this trail, you will be challenged on each lap. This is a super fun trail which starts just off the main access road and finishes on the same access road just below another trail to take you further down the mountain. The trail takes a person about five minutes at race pace. Worth the shuttle for sure. The trail builders have decided to name this trail Rockasaurous Rex which is a name well deserved, once you have ridden it you will agree with the name.
Now it is time to talk about my favorite trail of all time. Every time we ride this trail you can't get the smile off of our faces. This is the trail that we call the DH trail. This is the trail that got me hooked on the DH side of mountain biking. There used to be local downhill races held on this trail, so it is very well ridden. It is a trail that we have ridden hundreds of times for sure. It starts just a bit lower on the left hand side of the same access road as Rockasaurous Rex. This trail was originally built by a local pro DH racer Rob Hewitt. He designed this trail for training for World Cups. I think he did an amazing job, combining crazy technical sections with pedal sections and all out fun sections. Every time a person rides this one, you just want to get right back up to the top and pin it again. It is one of those trails where the faster you go the smoother it gets. It really does make you ride it faster and faster every time. No matter what you will be stoked to ride this one.
The DH trail is broken up into three sections, each one coming out on the main access road. The top section is amazing, starting off with a quick pedal into an awesome rock line to rock face drop in. Side hilling over the terrain to a rock chute to drop line, to a left hand rock drop, into a double drop line. Man I am even getting stoked writing about the trail. Coming out on the road you have a quick pedal to the middle section which is open and loamy surprisingly, with a couple of tight corners. Once again coming out on the road, dropping back in to the final section you open it up and let the brakes go into a super fun flowy section. Only to finish off on the road again, just above where Rockasaurous Rex finishes and above the next trail on the mountain. This DH course is truly an amazing big bike course, challenging you every time you ride it.
The next trail that was mentioned is called Seven Dwarfs. It is the trail below both of the previous trails. It has some awesome steep log rides to start with, into a super fast and flowy trail that brings you to the road again were you cross it and jump right back into another section. This section has a good 10 foot drop in it and a couple cool little log rides. Now you cross the road again. This section is the final section that brings you to the bottom of the mountain. It is tight and fast, and has a couple exit points. One exit point will bring you into a gravel pit with a nice step down to double jump. Or the other way will take you to an awesome 15' by 15' road gap to a wood table top, then taking you out to the same gravel pit. This section finishes off an amazing ride. It really is worth the shuttle.
When a person goes all out from top to bottom of the mountain, it is challenge to say the least. It takes about 25 minutes at race pace, and it is a difficult mountain to ride non stop from top to bottom for sure.
Hopefully after reading this you are just as stoked to ride these trails as we locals are. If you need any info on these or other trails give Mick at Keen's Sports or John at Cycle Logic a call and they will be more than willing to help you out.
Now it's time for me to say my thanks. Thanks to Kim for all the hard photo work. Thanks to our team sponsors. The Bryson Racing Clan has been hard at it all season and gearing up for the 2010 season. So keep an eye open for us at the races. Thanks to the Hayes bicycle group, Specialized, Chromag, Gamut, Kali Protectives and Blackfoot Direct along with Fox Canada for helping us with our team kits. This has been an amazing season thus far. And next season is promising to be a bigger, better one yet. I can't wait.
Until next time, keep fit and have fun.
Brett
View all Brett's DH pics here.
Home Sweet Home part 2 - The DH Story
Well now that you have seen some of our local XC trails here in Quesnel BC, it is time to get into the nitty gritty of the trails around here. The local DH trails are amazing. The ones that are shown in this article are definitely a couple of my favorite trails. If you like to be challenged to go fast in some tight, technical and extremely rough terrain than these trails are for you. If you like big rock lines than once again this is place for you.(in case you missed it, Link to Part 1)
The first trail is a new one for this year, it has only been open for a couple of months. The first time we rode this trail I was blown away. Having been riding on Dragon Mountain since I got into DH in 2000, this trail was not what I was expecting. It is one of the roughest trails that I have ridden. This to me is a good thing. It actually reminds me of riding the Mont St. Anne DH course. This will be a good trail for training for the 2010 season. You start at the top of Dragon Mountain right beside the towers, and it gets technical right off the start line.
