2012 The North Face Canadian Trail Ambassadors Announced

The North Face and Trail Running Canada are proud to announce the 2012 The North Face Canadian Trail Ambassadors.

There was a great response to the request for applicants with many qualified submissions from across the country. The five chosen ambassadors represent a spectrum from mid-packers to front-packers, great writers and film makers, two female, three male, and both french and english language skills represented. The North Face and Trail Running Canada are excited about the contribution these ambassadors will make to the Canadian trail running community in 2012. The North Face Canadian trail ambassador initiative represents a significant milestone in the promotion of trail running in Canada. Catch the ambassadors at your local races and be sure to visit www.trailrunner.ca to read and watch their regular news posts in 2012.

Sasha Brown

Region: British Columbia
Running Accomplishments: Kneeknacker 30 miler 3 top 5 finishes, Seven Summits ‘08, Stormy ‘04 – 3rd

Website: www.playwithabandon.ca

Quote: “I’m not elite, but I have been a part of the North Vancouver trail running community for almost a decade. Over the years, I have helped to indoctrinate many others into the trail running cult, by volunteering as a run leader for a local adventure race. I love seeing the many people I helped train, covered in mud and sweat with joy in their eyes and smiles on their faces…I have a passion and enthusiasm that I am told is infectious”

Methow Valley, Washington State

 Again, we picked our destination because we had heard rumours of epic mountain biking and trail running. We opted for the scenic route to Winthrop, and crossed into the States at the Sumas border. In this way we were able to drive the entire distance without touching the 1-5… It was a very serene drive, and nothing could have prepared us for the views we would find along Highway 20 before descending towards the Methow Valley. The mountains lining the highway at Washington Pass seemed more likely to belong in the Dolomites, than in a mountain range within a few hours of our place! As we drove through we made the decision to visit the mountain pass again on our road bikes during our stay in Winthrop. We were also surprised as we entered the town – it has a western theme, that seems a little over-done and touristy, but as we came to learn more about Winthrop, we were somewhat relieved to learn that the roots are authentic, and many of the buildings hold heritage status. We got into town late, checked into our motel, and were dismayed to quickly learn that midweek most restaurants in Winthrop, including the brewery, were closed by 9:00. Luckily we found a Mexican restaurant, Carlos1800 http://www.carlos1800.com/, that did not disappoint, and in fact we chose to have three of our four dinners at Carlos’ during our stay! (They actually have trademarked the saying “Once You Try Us, You Will Be Back”)
Mountain Biking
Buck Mountain Trail

After becoming lost looking for Starvation Mountain – more on this later – we decided to ride the shorter, and easier to find, Buck Mountain trail. This trail is heralded as beautiful singletrack with views of the Methow Valley and Sawtooth mountain range. The trail begins as forest service road that climbs fairly steeply for about 3 miles. Single track then branches off, and is easy to follow. The views of the valley were stunning with many layers of hills and mountains in the distance. The single track rolled through varied terrain and quickly changed numerous times from pine trees and wild flowers, to desert and sage brush, and the occasional meadow. The fragrances were hard to miss, and added to the experience. We were lucky to have some clouds that kept it from getting too hot, as well as added to the already spectacular views. Instead of doing the suggested loop which involves ending with over 6 miles of double track and fire-road, we chose to do this trail as a out-and- back, to take advantage of the beautiful singletrack. The ride back was slightly downhill, which was a pleasant surprise, as it did not feel that we had been climbing that much after the initial ascent.

Also on the way back towards the end of the singletrack, rather than following the same route to the fire-road, we took a fork to the right that traversed up the hill. This was a good choice as it ended with some fun flowy single track that brought us into the valley and to the fire road we had started on (turn left here). We saw one other rider the whole time we were on the trail, despite it being lauded as one of Methow Valley’s favourites. It is not a long ride, 13 miles, but the bang-for-buck value is high – and we look forward to doing this ride again!
To find this trail from Methow Cycle and Sport http://www.methowcyclesport.com/ drive north on West Chewuch Road for about 6 miles, and turn left on Cub Creek Road. Park in the turnout before the pavement ends. From here you can start riding up the Forest Service Road to begin your ride.

Starvation Mountain.

Our first attempt to find Starvation Mountain, going strictly by the local (not-to-scale) map, had us hopelessly lost on Fire Service Roads. While searching for the trail head, we ran into hikers who suggested that we instead ride the easier to find Buck Mountain (resulting in the ride reviewed above).  Armed with more knowledge and directions, gleaned from the guys in the bike shop, we managed to find the trail on our second attempt. In our defense it is not that easy to find, and we likely would not have found it without chatting with locals. While there appear to be routes that require driving fewer miles, the one provided to us was foolproof and we’ll therefore recommend it. A map is also essential for this ride (the Methow East map http://www.amazingmaps.us/prodRight.html ), as although it is a highly recommended loop, it is not well marked and it is easy to go the wrong way. The ride is long enough without adding extra distance in error!

