There comes a time when you have to put the chainsaw down and go ride a bike. You’ve seen others benefit from your trail work and appreciate the smiles and thanks you get in return. But all work and no play makes for restless riders. You have to get away from the wood and start riding through the woods. Time to reap the rewards!

Castle Peak, the beacon of our reward to come

Our Chilcotin chainsaw gang has been doing trail clearing for the past few years. Many a long weekend spent in solitude in the mountains, getting to know the ups and downs of our adopted trails. Lots of logs lie peppered along the trail, evidence of how far we’ve come yet there remained a large section virgin to our wheels. Connecting the dots to get the full tour was the aim of this trip.

Our path was not paved with gold but with fresh, shoe-sucking debris flows

Wild raspberries. Bonus reward, if the bears don’t get to them first.

Sometimes just rewards for hard work comes with more hard work.

Castle Peak keeping a watch on the few that come by

These trails, used more by wildlife than people, demand time off the bike. Creek crossings and bog hopping. Pedal-catching, shin-scratching brush. Hike-a-biking again and again and again. This was all forgotten once we reached the pass, our trophy built on chain oil and sawdust.

Castle Pass, the perfect spot to get your fill

Reaching the pass gave a fresh perspective as to the scale of our trail work. A mole hill compared to the size of the mountains and the ride, but big in the sense of easing the way in and out of this area. We’ll keep the chainsaw running for this one.

The best reward for all that hike a biking – the descent!

A ride worthy of blowdown removal

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
― Ernest Hemingway