The top part is my new favorite trail section, it is awesome with the rock lines and ladder bridge connections. Once a person figures out the trail, the speed and flow of it, it is such an amazing section to ride. A couple of the rock lines make you look a few times before you're willing to drop in, but once you do it you will be stoked and wanting more. And more this trail has! Being a new trail on the side of a very rocky mountain, the trail is still quite hard to make out in some spots. It is very tricky with the rocks and rough stuff being covered over still by the moss and undergrowth that hasn't been taken off yet. This is truly a virgin trail, which makes it even more fun and amazing to ride.
No matter what level of rider you are, this trail will be a challenge. Actually no matter how many times you have ridden this trail, you will be challenged on each lap. This is a super fun trail which starts just off the main access road and finishes on the same access road just below another trail to take you further down the mountain. The trail takes a person about five minutes at race pace. Worth the shuttle for sure. The trail builders have decided to name this trail Rockasaurous Rex which is a name well deserved, once you have ridden it you will agree with the name.
Now it is time to talk about my favorite trail of all time. Every time we ride this trail you can't get the smile off of our faces. This is the trail that we call the DH trail. This is the trail that got me hooked on the DH side of mountain biking. There used to be local downhill races held on this trail, so it is very well ridden. It is a trail that we have ridden hundreds of times for sure. It starts just a bit lower on the left hand side of the same access road as Rockasaurous Rex. This trail was originally built by a local pro DH racer Rob Hewitt. He designed this trail for training for World Cups. I think he did an amazing job, combining crazy technical sections with pedal sections and all out fun sections. Every time a person rides this one, you just want to get right back up to the top and pin it again. It is one of those trails where the faster you go the smoother it gets. It really does make you ride it faster and faster every time. No matter what you will be stoked to ride this one.
Eying up the chute
The DH trail is broken up into three sections, each one coming out on the main access road. The top section is amazing, starting off with a quick pedal into an awesome rock line to rock face drop in. Side hilling over the terrain to a rock chute to drop line, to a left hand rock drop, into a double drop line. Man I am even getting stoked writing about the trail. Coming out on the road you have a quick pedal to the middle section which is open and loamy surprisingly, with a couple of tight corners. Once again coming out on the road, dropping back in to the final section you open it up and let the brakes go into a super fun flowy section. Only to finish off on the road again, just above where Rockasaurous Rex finishes and above the next trail on the mountain. This DH course is truly an amazing big bike course, challenging you every time you ride it.
The next trail that was mentioned is called Seven Dwarfs. It is the trail below both of the previous trails. It has some awesome steep log rides to start with, into a super fast and flowy trail that brings you to the road again were you cross it and jump right back into another section. This section has a good 10 foot drop in it and a couple cool little log rides. Now you cross the road again. This section is the final section that brings you to the bottom of the mountain. It is tight and fast, and has a couple exit points. One exit point will bring you into a gravel pit with a nice step down to double jump. Or the other way will take you to an awesome 15' by 15' road gap to a wood table top, then taking you out to the same gravel pit. This section finishes off an amazing ride. It really is worth the shuttle.
When a person goes all out from top to bottom of the mountain, it is challenge to say the least. It takes about 25 minutes at race pace, and it is a difficult mountain to ride non stop from top to bottom for sure.
Hopefully after reading this you are just as stoked to ride these trails as we locals are. If you need any info on these or other trails give Mick at Keen's Sports or John at Cycle Logic a call and they will be more than willing to help you out.
Now it's time for me to say my thanks. Thanks to Kim for all the hard photo work. Thanks to our team sponsors. The Bryson Racing Clan has been hard at it all season and gearing up for the 2010 season. So keep an eye open for us at the races. Thanks to the Hayes bicycle group, Specialized, Chromag, Gamut, Kali Protectives and Blackfoot Direct along with Fox Canada for helping us with our team kits. This has been an amazing season thus far. And next season is promising to be a bigger, better one yet. I can't wait.
Until next time, keep fit and have fun.
Brett
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63 Comments
watch out for Wells BC too. That place has amazing potential to be a huge attraction. When its not buried under 6ft of powder, it has some of the best and most accessible alpine ive ever ridden within a kilometer of the town. Last i heard a guy named gustav was building some pretty sick trails in the area.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/3351728
One of my favourit natural trails around. Off camber, roots, rocks, slick as shite in the wet.
If your on a road trip from points north (PG) to Willys, you should really check out Dragon for a shuttle or two!
Keep up the good work! See ya next season!
it seems like the head movement would be more visable.
nice kid nice