Not windy on Windy

After a few years of trying to make it to the top of Windy Mountain, the club finally made it. (insert cheering and clapping here)
Whenever we tried to go up, we spent hours cutting downed trees on the trail instead. We were close a few times but no reward for all the work
OR it would be a sunny day so we would choose to ride elsewhere.

Now that the trail is finally clear, let's hope it stays that way for  awhile.

This is the TOP

Bonus - no wind

Through the trees...

The weather station (not a ladder to get higher)

Lake break

No longer "the new rider"

First to track it up :)

D(andy) day

For those who have been waiting to get up Windy, go now before more trees come down.

Windy Mountain NOT

WOW to the riding conditions lately. Sunny days and lots of new snow. Even when we go to the same riding area a 2nd time, you would never know that we have been there.
Same goes for Windy Mountain. Doesn't seem to matter how many trees we cut off the trail, they keep reappearing.

Postcard perfect day

Gals get to ride at the back for this ride (since we're not getting stuck!!)

Guys at the front - doing the hard work

When we see all the gear beside the trail, we know not to proceed. Can't be good!!

Had it with Windy Mountain - more great areas await.

Enough riding at the back - bring on some challenges

Guys hanging out while the gals play

Our Sweep waiting for the stragglers

She'll be coming around the mountain...

If you are planning to ride up Windy Mountain, do not take "the face trail" unless you are a very experienced rider. With the steep slope, large amounts of snow and side hilling required, you could easily find yourself in danger. And not much room for turning around. 

The rides this season just keep getting better :) Windy Mountain - you win (for now)...we will get to the top before the riding season is over.

Logging Road Riding

Couldn't have picked a better day for a ride. Met at the junction of 8200 and Boundary Roads.
Use caution if you're driving out that way since there is active logging on the 8200 Road and there are narrow areas where you may will encounter loaded logging trucks.

We set out with the idea of cutting the last of the trees and finally getting to the top of Windy Mountain. After about the 4th tree (on the portion of the trail that had already been cleared on a previous ride), we decided that this wasn't how we wanted to spend a beautiful sunny day.

Too much logging activity for a sunny day. Turning around.

Perfection.

No problem riding over this tree.

Found lots of great snow and roads to play on. One lower elevation road had crusty snow conditions so it felt more like being thrown back and forth on a bumper car. Enough of that, back up to the powder.

Taking a moment to enjoy our surroundings.

Team work. Someone has to find the holes.

There's always one last road to check out at the end of the day. Tons of fun. Some of us got quite a workout. Have to get in better shape to keep up with the "older" riders.

Windy Mountain Ride 2

If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again.

Ride #2 to Windy Mountain came with some successes - new signage and 3/4 of the trail is packed with a good base...and  the 2 big spruce trees are no longer blocking the trail. Still a few more trees near the top that have to come out.

Just because you're going in the right direction, doesn't mean you will get to where you are going.

Energetic riders at the start of the day

A big welcome to our new rider, Richard. It was his first time out with the club and first time riding a sled. He did awesome and we reassured him that it does get easier. This ride did have moments of aerobic activity - combined with 10 extra pounds of gear, who says riding isn't a workout!

After a few challenges near the top, we decided to turn the sleds around.

Looks like someone worked up an appetite

We came down via the alternate trail - the side sloping one. Good practice for those who were out of practice. Ended up on Boundary Road with great powder conditions. Had to backtrack since the 8200 Road is plowed but going back up the trail was easier than coming down since it now has a packed base.

End of the day - already getting dark. Yes, a few tired riders.

A tree came down on the trail while we were out riding and they plowed the Windy Mountain Road. 

Stay tuned for Windy Mountain Ride #3. We will get pictures of us eating lunch up top.

Windy Mountain Ride

It was time for a Club ride up Windy Mountain since we hadn't been up there in several years due to logging.

Fresh snow to start the day. Bring it on.

Sun was trying to make an appearance

Trail head to Windy

Jim took over the lead on the trail up the mountain since Marcel was on the Club's Skandic. It was overdue for a ride and despite being a brute, Marcel was having a blast riding it - like riding a Cadillac.

It appears that we were the first one's up the trail this season. It's getting quite overgrown and had more obstacles than we remembered.

Hey - where did the trail go??

Oh, here's the trail. Good thing for signage.

Between riding the Skandic and cutting trees, Marcel was really earning his lunch.

Had lunch on the trail since we still hadn't made it to the top. More trees down on the trail so Jim and Marcel decided to ride ahead (without the Skandic) and see if it was possible to get to the top. Not this ride. Need to go back with a bigger chainsaw. Apparently it was more work to turn the sleds around then it would have been to cut the trees. 

Fun day even if we didn't make it to the top. Good company and great to be outdoors all day.

8200 Rd - Jan 20th Ride

10 riders, -10 degrees and perfectly blue skies.  Couldn't have picked a better day for a ride.  Met at the 8200 Road junction. 

Quick stop at Cougar Lake just because we always stop there.

On the way up to Windy Mountain, we encountered active logging just before the trail to the top.  Disappointing  since it was a perfect day to go up there.  Hard to take a photo with the bright sun, but the feller-buncher was actively falling trees right in front of us.

Good snow conditions in the trees.

We checked out countless logging roads.  Not much snow in the open slashes.

Good views.

Oops!!

We finally made it to this viewpoint.  Couldn't find it with the changes in landmarks (lack of trees) but Norm's determination got us there.

If you look close on the road below, you will see Joe's red sled.

Back to the trucks after 99 km of riding.  And only had to cut one tree off the road on this ride.  Awesome day.

Windy Mountain Ride

Saturday Jan 4th ride to Windy.

Good snow on the trail up. The mountain lived up to it's name, awesome views regardless.
Rode further east on Camp 2 Rd to Taweel Rd. Again, good snow off several logging roads.
Only 5 riders, with Jan representing the better half (so to speak) side.

Perfection ...blue sky and powder.

Enjoying the views.

8200 Road Loop Ride

A perfect sledding temperature of about -5 C encouraged 14 sledders to meet at the 8200 Road junction on Sunday, Feb. 3rd.

The ride was perfect for big sleds, small sleds, old sleds and new sleds.
Norm (who knows the back country so well) led our group on a big loop.  First stop was Cougar Lake.  No one ventured onto it due to the wet conditions.

We continued on the unplowed logging roads with great snow conditions.

 

This beautiful view was looking down towards Taweel Lake.

We backtracked a little, and then made our way to Hager Mountain for lunch.

  

Don't let this photo fool you - normally Greg's skis are not on the ground!

Hennie & Ken had a hot pot so enjoyed hot sausage rolls for lunch (without sharing)!!

After lunch, we made our way to the "burn" area.  We had to cross a slushy swamp but lucky everyone kept the power on and made it through.

Break time at the top of "the burn".

Paul helps to get his new Cat unstuck , even if he didn't get to ride it.

We went part way up the Windy Mountain trail joining back onto the 8200 Road and then out to where we started the day.  Just over 100 kilometres of riding....a little shorter than anticipated.  As usual, an excellent ride.