GDR Canada Day 7 Sparwood to Fernie

July 21, 2019

Distance 30.1
Start elevation 4170
End elevation 3320
High point 4280
Low point 3320
Climbing 4250'
Ride time 5:31
Total time ~7:00
Days bike camping: 1
Contiguous days riding : 1

Took yesterday off as it rained steady to hard all day. Fortunately we had scheduled a day off in Fernie to explore, so I swapped my ride days.

Today the route follows the Elk Valley Trail from Sparwood to Fernie. It turns out to be mostly single track, or old logging road devolved into single track.
Go through some wet trail, spinning out on the matter needles. The cedar larch forests are enchanting in their darkness and clear ground cover




I have found I am quite liking the gps tracking unit, easy to see if I am still on route after the many unmarked junctions. It turned itself off about half way through the day, out of juice thought. I take a good break to eat and try to locate the spare AA batteries I am sure that I must have, but to no avail. Another shake down learning as I have plenty of batteries on the truck.

Navigating get a bit more tricky after that, after misinterpreting a couple of trail posts and get an extra mile loop in, I resort to the tracker app on my phone and re try the GPS, which is working again.

No more deviations I say to myself. But lo, about 2 miles from Fernie the route is closed due to active logging, and there is a detour.
The detour trail is part of the extensive trail system around Fernie. It is a lightly use black diamond trail aptly named "Small Chain Ring , Big Trouble".



So I push my bike UP a downhill  450+'trail for vertical in about a half mile. More climbing once I reach a logging roads. Ohh, and it is a very nice warm sunny day as I push my bike up the clear cut debris filled trail. I am sweating big time, and a bit concerned about dehydration. Thoughts wander to water options in the blasted battlefield of the clear-cut.

But what goes up must come down, and I get several miles of downhill back to town.
There is a bike shop right where I pop out, and they have water for me, and to wash my bike.
I slake my thirst generously, but have a hankering for some fresh beer at the Fernie Brewing Company, so peddle my way along the river for a cold one, and meet Glenda.




Great day of single track, lots of up and down, rode most of it, did have one oopsy and tweaked my knee a bit. Add in the hike a bike, it just might be the most climbing I have ever done, either with or without a load.












Comments

  1. DonJuly 22, 2019 at 7:33 AM

    Big trouble looks like an ominous name. Any signs of other bikers on the trail?
    What would you rate the beer at Fernie as compared to a few of our favorite places?

    ReplyDelete
  2. OuttaDoorsDanJuly 22, 2019 at 9:10 PM

    Hmmm, odd, no other bike packers.
    The Fernie beers we're above average.
    Grizzly Paw average, Canmore brewery quite nicely above, Jasper average.
    Average is pretty good these days

    ReplyDelete

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