Treading through summers in BC

A glimpse through the helmet days, playing under the summer skies and warm weeks of British Columbia, Canada.

When BC summers come calling I pack my bags and follow its voice note, wide eyed for new experiences, new friends and new terrain. Above all, the fine riders to watch and learn from as they dance with their bikes on some of the finest trails out there.

Staying wild and free, the Redstone way. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon

Coming from the foothills of India’s Sahyadri range, most of the riding insights I’ve gathered over the years has been through bike films and magazines. The Chilcotin, in British Columbia, Canada, a region I’d heard of and seen in bike videos from the early 2000s. Probably it was the ‘Collective‘. The stars aligned this summer and I got the opportunity to get a little glimpse of the region in the best weather. Thanks to my trail builder buddy Randy Cunningham, aka Krow, from Prince Rupert who has carved out several trails in the hills around his current home in Redstone ( Tŝideldel ). He led me across his favourite riding spots and shared some amazing times.

Build and ride! Randy ‘Krow’ Cunningham starting the day right. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon.
The “Rezurrection” trail. Hidden in the woods in Redstone, BC, Krow’s signature skulls looking over the trails. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
Sharing his home trails, Randy ‘Krow’ Cunningham carving turns in the forest as I try to be faster than him. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
The seasonal catch. Salmon fishing on Chilcotin river with local friends. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
Let go of the brakes and flow. A quick rip down the Pidherny cutbanks descent in Prince George. Here’s me trying to avoid the dust cloud.
A little hop on a trail Krow built right behind his home in Redstone, BC. \\ Photo: Randy ‘Krow’ Cunningham

The trails around Redstone (Tŝideldel) that Krow shovelled up were carved two years ago. Built right behind his home, most of the descents finish straight down into Krow’s backyard.

Krow taking care of the dirt mounds. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
Trying to be quicker than my shadow. \\ Rider: Vinay Menon \\ Photo: Randy Cunningham
Shuttle up and shred down all day. \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
Earning dinner. Salmon fishing at Farwell Canyon.\\ Photo: Vinay Menon
The hardtail fun haver. \\ Rider: Randy Cunningham \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
Krow’s Chromag Rootdown keeping the rubber side down on dirt. \\ \\ Rider: Randy Cunningham \\ Photo: Vinay Menon

After a few days of riding in, we headed up to Williams Lake to checkout some of the decade old trails that sit on the outskirts of town. Ladder bridges that’d faded with age, creatively designed skinnies, switchbacks with massive exposure, silence of the forest summed up the few trails that we rode while in Williams Lake.

Williams Lake hides relics in the forest. \\ Rider: Vinay Menon \\ Photo: Randy Cunningham
Dirt playground in Williams Lake. \\ Rider: Vinay Menon \\ Photo: Randy Cunningham
Camping spot with a view.
Snakes & Ladders in the woods \\ Rider/Photo: Vinay Menon
The essentials – bikes, food and shuttle truck.

Next up, we fueled up Krow’s truck to hit the highway to Kamloops.

Kamloops Bike Ranch has been on my ‘to visit’ list for years, finally the day arrived. I’d seen images and video clips of the ranch and heard a lot about the place through the internet. To see it in person and to absorb the calmness around the massive jumps, carved berms, cliff drops and slick trails is something else!

The Kamloops Bike Ranch (KBR) cranked open two decades ago, in 2005.

The Kamloops Bike Ranch is the largest municipal bike park in North America. Established in 2005, the Kamloops Bike Ranch and All Wheels Pump Track Facility is an unsupervised, free-to-use, City of Kamloops outdoor recreation facility and trail network primarily intended for downhill mountain biking. The Bike Ranch encompasses numerous recreational trails including the Jump Corral located at the bottom of the Bike Ranch and the Kamloops All-Wheels Pump Track Facility located at the top of the Bike Ranch.

Riding one of the smaller features at KBR. \\ Rider: Vinay Menon \\ Photo: Randy Cunningham
Hitting some clay dirt mounds in the afternoon heat. \\ Rider: Vinay Menon \\ Photo: Randy Cunningham

With a day of riding at the KBR, it was time Randy headed back to Prince Rupert (17hrs drive) while I made my way to Vancouver to get some more riding in before heading back to India.

Leading me on the North Shore trails through this week, Martin Littlejohn, Dan Cowan and friends.

Seymour trails on the North Shore fresh as always. \\ Photo: Stan Goetz
The dense forest trails on Cypress with Martin Littlejohn \\ Photo: Vinay Menon
The summers sped by fast but delivered riding full blast.

After one more week on the trails around Fromme, Cypress and Seymour it was time for me to fly back to India to join my friends at India’s newest DH race series in the lower Himalayas.

A massive thanks to Martin Littlejohn – Mountain Biking BC, Randy Cunningham, Stan Goetz, Dan Cowan and all the dedicated trail builders pouring in their efforts to create world-class mountain biking trails that keep attracting bicycle fun havers like me every season.