Winter Blues

January 31st, 2011

Mother nature has had us cooped up and tucked under her wing of winter for more than two months now. Just last week though, Calgary and her tropical-graciousness treated us to a taste of spring and the memories came rushing back and had us here at Descend thinking about one thing only – the return of the bike season (and advertising and the new rental bikes, and that cool new Fox lid and beating Chris by 12 seconds and cleaning the van and and and)!

Unfortunately, in her oft fickle ways, mother nature has since turned on us, leaving us with the acerbic taste of -25C and we are once again stuck on the trainer inside (sigh!). It’s better than nothing though and should help give us a head start when the snow does finally melt and temperatures do head north of zero.

The official start of spring might be nearly 2 months away (the Albertan start much longer) but we’re optimistic another Chinook will shine her fortune on us sooner than later and we might even be able to sneak in a winter ride or two.

Posted in Just cool | No Comments »

Western Open – Kicking Horse Resort

August 27th, 2010

The weekend is here again and that means Descend is heading back to the mountains to ride.  The first stop is a visit to Checker and his family at Panorama Mountain Resort for a couple days of warm up before heading to our fav locale Golden, BC for the Western Open, the last AB/BC Cup race of the season.

The course starts with Pioneer before heading into Claim Jumper and finishing with the bottom part of the DH race course. I’ve been lucky enough to ride K-Horse enough times this year to get the course pretty dialed – it’s fast and steep though, with enough rocks and roots on Claim Jumper to separate the men from the boys. Top to bottom should be in the ballpark of 4 minutes (or if you’re Chris, 4 minutes and 11 seconds).

Can’t wait to rip it!  Wish me luck and see you when we get back!

Posted in Ride Reports | 3 Comments »

Time Flies When You’re Playing in the Mud

August 15th, 2010

Where has the summer gone? Like all bloggers, our intentions were good – we planned to write weekly, every time there was a trip, every time we planned a trip, if we thought about a trip we were going to write but, like so many other well-intentioned bloggers, life – namely biking – got in the way…

So an update is in order! Where to start? I guess when we left off we were getting ready for a Panorama double header: two weekends in a row, the Descend mobile found itself heading to Panorama Mountain Bike Park. The first weekend was for the infamous (in this circle anyway) Mad Trapper DH race held annually at Pano. There is a 5-year standing rivalry between Pedalhead owner Chris Check and yours truly, aka FnC.

The standings thus far:

  • year one, Chris was annihilated by my blistering time
  • year two, Chris managed to narrow the margin slightly but, sadly, was still beaten by me
  • year three: Chris, fair and square won the battle (said with clenched teeth)
  • year four: the god’s again smiled down on Chris, sending me a flat mid-run resulting in a DNF and handing Chris the title
  • this year: this year, I reclaimed my rightful place on the throne and beat him by 11 sweltering seconds. To be fair to Chris though, he made it to the top place on the podium in his category. Congrats dude! Maybe I should start sandbagging too…

We had barely returned to Calgary to unpack our foul-smelling gear and clean off the bikes when we turned right around to head back to Pano: this time, for the annual, and always highly anticipated, Pedalhead bike trip. Every year, a group of 20-40 xc riders of all levels head out as a group to Panorama to test their mettle. Descend Inc. was there this year to provide the rental bikes and partake in the fun. As usual, the riding was wicked, the company superb and the booze kept flowing… we’re still not sure where Chris slept Saturday night though I did see a very satisfied looking deer in the morning… Many of the usual suspects were there and on point: Brad, the fishmonger, drank too much and couldn’t remember how to tie his shoes in the morning, Crashy Erik crashed, Chris sandbagged, Emils was Emils, Sam tried her best to get someone, anyone to teach her how to jump, Andy refused to ride a real bike, Roy lifted all four rental bikes onto the roof one-handed just because he could and everyone left with big smiles. Highlight of the trip for me? Taking my place as sweeper on the last run of the first day, I followed behind 8 guys, all wearing the 2010 Pedalhead DH jerseys as we freight-trained our way down Hell’s Bells. And who said DH wasn’t a team sport…

After two weekends of ripping it in the mountains with some of my best mates, you’d think the wife would send me to ‘time-out’ or at least to help around the house… instead, she sent me to Whistler.  Chris, Alan, Alex and Andy, all of Pedalhead (Edmonton and Calgary), were heading to Whistler, aka ‘the Mecca’, for the annual Giant product launch. I was lucky enough to get the invite to tag along. Three days of riding some of the best trails in the world, testing Giant’s 2011 line-up, a visit to the Norco HQ in North Van and a couple of Hot Tub Time Machine moments all added up to another fantastic week of riding for me. You only live once and I plan to spend it riding.

And through it all…. Moose Mountain rides! Every Wednesday night for the past 5 weeks, Descend Inc. has picked up riders at the Pedalhead Calgary store at 5pm and headed out to Moose Mountain. Blessed with over 16 hours of daylight in the summer here in Calgary, we are able to get 4, sometimes 5, rides in before the light dies. All that in an evening after work and for just $25. These nights have become increasingly popular so the van fills quickly. Best to call or text ahead of time (403-305-8066) to reserve your spot and hit some local riding.

