Prologue: This story was born on our bulletin board and in the Head of Jeremy Levin - a bb regular. Our first round of controversy pitted Curtis (still a regular) and his crew against Achoo (abandoned us) and his. Jer (his bb handle) decided a trip outside the shore was the perfect way to rustle up a little inter-generational harmony and a good riding story to boot. The story was ready days after the trip. The photos went to New York and other delays ensued…At last here it is, complete with photos by Noel Hendrickson.

Achoo, the Daves and a couple of Hoodlums

I felt a little bad for sticking the two together. The young hucker Curtis and the elder mountain man Achoo were trapped together inside a suburban for half an hour. In fact, Curtis was also held captive by Dave B, like Achoo a veteran trail builder, in his truck for the entire ride to Squamish. All I could hope, was that both Dave B. and Achoo hammer away every point of trail building etiquette into that young buck's head.

The plan was to get them all out of their backyards. Curtis, Dave D., Dave B, Achoo, Sean (a hucker friend of Curtis'), Javin of Wheelies Adventures on the Island and myself would get away from the forum boards and arguing and into the raw bush of Squamish. We even brought along Noel, a photographer who would document the ride.

You know it's going to be a long ride when you're looking down on the Chief's Head of Squamish. This was only a ride you could do in the summer. We all piled out of the first van and got geared up. Then we all piled back into the van due to the large amount of flies buzzing in our ears, nose, mouth and every other place you don't want a fly to buzz. The other vehicle pulled up later and I could tell Curtis' head was reeling. I am sure all of the older guys teamed up on him in regards to trail building on the North Shore. I have a feeling that Curtis' new trail on Fromme may undergo some changes.

The group

Achoo and Dave B.

Suited up and pumped to ride, we seemed to be the only bikers in Squamish. A far cry from bumping into first timers on Ned's and walkers on Boogeyman, we had the entire mountain to ourselves. This wasn't the playground of our North Shore brethren. This was 3000 feet into the Outback. In fact, the only bikers we ran into on a sunny Saturday was a young family of four with three bikes. The youngest daughter chose to run instead of ride. Keep an eye out for this new and exciting sport of extreme jogging.

The beginning was steep, fast and technical. We were like a continuous snake that slipped through the switchbacks, over drops and across a hundred foot log ride. Curtis and Sean held the rear, cursing themselves for not practicing steeps and smoothness back home when they were throwing themselves off 20 footers instead. I could hear Achoo snickering under his size triple XL helmet.

Jeremy Levin

Curtis Protopappas

The steepness then gave away to something much different: unbelievable flow. Remember the speeder bike scenes in Return of the Jedi? The forest opened up and the hands left the brakes. Leaning into corners as the trees rushed past, I don't think I've ever gone so fast on a trail. Hollers, whoops and screams were heard in front of me and behind as we all dropped further and further down the mountain.

I think Sean claimed, "This is the best mountain ever!" And he was riding the hardest of all hardtails! We then hit a log ride that crossed over a twenty-foot high ravine. All of us opted to walk it except for Curtis. He was tired of lagging behind and it was his turn to step it up. Just making it past the first tree, he pedaled himself across the Death ravine smoothly. I had no idea a VPS could balance like that.

After the tight speed zone, the trail descended into long playgrounds. Curtis and Sean's eyes lit up and they raced ahead. Long log rides, tight drops and bridges showed us that the "Shore" style was everywhere. Achoo pulled the trick of the day airing off a huge teeter totter, three feet before it even hit the ground. While I kept throwing myself into the bush as my balance was so off, Dave D. assured me that I would never be riding his trail. Maybe Dave was getting a little upset because the party boy was going to be late for his two soirées that evening.

Sean Lloyd

Dave Barons' crash

Heaving at the bottom of the run, I spotted a drop into a long tranny. It wasn't part of the trail but Noel agreed it would be a great photo. Sean amped everyone by dropping it on his hardtail. Dave B. stepped up and pre-loaded before his launch. It looked great until he skidded out the landing and didn't release from his pedal. Chalk one up for flats, Dave was out for the count. The unnatural list of his ankle alerted us that something was wrong. Achoo took control of the situation and made a sure-fire splint with a bicycle tube and some armour. Chalk one up for first aid. We all combined efforts and pulled Dave out to the road and were able to grab the vehicles, despite Dave's truck reluctance to fire.

The fast-flowing, well-built trails will surely inspire Curtis and his friends to make things better on the Shore. Squamish, only an hour away from Vancouver, is raw and tough. You may be able to nail every stunt on Walk in the Clouds or GMG but to survive the wilds of Garibaldi, is a feeling all it's own. Going with a bunch of guys who aren't your age, aren't your skill level or don't even have the same ideas as you makes it that much better.

If you're interested in going and don't have a ride, call Wheelies Adventures at 250-338-3070. Javin said that he'll come over from the Island and give you a ride to Squamish in the Suburban anytime.

Epilogue. The Doc confirmed that there was indeed something wrong with Dave's ankle: dislocated with a double fracture. Plates AND screws. Dave is recovering well, back at work and he hopes to be pedaling off road by the end of the summer - a full year after his fall.

Dave B all patched up