Lightning Creek trail steadily climbs along the creek, with a few stream crossings, in mainly pine forest that eventually gives way to burnt trees, fireweed and other wildflowers. The singletrack is very rideable, though in one section (Sandman), the trail became loose, sandy and steep unfortunately requiring dismounting and pushing. It is a fun singletrack trail to climb, and is very picturesque.
When the trail ended, we initially made a wrong turn (go right), but eventually figured this out (when the road we were on ended!). After correcting our error, we continued the climb along the main fire-road up Starvation Mountain. It is a long climb, but the views are stunning. The forest fire has created some spectacular and unique scenery and the wildflowers are abundant. It is truly surreal. Just before the summit of Starvation Mountain, the route forks to the left and becomes doubletrack. This section is strewn with loose rocks, and descends initially but soon started to climb again. Thankfully the views were still worth the grunt and frustration as we pushed up some loose rocky sections. We eventually found the fork with signs indicating Blue Buck Trail. This was reassuring, and we were happy to be back on singletrack. Though it starts with some boggy sections interspersed with sandtraps, this soon gave way to flowy singletrack through the burnt forest. This is without a doubt the best part of the ride. The last half of this section is carved into a steep hill such that there are significant drops continuously to the left.

There is a bail out trail (up to a fireroad), but we opted for the single track for the duration and are glad that we did. It is for this section that we would return to ride this loop again. This trail ends on Lightening Creek Trail, so the last fast mile took us directly back to where we had started. It was a fantastic day, with tough climbing, epic views, and fun flowy descents. We look forward to riding it again, and know that we will enjoy it even more the second time around, as we will have complete confidence in our directions and decisions at every fork. We will also make our peace with pushing our bikes for a few hundred feet in the 25mile loop.
To get to this trail: From Winthrop, travel on Hwy 20 through Twisp. When there is a fork, stay on this Hwy towards Okanogan. Turn left onto Beaver Creek Road; after 6 miles on this road, you will pass the Beaver Creek Campground. Just past the campground there will be another road entering from the right, continue straight. Turn right onto a small dirt road just before the "Cattle Guard Ahead" sign. You will be in a make-shift campground and the Lightening Creek trailhead starts at the back of this campground.

Road Cycling
Winthrop to Washington Pass return
While there is no shortage of road riding possibilities in the Methow Valley, we were certain we wanted to ride to Washington Pass after having driven through it a few days prior. We opted for going on a weekday to avoid the rec vehicle traffic, and got a fairly early start. We were greeted with a strong headwind for the first 15 miles into Mazama. Thankfully the wind died down as we started climbing. The climb is very gradual and undulating and gets slightly steeper before the hairpin switchback that leads to the summit of the pass.

As we climbed, the views became more and more spectacular, and the clouds that were speared on the mountain tops started to clear. Though we took many pictures, the mountains are far too grand to capture adequately. Again, the Dolomites or Bugaboos come to mind as the jagged peaks became visible. After enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sweeping vistas at the pass’ high point, we turned back and were pleasantly surprised by how fast and easy the ride back was. What seemed like an undulating climb on the way up, gave way to a steady descent on the way back. Even the last 15 miles breezed by, as we came to realize that we’d ridden a “false flat” on the way out. This ride goes down as one of the more epic metric centuries, and is one we will definitely do again, though now that we know how much easier the way back is, we will likely ride for longer before turning around.

Winthrop and the surrounding Methow Valley surprised and delighted us, and we will head back the next time we have a long weekend with no plans. We look forward to returning when the alpine is open so we can explore Angel’s Staircase as well as repeat the rides we have already done.

Abbot Pass Hut, Yoho National Park

Abbot Pass Hut was built in 1922 in the pass between Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy, literally on the border of BC and Alberta, as well as on the Continental Divide.   Imagine standing at Lake Louise gazing at the glacier beyond. If you could look up and to the left of the glacier you would see this hut. It is truly a spectacular alpine setting and sitting close to 10,000 feet is the second highest hut in Canada. Brian had been to the Abbot Pass Hut in Yoho National Park 8 years ago, and his spectacular pictures and vivid memories have lived on. It has been on our bucket list for some time, yet the plans fell together quite quickly when we realized we had the last weekend in August free of plans.

In order to stay at the Abbot Pass Hut, one must reserve a space with the Alpine Club of Canada, obtain backcountry passes, and reserve space on the shuttle bus for the ride to the trailhead in Yoho National Park. You will however need to purchase a Park Motor Vehicle Permit in order to park in the parking lot in Yoho. These can be purchased as you enter most of the national parks, as well as National Park visitor centres; we picked ours up in Field. The shuttle bus carries you in 12kms along a service road and drops you at Lake O’Hara. If the idea of a shuttle makes you feel lazy, banish that feeling. The service road would be a tedious and unrewarding hike. Save your energy for the beauty that lies ahead. The hike starts at Lake O’Hara towards Lake Oesa. If you’ve noticed any of the pictures on this page, you will already have a sense of the epic beauty surrounding the area. The brilliantly blue lake featured in the photographs is Lake Oesa. Many day-hikers head to this lake for lunch and photos, thus it is bit busy, but undeniably worth stopping to admire up close. There are plenty of opportunities to admire it from afar! At Lake Oesa, the trail heads north up the talus slope, well marked by cairns and blue and yellow markers painted onto the rocks.