There’s more to write, as there always is, but my bikes are dirty, my thigh is throbbing from casing that damn gap jump and an overloaded Ogio bag just doesn’t unload itself, or so I’ve been told…. until next time, mark Wednesday’s on your calendar!

Posted in Ride Reports | No Comments »

Wednesday Night Moose Mountain Rides

July 10th, 2010

I have been remiss! My excuse – I have been out biking of course!

The trails have dried off, the resorts are open and daylight hangs around until almost 10pm. All of this means there is a lot of riding to do.

So, to squeeze in even more biking for those who simply cannot get away for a weekend, Descend Inc. is now doing Wednesday night group rides to Moose Mountain. Every Wednesday, meet at Pedalhead Calgary (map) at 5pm. There’s only room for 1o riders so show up early, first come first serve for this one. When the van’s full we head out to Moose Mountain, located about 45 minutes outside Calgary.

The cost is $25pp, rentals are available for $45pp, please contact me in advance (info@descendinc.com) if you need a bike. Depending on the riders, we can usually get 4-5 rides in before the sun goes down.

Next one goes Wed., July 14. See you there!

Posted in Just cool | No Comments »

Freeride BC

June 21st, 2010

You know that commercial on TV lately, the ‘locals know’ one? Well, Descend just got back from one of those locales – Nelson, BC. The riding is beautiful, wickedly fast when wet, big, small and everything in between and the locals know it best. Lucky for us, they are happy to share their secret rides with those up for the challenge.

My wife and I spent the past five days in and around Nelson, BC putting the Descend mobile through its paces on various fire tracks, exploring the Arrow Lakes region, the natural hot springs, the (free!) car ferries, riding some wicked trails and just generally taking in the splendor of the West Kootneys.

Our first day in the area we hit Svoboda mountain – a healthy 5 km bike up a nice FSR before descending some pretty sweet singletrack – perfect all mountain riding.

The rain had started before we got to Nelson and unfortunately by day 2 it had not stopped for any length of time. This had little affect on our spirits though as as the weather was warm enough and the mist and fog made for some even more breath-taking scenery. It did, however, make for some muddy and wet riding. On day two we road up to an area called Mountain Station. This mountain is chocked full of trails. You could spend days and days before even coming close to exhausting all of them. Although there is a fair mix of greens, blues, and blacks a couple of days of rain can turn pretty much everything into a terrorizing ride (that’s what the look on my wife’s face and her stamping foot told me anyway).

On day three the sky finally cleared and we lazed away most of the day on the beach, reading and sun bathing. That evening though, I hooked up with Pat Williams and his Dirt Tours company: the shuttler becomes the shuttlee. We headed to Giveout Creek to ride the well known and well worn ‘Goldmember.’ I ripped down the trail, trailing Mike Kinrade with fellow local Garettt Lumley following close behind. I fancy myself a decent rider to say the least but it was all I could do to keep Mike in my sights. When we paused at the bottom of Goldmember to double back up to Waldorfian, I casually asked Mike what he did for a living, when he replied , “This” I felt my ego recover slightly.

The riding in Nelson is wicked fun: the locals passion for this pastime speaks volumes but this is the kind of place where you work for every bit you get out, there are few shuttle drops and no chair lift accessed runs. I have been spoiled by the luxury of Mt 7, Mt Swansea and Kicking Horse Mountain. It was refreshing and humbling to see guys of all ages, pushing their 8 inch travel bikes up a fire track for 20 minutes just for a 2 minute downhill. This is the passion and drive of the sport and in Nelson it is alive and strong; the locals know.

Posted in Locations | No Comments »

Nelson Bound

June 15th, 2010

Before the DH season takes full hold of my every waking breath (make no mistake, this is not a complaint), my girl and I are packing our bags, loading the van and hitting the open road. Destination: Nelson, British Columbia.

Nelson has been a special place for us since we first visited it in 2008 for a good friend’s wedding. The town is simply awesome – beautiful setting, laid back people, tons of coffee shops, just enough tourist amenities (without feeling touristy), and it is conveniently located in the center of some of BC’s best mountain biking.

The more terrain we explore, the more Descend Inc.  can expand, especially in the area of custom tours. Part of the reason people will pay for a guided tour is so that they can hit the trails only the locals know about. So, it is with my utmost pleasure that I will attempt to transform myself into a Nelson local for the next 5 days.

I hope to return with wicked pics, some new trails under my belt and a smile on my face. See you in awhile.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Locations | No Comments »

Descend Inc’s First Tour

June 13th, 2010

Descend Inc. guided it’s first ever tour last weekend and it was a success to say the least. It is weekends like these that remind me how lucky I am to be doing something I love. I had the amazing opportunity to spend the weekend on my bike in wicked company; I cannot ask for more.

