Andrew Rees makes an 8' look too easy.

Dave Drenth drops easy 4 footer

Derek Chambers never hesitates

When I started cutting my trails, I never even thought of asking for permission. I grew up in this area and the bush was full of old horse & logging trails that we rode as kids. I never thought that a couple new trails would affect anyone. After all, we're talking about Northern Ontario here and maybe 20-30 riders that would notice.

The spring following the completion of my first trail, I attended the season's first meeting of the 'North Bay Cycle Club'. They spread out a map showing all of the new property that the reborn local ski hill owned and guess who's trail was well within the boundaries? I was a little nervous when a couple members started talking about this trail they had come across and wondered aloud who would've done such a thing. I sheepishly put up my hand and confessed.

They asked questions like, "How long did it take you?", "Do you think we should get out there and rake it?", and my favorite "Maybe we should add some more?". A really, really nice surprise.

Hendrik Weigeldt, Operations Coordinator for 'Jack Pine Hill' and Vice-President of the 'North Bay Cycle Club', has been very supportive of the whole trail development scene. He has observed almost all of the trail construction in the North Bay area and added a lot of trail on the hill's property himself to be used for the hill's weekly race series (see Jack Pine Hill's website at http://www.city.north-bay.on.ca/JackPine).

And so I keep adding this and that, usually making a point to show Hendrik the latest addition for feedback and approval. If there's a problem, he knows I'll either tear it down or make it safer. Hendrik's vision for the ski hill is to have a well developed trail network with clean, obvious signage indicating the level of difficulty that all riders will enjoy. From all the tire tracks I find every morning, we seem to be making progress.

Then I started hearing about 'Todd's North Shore Trails' from a few local riders. They asked, "Have you ridden down by Todd's place yet? He's built some sick ladders and one of them has a 6' drop right off the end of it!". Apparently Todd had been busy as well with trails beginning from the end of (get this)…North Shore Road. What are the chances?

Todd Gleason and Andrew Rees (North Bay locals) had created some very technical trails with more vertical, more rocks, and more 3-5 foot drops than I could count. Todd's mentality is 'build it harder than we can ride'. Sooner or later we'll master it and then it's on to something new.

We got together a few times last fall to ride and since then we've been cutting more trail and building more stunts to the point where I think we're spending more time on trailwork than riding. Sounds awful eh? It's nice to hear compliments from other excited riders though.

Anyway, the point is the 'Shore Virus' is spreading quickly and North Bay is probably one scene of dozens that has been infected beyond repair. Employees from the bike shop (Cheapskates Sporting Goods) have started another hardcore trail at the other end of the ski hill escarpment. Some young lads constructed a fun little trials jungle on the other side of town. Momentum is building and soon…I'LL STOP BUILDING AND START RIDING EVERYONE ELSE'S TRAILS!!!

Dave Drenth - in the middle of finishing a beautiful 15' drop.