Road Trip - Whistler

We woke up early and decided to get our own little road show moving as we knew it would be a challenge to try and find a campsite near our next destination of Whistler.  Before we got moving; however, we took the dogs out on a walk to check out Smoke Bluffs, with great views of The Chief.  The weather started to clear up and our trip north to Whistler provided exceptional views of the landscape.  We eventually found our campground at Cal-Cheak (pronounced “check”) and were lucky enough to find the last good campsite to call home for the next few days.  We quickly unloaded and made our way up to Whistler to take on the sites, sounds and yes, smells (think stinky Cuban cigars).  The wifer was not ready for the masses of people herding their way through Whistler Village. 

We stopped at a local bike shop to buy a map and get some local beta.  The bike shop was super friendly and provided us with more information than we could process regarding local riding and some not-so-local riding further north.  We ambled up towards the gondola ticket counter to inquire about the top of the world trail when we realized that somewhere along the line I no longer had the car keys.  By deduction we had determined they were at the aforementioned bike shop.  We made our way back and breathed a big sigh of relief when they pulled them out from behind the counter for us.  After all this dilly-dallying we decided to take a day off and be tourists.  We went over to Alta Lake (where the swim portion of the Ironman was held) and took in some rays with the locals.  At a leisurely pace we worked our way back to the campsite where the dogs were doing a sound job of checking their eyelids for leaks inside the trailer.

Whistler Day 2

When we checked in to the campsite we decided to reserve the spot for two nights.  This was a wise move considering it was labour day weekend and very close to Whistler, which was a sea of humanity.  After we got moving on Sunday morning we put a game plan together that consisted of heading into Whistler and finding the trailhead for Comfortably Numb, or as the locals call it, “Uncomfortable Bum”.  We felt like this was a good plan considering the dogs were tuckered out and were likely more than happy to stay behind and catch up on their sleep. 

Another reason for trying to get an early start in Whistler was due to the lack of parking everywhere in town.  Fortunately we found a spot and started our ride heading north towards the trailhead.  As we pedaled north I could not help but think of the Pink Floyd song of the same name.  I also recapped some of the many ballyhooed stories from different riders that praised the trail.  These stories rattled around in my brain which caused some eagerness and slight anxiety about the technical nature of the trail. 

After meandering north for a few miles we found our trailhead and started our ride in earnest.  The trail immediately gave us a preview of what was in store.  What was in store were roots, rocks, ladders, and a little bit of moisture for added effect.  It was relentless and you had to be aggressive as you pedaled in order to maintain momentum as you picked your lines.  It reminded me of some of the riding out in the northeast where you get to hone your technical skillset. 

After a couple of miles of bouncing along the trail eased up in its technical nature but pitched up in gradient.  Three hundred feet later the trail eased back into an easier grade and the only easy riding of the day.  This was the wifer’s introduction to technical BC riding and she was battling the trail as much as it was battling her, i.e. she was walking more than riding.  We reached the first mini-peak that led to a steep technical descent that had consequences if you could not pick your line or ride that line.  It was not for the timid, and the wifer was way in over her head, and I am the first to admit there were a few spots where I dismounted to avoid a yard sale. 

At this point we came up to a group who cautioned us to slow down as there appeared to be a rider down.  As we got closer we asked if everyone was okay, to which they responded in the affirmative.  About ten feet further down trail I noticed a trail of blood on the rocks and realized that “okay” was a relative term.  It was a quick reminder of not being too proud to dismount and walk if something is outside of your comfort zone.  I descended a little further until I hit the junction with Young Lust and stopped to see how the missus was doing.  As I was waiting these two young pre-teen Quebecois girls were crushing the downhill as their dad looked on.  I thought it was pretty bad-ass that these two kids were riding the gnar and seemingly having no problems. 

A few moments later the wifer showed up and informed me that she went ass over teakettle somewhere along the tech descent.  I asked if she was okay and could tell that she was rattled.  As we were at the junction we had a decision to make: to continue on Comfortably Numb on relentless, in-your-face tech trail, or take the Young Lust spur back.  We erred on the side of safety and decided to take Young Lust, but not before we took a quick downhill jaunt to the bridge where the CN trail continued.  I’m glad we did, as it was an amazing bridge crossing with even more amazing waterfalls thundering beneath it.  We made our way back up to the junction with Young Lust and followed the steep descent which continued to keep you on your game.  There was some bold riding on the descent as you had to pick the right line and continue to be aggressive riding through it (the wifer had a hard time just walking this part!).  My bum hovered over my rear tire on the steep descents in order to keep the weight towards the rear of the bike and maintain control.  There were times where it felt like my nipples were hovering above my seat.  I could see how this would be extremely intimidating for anyone who was getting their first dose of this in-your-face BC tech.  (Erin’s note: try more scared shitless)  Admittedly, some of these lines had significant pucker factor. 

We eventually made our way back to the car and were no worse for the wear although I think the wifer’s ego had been bruised.  I tried to explain how it takes years of riding hard core tech sections in order to be able to be more comfortable riding that kind of terrain.  She looked at me like I was an alien since she stated she had been riding for longer than the young girl we passed on the trail had been alive.

I am glad we got the opportunity to go ride this infamous trail and if I were to have to rename it I would call it something along the lines of Shaken but not Stirred, just like James Bond likes his martinis.  After being slightly shaken we decided to hit Whistler Village for a quick bite and a brewski.  Unfortunately the parking was nonexistent as all of the day lots were full with many people driving around like vultures waiting for a spot to open up.  We decided to hedge our bets and move along towards Whistler Creekside, where the people were fewer and hopefully the parking more abundant.  We finally found a spot that was open and had parking and settled in for a quick bite.  It was not our first choice, but considering parking was few and far between, we counted our lucky stars that we were able to find something that was open. 

We swatted away the bugs as we ate and determined to head back to the campsite, pick up the dogs and take them out on an adventure.  Erin had found a doggie park by one of the local lakes and we thought Moby might enjoy pawing at the water as Otis got intimidated by that same water.  However Otis found his inner waterdog and ran around and jumped in and out of the water.  He tried to engage Moby in play, but Moby dog would have none of it as he was more focused on pawing at the sand in the water.  After a while we packed up, stopped at the gas station and $100 plus Canadian dollars later had a full tank of gas (the same amount as Erin’s ski pants bought on sale in Squamish).  It was nice thinking we could go back to the campsite that we could call home for a second night in a row.