The weekend started early Saturday morning as I loaded five sleepy riders and my fellow guide Clayton into the Descend mobile. We made good time on the road and were passing the giant bowling pin on Highway 93 by 10am, strapping on our armor at the base of Mt Swansea by 1030am. The weather was mediocre to start the day but this had little affect on us as everyone’s excitement and enthusiasm more than compensated. A couple of runs in and the clouds had parted and a beautiful day was upon us. We rode basically everything Mt Swansea had to offer that day: 8 runs in total. Conditions varied from greasy to dry, rocky to rooty: challenging some of us and allowing others to shine.

At the end of the day we loaded back up and headed to the Blaeberry valley and our night’s accommodation at Kicking Horse Kabins. The van was silent on the ride, five riders slept in the rearview mirror – a testament to a gnarly day of riding.

We spent the evening nestled deep in the mountains – dinner was served up by Clayton as I tinkered with the rider’s bikes and they hit the hot tub. The only sounds that night were of the wolves howling and stories of shared triumphs.

Day 2 took us to the infamous Mt 7. This mountain does things to people – it makes them fall in love with the sport. We hit the 3km for our first run to warm up. There were some nervous faces on the way up – as you climb the firetrack on Mt 7, you quickly gain elevation and the peaks of neighbouring mountains begin to look small.  The 3km section on Mt 7 is what many riders dream about though – fast, flowy and nothing too technical. By the bottom, everyone’s face’s (even Sharplin’s) were plastered with grins ear to ear.

Next we headed to the top of Mt7 to show everyone what all the fuss is about – Dead Dog. You can check out some footage of the pros owning it here. Don’t let this deter you though, this is not for the average rider and we did not take anyone down it. In the past couple of years the good people at Golden Cycling Club have been working hard to create alternative routes so that everyone can enjoy the splendor from the top of Mount 7.

Being a bigger mountain, Mt7 takes its toll on riders more quickly: top to bottom the ride is about 35 minutes (unless you’re Sam Hill of course and then it’s under 13 minutes).  At Descend Inc. we have two objectives: ensure our riders are having a blast and are always safe and riding within their limits. So by 3 o’clock on Sunday we decided to shut it down and take the last half hour for a mini photo shoot – Pedalhead jerseys, beautiful scenery and our own pro photographer allowed us to capture some wicked shots (check out our gallery to see a couple of them).

An amazing weekend of riding was over and as we headed back to Calgary, the van grew quiet. The weekend had exhausted everyone and as I looked in the rear view mirror I didn’t see six guys who had just ridden their bikes hard for a weekend, I saw six kids – starry eyed and satisfied, already dreaming of their next trip, the next time they could feel nothing but alive as they flew down the trails feeling only the wind between their skin and their shirts. They were hooked.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Ride Reports | No Comments »

Our Bags Are Packed!

June 4th, 2010

I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas! Our bags are packed and we’re ready to go! Tomorrow is Descend Inc.’s inaugural weekend tour: there is enough food to feed a small army, I cleaned the van three times and I have quadruple-checked my list!

It’s a pretty special group of guys gracing me with their presence this weekend which should make for a  wicked weekend of riding. With the lift-accessed mountains not yet open we’re planning to rip  Mt Swansea in Invermere on Saturday before heading out to Golden, BC and Kicking Horse Kabins Saturday night to rest up before hitting Mount 7 on Sunday.

The weather forecasts call for rain but I don’t think we’ll even notice it as we whip down the single track, focused only on the next turn, the next stunt, the feeling of flying. I can hardly wait. There’s nothing left to do now but ride.

Tags: ,
Posted in Ride Reports | 2 Comments »

Mount-7 Test Run

May 17th, 2010

With the snow finally melting high enough up the mountain we were able to bust out the first shuttle run of the season on Mount 7.  The conditions were dry and fast which was a wicked way to break in my new ride for the season – a 2010 Norco Team DH. Taking advantage of the late evening light, we road past 9pm, squeezing in 6 runs before heading into town for a beer – we were dirty, exhausted and had grins plastered on our faces from ear-to-ear.

The next day our crew nearly tripled in size as we met up with some guys from our favorite bike shop in Calgary, Pedalhead, as well as some old and new friends made on the trail. All-in-all we maxed out the custom-made roof rack with 11 bikes.  Everyone ripped it hard late into the evening once again. Even a flat tyre on the van in the middle of the afternoon couldn’t keep us down as everyone hopped out like a Formula 1 pit crew, handing me tools and getting us back on track in no time.

Two days is never enough riding though so we’ll be back sooner than later.

Hope to see you guys out there next time!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Ride Reports | No Comments »

Cruisin’ in Style

May 3rd, 2010

Okay, so I know this is a freeride/DH tour company but that doesn’t mean we have to discriminate: we love ALL kinds of bikes here at Descend. So, when my silver Norco Rio Vista turned up last week AND Calgary got hit with some sunny weather, I couldn’t help but break out the new ride. I may not be cruising along the streets of San Diego but my new ride gets me from A to B with style to spare. The coffee cup holder I picked up in Seattle doesn’t hurt either.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Just cool | 1 Comment »

Newer Entries »