Paul Goes Gulfing

Trying to squeeze as much riding in as I had time for between injuries has caused summer to just rip by for me. Each year summer seems to slip by even quicker than the last. I once had a conversation with a philosophical friend, about how maybe it is just because this summer was a smaller proportion of your life than last summer was, so it seems shorter because you have lived longer. An interesting theory. I’m not sure if i’m convinced, especially as this year I think it had a lot more to do with the ski season fading-unusually late – into 6 weeks of rain before summer really kicked off, but either way, the summer of 2010 disappeared in what seemed like a few short weeks!

   Hopping back into uber-buff trail after indecision of which way was best to look! Photo ~ Dylan Wolsky

Now the days become shorter, and the average length of Whistlerites hoodies and T-shirts gets longer, the peaks start to get dusted with snow, and the focus of everything Whistler transitions towards Winter. But while the snow clowns are waiting longingly for the terrain park to open, deciding which shade of highlighter pen will look best in the pipe this winter, and cursing the shoulder season, us mountain bikers are revelling in the awesome fall conditions.

   With conditions like this, it’s easy to forget winter is around the corner Photo ~ Dylan Wolsky

I was lucky enough recently to leave paradise for a short vacation to…well…paradise! Just when I was starting to replace the two minute jump into shorts and T-shirt summer morning ritual with the laborious layering of winter gear, we were greeted with a weekend of crystal skies and August temperatures. Travelling from Whistler, we left behind rain and plummeting air temperatures to sail the open seas to island paradise. Waking up to the sun shining through the window is awesome any time of year, but extra special in October. This is what fall is all about!

   Laying a table with a view  Photo ~ Dylan Wolsky

So as the winter crew gets stoked about what planks they will be shredding, and what the almanac is forecasting for this year (which as far as I can tell, has never, and will never, say that the snow is going to suck this season), I am still buzzing from a fall weekend of a lifetime, and already plotting plans for next year, scoping out the newest bikes and gear from interbike, planning what I want and what I need to do to get it! Don’t get me wrong, skiing is cool, but the bike riding is not done yet!

   As long as the weather and trail conditions stay like this, I am more than happy to oblige and keep laying tire tracks!  Photo ~ Katrina Strand

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Paul swore not to reveal the location of these tasty looking trail morsels.  He’s a man of integriy.  It looks like Molokai to me.  Have any late season adventures of your own in these epic conditions?  Ridden any cool islands?  What about a theory about why each year/season seems shorter than the last?  Philosophize here…