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No Joke Falls to the Olympic
Axe The High speed ripper closed below Bear Cub |
WHISTLER, BC, August 2006 – Trails Open, Trails Closed
We will make this report quick and to the point. If you have ridden up here in the last week, you would have experienced some of the best riding conditions in some time. It's amazing what a bit of rain will do for the trails. Rain is not enough to get the trails in shape, but the trail crew has been super busy with the maintenance. The overnight temperatures drop down to 5 degrees Celsius, which means that we get moisture on the trails at night and the riding in the morning is nice and cool.
You might have also noticed that we have had a lot of closures and/or detours in the bike park due to the VANOC work. It is what it is and our crews have dealt with it as best as they could. We apologize for the inconveniences, but we are happy to report that most of the work in the lower park will be done soon and most of our trails will be open this weekend.
Our resident battle axe, Peter Jean - liason between the Bike Park and VANOC - makes sure that our operation runs as smooth as possible given the amount of construction. Peter has prepared the following trail report:
Open for Friday, Aug 18 @ 10:00 A.M.
All of A-Line: Zones 1-5
Lower Angry Pirate Crabapple Hits
Easy Does It connector to Zone 3 A-Line
Lower Easy Does It @ Zone 5: both summer road section and the S turns.
Open for Saturday, Aug 19 @ 10:00 A.M.
HoChiMin: All
World Cup Single Track
Closed For Monday, Aug 21 @ 7:00 A.M.
No Joke: below Bearcub (falling for Women’s Downhill commencing).
Here it is, unedited and without sugarcoating. And yes, you have read it right (most likely two or three times); your eyesight is not failing you and your hangover is not that bad - No Joke is closing for the year as of Monday. We always knew that this was going to happen, but it's hard to believe that it is actually happening. It's kind of like taxes - you know it's coming, but you still can't believe that you have to pay.
So, as I dab the moisture from my eyes, my twisted mind kicks into overdrive and think to myself that we need to have a party. That is what you do at Whistler when you lose a close friend. On Sunday night, GLC will be the place to gather and remember "No Joke". Let's call it the "No Joke" - June 25, 2004-August 20, 2006 R.I.P. Gathering". We will meet for the sweep of Garbanzo Zone at 6:30pm and the first 30 participants will receive a beer ticket to be redeemed for a pint of Kokanee at the GLC at the end of the ride. We hope to see a lot of you there for the festivities. (Note - this has already happened so don't show up at 6:30 on Sunday August 27th ready to rip down one last time).
The first part of "No Joke" will remain open to "Bear Cub" and "Original Sin" will be alive and well for the remainder of the season. The Magic Bike Park is open, so don't hesitate to take you kid brother or sister, or your parents there to introduce them to the fun of DH biking.
The action at the Air Dome is in full swing. Everyone is having fun, challenging the gravitational forces, so check it out. I would recommend hard tails, but I have seen some people hucking their 50lb DH bikes into the pit.
About Whistler
Whistler is a year-round adventure destination located 75 miles north of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and site for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Consistently rated among the top ski resorts in the world, Whistler is a cosmopolitan and diverse community that welcomes travelers seeking recreation and natural beauty four seasons of the year. Whistler has the world’s most diverse offering of mountain biking terrain, attracting all disciplines of mountain biking from cruising to cliffs. From 150 miles of singletrack trails and 200 km of lift-accessed downhill runs in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, to trials parks and 20 miles of the paved Valley Trail system, there’s something for every rider.
Proud to be a venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
