By: Cary Smith

Day 6, the final day, of the Trans BC enduro race finished today. Today was shorter with only three stages, but the climbs were steep, the temperature was high and the trails were steep, loose and tricky. The trickiness was exacerbated by the cumulative fatigue of the week and the desire to finish safely but still fast.

We rode the gondola at Mt. Revelstoke Resort to the mid-mountain lodge for a lavish breakfast. It took all my self-control to not fill my pockets with croissants, so I just ate them all before pedaling away. The course description for the first stage described it as “a trail that will make you feel like you can’t ride a bike.” Great. It was fun, but that description was fairly accurate with several awkward rock moves and tight switchbacks.

An access road climb took the group to the aid station, which was stocked with vodka for making mojitos. I decided to pass and climb the moondust to the top of stage two.

The second stage was brutal. Not much pedaling, just squeezing my brakes for all I was worth. It seemed like every steep chute was followed by a ninety degree turn at the bottom. Every turn had a catch berm, but these berms were basically dust and would just blow away when you hit them. At least the trees were tight so getting off line was not an option.

A quick ride back to the bottom of the resort took us to a climb next to the coaster. Their coaster puts the King’s to shame as it’s steep (duh!) and a single rail with a small car and a lap belt. Looked serious. There was rumor of a final Strava race down the track after dinner but I haven’t heard results.

The final stage of the week was on a brand new trail through the woods of the resort. This trail was short but no less exciting with very tight trees, a couple steep rock rolls and more signature Revelstoke duff.

It felt good to finish the week with no injuries or major bike issues, but I was a little disappointed with my performance the last two days. It makes me appreciate the good dirt at home but also realize the need to ride all types of dirt and trails to be competitive when I leave the valley.

This race was very well run, with a good vibe, fun people and great volunteers. If you can pull it off, pencil it in for your 2018 calendar. I’m sure they will have plenty of new surprises in store.