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Kelowna Area Update |
Story & Images by Rich Deakin
The Kelowna area riders have tried to get themselves organized this year. A little too late, but better than nothing at all. So by way of an update, here's what's happening so far this year....
The late season surge started when the City of Kelowna announced a MTB survey and workshops - one for youth and one for adults - to talk about the future of MTB'ing in the Central Okanagan. There was talk of a DJ/bike park for youth including discussion of some ideas for locations, and talk of a MTB skills park. In fairness to the City and their consultant, this is the start of a longer-term strategy, a plan of up to five years to bring to Kelowna the kind of rider-engaged trail work that has put places like Rossland and Squamish firmly on the map. Anyone interested in what is planned in the Central Okanagan area should contact Barb Davidson at the City of Kelowna.
Working on the launch pad section at the start of
Big Money.
Ok, so it’s good to have a plan of sorts, but it’s nice to see a bit of real action. The workshops didn't immediately result in much more than some online talk of trails maintenance, but almost directly after, a group of riders got together to start a trail maintenance program. It was really a case of he who shouts first, gets most help, and that help immediately benefited the Powers Creek freeride area.
Powers Creek:
So due to the fact the guys over on the Westside of Okanagan Lake put their
hands up first, asked for help, and got themselves organized, the work parties
focused on Powers Creek. Long-lingering deadfall has been removed previously
back in late spring but much more was taken out as the rest had seemed to linger
around. The guys got her done…..sweet rideable trails and no hauling over logs!
The newer 0.5 km drop in is called Builders Only, and is not shown on the existing trail map, is in fine shape. Which as the newest trail on Powers, it should be, but is now super buffed and clear right the way down. At 2.5 km, the crazy sketchtastic suspension bridge ride has been fixed, road tested by a willing flying guinea pig, and the trail has been superbly buffed out. Johnny Smoke laid first rubber down on the newly ‘buffed’n’fluffed’ line – giving full props to the sweetness and totally buff feel, also his crew has also worked on brake bumps and cleaning up of tranny’s lower down the trails. The spiral ladder ride on Stinky Pinky at 2.5 km is also in perfect shape. More maintenance needs to be done lower down (KBR area etc) so if you head up there, look before you ride – check for loose boards, etc.
At the 3.5 KM which is the old drop in, much better for shuttling as it has a small parking area, the stunts are being totally rebuilt. There’s also going to be a new drop in flow zone, super fast, with not even a second to catch your breath. This is great news after a few years of neglect. The new line is called “Big Money”, and you’ll soon get the idea - the bigger you play, the higher (literally) the price of losing.
Laying out the base for an evil new drop in - this will become a
super strong new rocket launch with a 5 foot drop, showing there'll
be no room for user error from the very first second on Big Money.
The trail builders have a couple of totally new ideas planned for the future of Powers, which will probably take shape during 2008. Watch out for ‘NBR’ (No Brakes Required). The new breed of builders offer their respect to Dave and the old school builders who set up such an awesome freeride playground for themselves and others to enjoy. But in order to keep the stunts and trails, the riders and builders have to dig deep and sacrifice some personal ride time to keep everything sweet. If you can help, check out the guys on Sundays at any one of the three drop ins or get in touch via details posted regularly at the local Kelowna bike shops.
Tim smoothly demos 116 Feet of Pain, check out the sketch factor.
There's also a new line called Big Money that includes some completely new work from the creative mind of Justin. The crew discovered three older skinnies which were structurally quite sound - firstly a smaller everyday one, then a reworked "116 Feet of Pain" and finally the big brother and champion of all skinnies, "160 Feet of Pain". With a touch of rebracing and reworking , these three beauties are back to their full glory and work well within the existing flow of the line. After a bit of exploration of the old trail line and a little luck, the guys were amazed to find 160 Feet of Pain hidden away in the bush, and not actually visible from the main trail. This hidden gem has been rebraced, replanked and the tranny cleaned up and packed. It has a sweet start to a super long and smooth log run to v-section where the rider can choose a 'hard out' to the right down a flat super skinny or keep left to planked section with a smooth drop to end with.
A perfect and solidly replanked section starts the super long
skinny, 160 Feet of Pain.
Powers remains a classic freeride venue, worth a ride in anyone's book, and sad that more people from the Interior and elsewhere don't know about its existence as it's a great full days worth of multi-run riding up there. Everything you want to choose from big woodwork, gnar, rock, a combo of dusty and well packed trail, ladders, teeters, gaps and drops. And at one point the trails open up to witness one of the best views over Okanagan Lake you’ll ever find. Free to enjoy right from the seat of your very own rig. Get your Powers Creek trail map from any local bike shop in the Kelowna area but remember it’s a full on shuttle ride only. As a visiting rider recently said, “you guys are sick in the head”. Yes bro, we are, and we intend to stay sick as sick can be.
