7 Summits - (yet another amazing) PACA Road Trip

Four brave souls made for the 7-Summits IMBA Epic trail near Rossland BC this Friday. We set up shop at the Lions Campground near town and twisted caps in carbo-loading preparation for the morrow's task. The ride is deceptive, as one drops the bottom shuttle vehicle below the community of Rossland, then drives north on Hwy.3b to an elevation of some 5200 ft. Logic dictates that this would be a downhill ride. Logic is illogical in this case.

The trail begins as a leisurely XC ride, but soon morphs into a septet of ascents / descents from Hell (or at least north Surrey, which is kinda' the same) comprising mind-bending climbs, followed by fast and rocky descents. Just try and let go of the handlebars to wipe sweat from your brow...

Many of said events later, along with amazing views and visits with numerous other delirious riders, and you are spit out onto the stunningly speedy Dewdney Trail - and in our case, a bear sauntering his way (up) the trail - directly into our path. Its amazing how fast these lumbering animals can spin on a dime and outrun a speeding downhill cyclist!

Sunday brought minor hang-overs to some of us, but nothing that a bike-park session and a dip into the lake at Nancy Green Provincial Park couldn't fix! Well, that and ice-cream at Christina Lake :-)

The pictures below somewhat tell the story. We're already working out details of a Sept. PACA Road Trip. Care to join us for more amazing adventures?


Sasquatch; caught on camera doing a BYOB hike-a-bike




Pre-SufferFest; Everyone is so happy :-)




...and then the climbing begins (and doesn't let up for a long time)...




A typical section of the 7-Summits trail




Rose Buckwheat




Trails don't get much more rudimentary than this!




A cool little alpine pond, I dug the reflection thing goin' on there.




Curt - experiencing a gravity storm! (something to do with solar flares...)




...and on a beauty downhill section between summits




Its all good man!




Chicoree




Nard-Guard extraordinaire - worth it's weight in gold on a back-country trail!




Pic' nailed to the wall of an old shack we came upon in the alpine




An amazingly happy crew, considering the ground we'd covered up to that point!




One of the 7 Summits (luckily, the trail goes around it, rather than over!)




But we did manage to get our collective butts up this high anyway




Near the trail's end (a black bear was sauntering up-trail, unbeknownst to us)




Sunday morning's antics found us at the local skills-park (very cool)




Teeter' Tester




Now that's a wall-ride




Curt's signature "tuck-air"




Gary; honing his ramp skills




It works, but the body position looks kinda' "unique"




Overview of 7-Summits trail (click here to enlarge)




Next up; Revelstoke's Frisbee Ridge - and / or, Keystone Standard Basin. PACA; Membership has it's privileges :-)

Andrew