The inaugural Trans BC wrapped up in spectacular fashion with the riders treated to the tasty trails of Nelson:
Trans BC Day 5 — Nelson: A Test of Character and Rain Gear
NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.— Day 5 of the Trans BC Enduro powered by Stages Cycling fused the toughest terrain to date found in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, and most pressing conditions, into a 40km day on the bike that started and ended on trails built by dedicated locals who have an obsession for slippery roots, long vertical descents, wood features, and steep chutes.
“The first and last stages were the most challenging. We started in the rain, and it was a huge slip and slide with hootin’ and hollerin’ on off-camber turns,” said Cait Dooley, Open Women (Easton, Conn.) “The last stage had a whole slew of challenges. It started off being alpine and rocky, then it got really steep, loamy, rooty, and then very steep again. You were taxed trying to keep it together from the start to the finish.”
The original length of Stage 1 was truncated due to the early morning downpour. Racers were relieved to skip an additional 45 minutes of climbing and enter Power Slave at the two-thirds mark. Some racers described it as a river down the trail, and others had run ins with wood features, trees, and the rut of death.
“I was the very last racer to drop in, and the whole trail was a rutted pit. I cried a little bit during the stage,” said Emily Sabelhouse, Open Women (Seattle, Wash.) “But on the upside, Stage 2 was a recovery stage— fun and much more dry. It was a totally different eco-system. Then three, four, and five were totally my jam. I could ride those all day.”
Racers climbed out of Placenta Descenta to load on a shuttle to access the other side of Giveout and Gold Creek trails to continue their day on some of the most popular descents in the area. Intermittent showers became the new norm, and as they dropped into yet another run of rootballs and rocks, racers were thrilled with more loam, and less mud, for their tires to bite into on every turn.
“It was a beautiful, spectacular day of riding,” said Gina Jané, Open Women (Sedona, Ariz.) “The river at the top of Stage 1 reminded me to keep it consistent and slow down a little. After I found my rhythm on Stage 2, I went with that feeling and by the time I got to Stage 5, I just tried to rock it. I made a couple mistakes on the final stage, but it was good enough for my best day overall finish of the week— second!”
Although the pucker factor was high all day, the physicality of each stage demanded everyone’s full attention. “I thought it was going to be about keeping your momentum and not messing up on the slippery stuff, but it was half physical too. Stage 5 was like three downhill runs combined,” said Chris Patton, Open Men (Easton, Conn.)
As riders pushed up the final hike a’ bike to the top of Stage 5, they knew they had the longest stage of the day, 10-15 minutes, still ahead of them. Little did they know it would take them on an odyssey down all the finest points of Nelson’s gnar.
“My favorite stage was that last stage. Ten minutes of full on descending, roots and perfect dirt. It was amazing,” said Matt Patterson (NZ). “My goal here is to be the top kiwi in the Master 40+ category. That way New Zealand will wrap it up across all categories.”
Others found the grand finale past their limits for the week. “We were all very exhausted, and Stage 5 was probably the most technical stage I have ever ridden,” said Nikki Hollatz, Open Women (Hood River, Ore.) “It was above my capability at this point in the week. I was just trying to keep rubber side down and it took all my effort to maintain.”
For the final day, racers will double shuttle their way up via buses and vans as far as the access road will allow. Then they will ride and push their bike for 2 1/2 hours before they drop in from the peak above Baldface Lodge for a steep alpine track, and then through many layers of forest, before ending at Kootenay Lake with beers and widespread celebration to be had.
“This whole trip has been Megan’s big adventure,” said Ted Morton, assistant event manager. “Some souls have certainly been crushed, but we are saving the best for last. You will experienced something that only a handful of riders in B.C. have ever experienced.”
Trans BC Day 6 – Nelson’s Gnarly Grand Finale
NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.— The Trans BC Enduro powered by Stages Cycling saved the best for last to conclude the six-day epic adventure of Interior B.C. It may have not been the biggest day, but racers rejoiced in the uncanny conditions as they slid their way down Cherry Bowl, the steep alpine goodness that was Stage 1.
“Everyone has been saying that the level of the trails we selected has been challenging, and they they didn’t expect it to be so full-on every day,” said Megan Rose, race director and founder of the Trans BC. “Every day we have been figuring out what everyone’s limits are. But we definitely had a solid crew of riders here, and everyone was excited about it.”
Racers were transported via bus, then vans, and then rode and pushed their bikes an additional 832m before peaking out in the alpine above Baldface Lodge, which sits at 2,057m. They crossed over a few snow fields before down-hiking to the start of Stage 1. Rose prefaced the day with, if the conditions presented itself, the views are out of this world. But on a day like yesterday, it felt like you were dropping out the stratosphere into the alpine abyss.
“The last day was beautiful, a little wild, and a whole lot of fun. I am glad to be down in one piece,” said Cashion Smith, Open Men (Pisgah, N.C.) “Stage 1 required some skills over and above just riding a bike. It was like riding a strider bike— feet out of the pedals, skiing down the hill while on your bike. There was snow, and tons of squirrely, slimy mud.”