Gillard:
Gillard is currently a mixed bag. The top part of the left side trails (looking uphill) is tidy and buffed but some of the upper area stunts need rework. Boss Hog has some old stunts that need removing. Look before you ride anything lower down the mountain. The big 28-footer drops don't seem like they've been hit in a long time and should be checked and cleaned out before being hit. As for the legendary road gap, just forget it and enjoy the memories.
Big Money has been given a new run-in that includes a drop to tranny.
Kerplop is in good general condition but there are some sketchy storm washed rocky areas to navigate. Hucking Grasshole is tired, pretty overgrown and stunts not looking too good after 5 years of lack of maintenance. There's a sweet new trail, not on the existing map, called Yo Mama which drops in a few hundred metres right (south/west) of the KVR railbed, look for an A-frame going over fencing, a steep drop in then sweet fun of rolling jumps, gap and flowy sweetness. A crapfest of dumped garbage has been removed from the Gillard shuttle parking lot area thanks to the Regional District of the Central Okanagan.
Postil:
At Postil, the insanus-in-the-brainius wallride is still very much worth hitting but watch for loose boards and check her out thoroughly first. Great fun for a few quick rips, follow Postil Lake Road a few clicks, right at the Y-intersection, the drop in is a few hundred feet past the sign for Postil Lake Lodge (the sign is on the tree to right of the road) on a left hand bend, drop in to right, with a bit of a hike a bike up to start.
Crawford Trails:
The Vapour Trail continues to be a great shuttle ride from the KVR and is in very good shape. Ride it as hard are you like, it's good mellow fun, stunt free, and not too hardcore, perfect for anyone moving from a XC background or with a rider who’s less experienced. Connector, which pairs nicely with Vapour to finish your ride) is getting pretty worn due to over use, more of a loose rockfest if you like a change of riding terrain). Just take a short uphill left from the Vapour Trail/Pink Highway intersection. A comprehensive trail map is available from the LBS and all trails are well signposted.
To summarize the challenge, it's been a tough call trying to get riders together to fix and maintain trails. Basically if the local riders don't do something to get organized and recruit for trail maintenance, most of the awesome trails and stunts in the greater Kelowna area will quickly decay. Unfortunately, the original trail builders are off doing other things - busy with life/family or just moved on to other interests. So as other riders are starting to connect a few people together, and are trying to get all the existing trail builders together and ensure people get support and help when needed, it remains a tough deal. With the support of the local bike shops to publicize build days, things should improve once the riding community get better organized and when people know who's who and what they can do to help, and what each trail builder needs in the way of labour and equipment. Hopefully, We next year will be better, more organized, and with more willing hands getting stuck into the work.
Tim checks out the middle section of 160 Feet of Pain.
Riders in the Kelowna area need an active, campaigning, supportive local MTB club to focus effort and get more 'official' support. As usual, it may come down to the supreme efforts of a few dedicated and highly motivated people. So if you ride the trails, consider taking time out to help maintain them. Meet a few new faces, talk riding and bikes, and fid out just how much work goes into riding those stunts and building trail and creating berms and sweet lines. Too often, we take it for granted it’ll always be there. It won’t, so step up to the plate.
Rich had been keen to get into trail building as a new rider with just two years trail time. As he says, "it's quite easy to sit on the sideline and not get involved, but once you put your foot forward and offer some help, people seem really keen to get involved. It didn't really take much effort to get a bunch of like minded, chilled people together. What's amazing also is the huge amount of work you can get done in just over half a day. If your crew has a few decent tools and a truck or two and a little creativity and hard work, rebuilds and new stunts just seem to flow from the group quite naturally. We have got so much done in the past few weeks, I'd never have believed it before getting personally involved.
Bomber Man acts as our guinea pig on a newly built drop on Big Money.
It has also helped me appreciate exactly how much hard work and time went in to building the network of trails at Powers, and we are grateful to people like Dave and others who put so much personal time into their work. I'd say that as a rider, if you can spare some time here and there to help your local trail builder or organized trail maintenance group, give it a try. You don't have to be super technical or practical with tools and construction, just be willing to work hard and help out. I really think it helps you appreciate the trails and stunts, and to develop a sense of pride in the trail network. Our work crew meets every Sunday and we welcome anyone who wants to get involved to come along and drop by. It's an attitude- free zone, lots of fun and a chance to reinvest some time back into the trails"
Thanks to: Justin, Gord, Rich, Tim, and Rory - the high wire guinea pig act AKA flying high test pilot – and Johnny Smoke and his crew.
- Rich Deakin
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