Avid off-road cyclists are having the time of their life this week, after the first fully new trail in years was unveiled at Mount Work in Saanich.
Volunteers with the South Island Mountain Bike Society (SIMBS), led by trails director Andrew Mickelson, recently put the finishing touches on 90s Jank, a rugged, black diamond-rated trail nearly a kilometre long. So far the response has been good, said SIMBS spokesperson Chris Mills.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had tons of great feedback from the community already,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 been tons of photos and people posting about their rides.B次元官网网址�
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Mills said other trails in the heavily forested riding facility have been redesigned in recent months and years, but development of a brand new, mostly descending route on the mountain has been rare of late.
The creation of 90s Jank is one of the first benefits of an agreement between the CRD, which owns the land in Mount Work Regional Park, and SIMBS, which has a licence to maintain the trails. The new route was proposed and approved as part of SIMBSB次元官网网址� 2020 trail plan and may be a precursor of new trail developments to come.
Mickelson characterizes 90s Jank as a B次元官网网址渢echnical flow trail,B次元官网网址� which Mills said causes chuckles among club members as such a phrase describes opposite ends of the degree of difficulty spectrum.
That said, this is no casual weekend ride. Starting at an intersection with DaveB次元官网网址檚 Line near the top of the Waterworks black diamond trail, this single-track route launches off a B次元官网网址渟quirrel catcherB次元官网网址� (moderate drop-off) and winds its way down through loamy soil, with numerous up and down features, through the narrowest of channels between rocks, twisting between trees, with the occasional brief traverse to catch your breath.
Mills gave kudos to Mickelson and other volunteers for their hard work on the trail, which began last fall. Mills said the features are B次元官网网址渢ypical of the kind of trails and terrain we have at Hartland,B次元官网网址� from rock outcroppings to stumps and more.
B次元官网网址淭he vast majority of trails have been built with hand tools, so youB次元官网网址檙e working with whatB次元官网网址檚 there, thereB次元官网网址檚 no option to move things out of the way,B次元官网网址� he said.
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While the trail system at Mount Work is detailed at , many riders reference the network on their cellphone via the Trailforks app, an international database.
Mills said there has been tremendous growth in mountain biking and cycling in general since the pandemic limited recreational activities. For more information about whatB次元官网网址檚 happening and ways to get involved safely, visit simbs.com.
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