Although the snow and mud hid the true beauty of this trail for some, others emphatically enjoyed the experience. “The first stage this morning… hell yeah! Someone built that trail to ride mountain bikes down, and you can certainly ride down it depending on your level of optimism and conditions,” said Adam Craig, Open Men (Bend, Ore.) “I thought that was a really beautiful trail. To have a little bit of rock work, lets you know that it is a mountain bike trail, and you are going the right way. I’m proud of Megan for sniffing out trails like that to have people race on, and make some serious memories on.”
Racers knew they only had two stages left, but riding for days on end had accumulated, and the impending rainstorm expedited their journey to the finish line. Stage 2, Swamp Donkey, traversed through a valley bottom, and contained hidden sinkholes after wonky woodwork. This awkward and semi-pedaly stage was rewarded by sizzling bacon, shots of Fireball, and an energetic crowd of locals who ushered riders on to their final stage.
The twenty-ninth and final stage of the Trans BC Enduro didn’t hold back the fun when it came to shooting down the long, twisty, turning, ear-to-ear grinning run down Shannon’s Pass. It was physically demanding for 13-20 minutes, and incorporated every element that racers encountered throughout the week into a symposium of BC’s finest elements. The 4.7km track took riders to the shores of Kootenay River for a scenic tour back to the beach where riders euphorically high fived each other as they rolled in to celebrate their week together.
“I started a project during the week to take portraits of riders the moment they clocked out. Many of them were elated, over the moon. But as the week wore on, you can see they were shelled, muddy, and ready for a beer and a hot tub,” said John Canfield, social media guru of the Trans BC Enduro. “You could see wild eyes and wild rides. Their faces tell the story in a way that a photo of someone riding their bike through the woods could never full capture.”
In the Open Men’s field, the times were tight, but not enough to change the final overall standings. “I ended up right where I started. It says No. 2 on my plate. Megan in addition to being a trail sniffing genius is also a prophet. I won the last two days in Nelson, which were the most important to me,” Craig said. “I threw away a bunch of time on Day 1 and Day 2 with mechanicals and flatting. That time gave Jamie a couple minutes so he could ride and be smart, and let us light the world on fire, which you can’t do in these races.”
Jamie Nicoll came off the Trans Provence a week before the Trans BC Enduro began, and put down a strong effort on Days 1 and 2 before settling into a steady rhythm for the rest of the week. “The results can change easily at any time. It’s about looking out for your bike and making it down without mechanicals,” Nicoll said. “Navigation is a huge piece, keeping your head up, and tracking the next piece of trail efficiently. The wet and slippery days were my favorite and more my style. It’s hard to make time when the only challenge is how hard you can pedal. I like smashing down gnarly trails.”
Meggie Bichard ran away with the Open Women’s contest from Day 1 as she continued her winning streak throughout the entire week over Mical Dyck. Gina Jané (Sedona, Ariz.) leapt onto the podium after riding strong on Days 5 and 6.
“Today was kind of rough. There was a lot of running on the first stage on the steep stuff. I need to learn how to commit,” said Mical Dyck (Victoria, CAN). “I finished fourth on the day and held onto my second place overall. I would definitely do this again. I know what I need to work on to be more comfortable in the future.”
The combination of trails throughout the course of the week at the Trans BC Enduro was described by racers as incredible… awesome… brilliant… an experience that you can’t replicate without coming yourself.
“I’ve done the Trans Provence a few times, and that is the Grand Daddy of these type of events. The Trans BC is of that caliber, and I didn’t expect it to be,” Craig said. “We raced more here than you do at the Trans Provence. Every single stage was memorable for some reason or another; even the cruisy ones to relax and push some berms.”
The Trans BC Enduro powered by Stages Cycling will turn into into the first annual event in 2017. The timing of the year will be completely dependent on the location selection. “I have a bunch of ideas for next year already,” Rose said. “The tough part is if you include the Okanagan, you have to go early, because it gets hot there. And if you want to put it up in the alpine in the Kootenays, you have to put it later.”
A special thanks to Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism and Nelson Cycling Club (NCC), and Jeff Pensiero from Baldface Lodge, for supporting the Trans BC Enduro in Nelson, B.C. For those who missed out on this epic adventure, registration will open for next year, October 2016. The field will be limited to 120 riders, so keep tuned in to Facebook and Instagram to follow along. Hashtag your photos #transbcenduro to make their way onto the live stream of the Trans BC’s Media HQ. For more information email megan@ridingbc.com or subscribe to the newsletter at www.transbcenduro.com.
Writers Note: These recaps were brought to you through the lens of racing the entire 6-day event through all of the mud, rain, exposure and sliding that the photos captured and the reports conveyed. The tenacity and grit that was left out there was truly remarkable, and even more so the media team who battled the elements, battered equipment, late nights, and on the final day, a heli long-line evacuation for a broken leg. It was almost too ironic that our drone operator was lifted out of the woods as the human drone. Heal up Glen!
Missed the action from the previous days at Trans BC?
Race Report: Trans BC Day 1 – A Steep and Deep Introduction
Race Report: Trans BC Day 2 – Slippery Slabs
Race Report: Trans BC Day 3 + 4 Round Up
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
Words: Trans BC Photos: Dane Gronin / James Cattanach / Colin Meagher