This section of trail takes you to the main scree slope that takes you up to the hut. It is obvious that this is the point at which helmets should be worn, the rocks become loose, and there are occasional rock slides to remind you that they are not stable. The goal at this slope is to make it to the top along any route you wish. Cairns and blue triangles continue to indicate the general direction, but the shale and scree is very loose, and there is no correct path. We found that the larger rocks tended to be more stable. Usually. This section is a slog, gaining over 1,150 feet of elevation. There are a few points from which you can actually see the hut, and this helps spur you forward.

Once you crest the skree slope, the hut is immediately to the left, though you almost forget this as you are overwhelmed by the view laying ahead over the Victoria Glacier and Rocky Mountains. For the entire hike you are accompanied by the view of Lake Oesa and surrounding mountains behind you, making it difficult to imagine that another view could compete in awesomeness. However, when you arrive at the pass and gaze at the 360 degrees around you, it is impossible to pick a favourite direction, and truth be told, at that point you aren’t trying. Cameras can do no wrong, and would churn out fabulous photos regardless of where they are aimed. This is definitely a place where words fail, and pictures barely capture the beauty. We did not do any mountaineering from this point, but it is easy to see why summiting Victoria and LeFroy is so popular.

The hut itself is worth mentioning. It was built in 1922, with rocks found in the area. The remaining materials were carried by horse to the Victoria Glacier (from Lake Louise), and carried by hand to the hut location. It is unbelievable to imagine the dedication in building a structure under those conditions! The hut is beautiful to look at, but is also comfortable to stay in. It is well maintained, has a fireplace, a kitchen with propane hotplates, propane lights, and sleeps 22 on sleeping mats. There were only 5 of us the night we were there; Huts are always a great place to meet people, but we felt fortunate that it was both a quiet night, and that we got along well with the other hikers!
Our advice: If you are uncomfortable on ledges or on loose steep slopes, this is not an appropriate hike. We have heard numerous stories of groups turning around when they realize the degree of difficulty. Not all is lost however, as these groups were still able to enjoy the stunning Lake Oesa. If the above mentioned are not major concerns: Do this hike!!! Pick a night in late summer, ideally midweek to avoid the crowds. Even if you like to be social in the remote wilderness, you would rather not scramble up the scree slope while groups are above you causing mini (or not so mini) rock slides.  Bring bear bangers (there are Grizzlies in the lower areas), your camera and a large memory card to capture the hundreds of pictures you will take.

Singing Pass and Musical Bumps, Whistler

As we moved into August, we began to crave the alpine. This year, the snowpack has remained and prevented all of our alpine plans. Before heading to Whistler, we read all that we could on current conditions on Singing Pass and Musical Bumps, a set of trails that connect Whistler Village to the Roundhouse (where the gondola ends) at the peak of Whistler. Thankfully we managed to find a recent review that indicated that the trails were passable with some rough stream crossings and patches of snow, though it was not officially open.

The trail starts along the Whistler bike park. Stick to the left and watch for the trail marker indicating Singing Pass veering to the left off of the ski-hill. From there it is a steady runnable, if you’re into that, climb for eleven kilometers. There was some blow-down that was easily clambered over, and the crossing at Harmony Creek was a bit slippery, but completely passable. After about nine kilometers the views across the valley to Blackcomb become steady, and hint at the spectacular scenery ahead. After eleven kilometers, the trail indicates Russet Lake to the left and Musical Bumps to the right. We went right, as we had plans to meet friends at the Roundhouse for dinner. From here it is another ten kilometers of epic alpine over Oboe and Flute summits, speckled with snow patches and views of Blackcomb to the east and the peaks of Garibald Park to the south.

While typically mid-August would mean the final days of wildflower season on these trails, this year they had barely started to grow.  Most of the flowers will not be out for weeks if they manage to bloom at all this year. Having said that, the flowers that were peaking out were spectacular in their stunted rugged alpine way, and added to the beauty of the area. We were rewarded with blue skies, moody clouds and undulating terrain. The snow patches were very easily crossed, and the clouds cleared in order for us to view Cheakamus Lake and Black Tusk.

This set of trails is definitely worth doing - the first eleven kilometers are a bit of a slog, though the forest is beautiful, but the last ten are all that you want from alpine wonderland. Bring layers, water and snacks, and take in the views. Enjoy a drink at the Roundhouse, then jump on the gondola for the ride down. It is of course important to ensure that the gondolas are operating, so check into this in the village. This trail can also be enjoyed as a there-and-back from the Roundhouse, thus avoiding the eleven kilometer climb at the start, or it can, of course be done if reverse, thereby ending with a lengthy decent to the village. Doing it as we did, results in 5500 feet of elevation gain. Views are always better when you’ve earned them.