Photo by Morris Prokop
ON THE TRAIL 鈥� Steve Ball rides down the trail overlooking the Yukon River during the 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival at Wolf Creek, east of Whitehorse city centre, Saturday.
Photo by Morris Prokop
FOLLOW THE LEADER 鈥� Crispin Studer (#2) leads, followed by Steve Ball (#1) and Ian Parker, who completed eight laps and finished first among the men.
Photo by Morris Prokop
FROSTY WOMEN鈥橲 WINNER 鈥� Heather Clarke during one of her six laps, good for first place among the women.
Photo by Morris Prokop
FROSTY FRIENDS 鈥� Craig Machtans (front) and Aaron Foos head back to the starting point of the Fat Bike Festival and the warmth of the shelter for a much-deserved break
Photo by Morris Prokop
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN 鈥� Aaron Foos on the trail.
Photo by Morris Prokop
RING MY BELLS 鈥� MC Devin Matthews rings his bells while cheering on the riders in the 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival Saturday.
CMBC holds 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival at Wolf Creek
The Contagious Mountain Biking Club of Yukon held the 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival on Saturday at Wolf Creek, east of Whitehorse.
The Contagious Mountain Biking Club of Yukon held the 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival on Saturday at Wolf Creek, east of Whitehorse.
The festival started at approximately 11:07 a.m. and went to approximately 4:46 p.m.
Bikers rode a nine-kilometre course, starting at the Wolf Creek campground.
Colin McCann, one of the organizers, explained the event.
鈥淚t鈥檚 meant to celebrate the solstice. There鈥檚 five hours and 39 minutes of daylight today ... we encourage people to come out and do as many laps as they can ... but it鈥檚 also meant for just anybody to come and go for a fat bike ride.鈥�
McCann explained how it works. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a festival where we can do a race and ... where people can come. So there鈥檒l be people coming later today when it鈥檚 not so cold and they鈥檒l just do a lap ... or a couple of laps, or they鈥檒l come and ride with friends.
鈥淚 have some friends I haven鈥檛 seen in a while 鈥� I鈥檒l ride with them later today.鈥�
The temperature at Wolf Creek was unofficially a surprisingly balmy -29C, with no wind chill. Properly dressed, it was actually rather pleasant out there. McCann said the cold would affect the riders鈥� performance.
鈥淪o the cold will slow the bikes down ... the grease in the bearings will be slower. The pedals will be slower. People鈥檚 bodies will be slower. The record is nine laps for men, and eight laps for women. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e going to approach that today. I don鈥檛 think anybody will set a record today.鈥�
Aaron Foos was one of the riders. When asked why he was here, he responded 鈥渇un! I love this event,鈥� he exclaimed. 鈥淚 volunteer and help put it on. I live near here, so I鈥檓 partial to these trails. I like to have people come out and share the trails with us. It鈥檚 a good time. Lots of my friends come out and ride around on the shortest Saturday (of the year). It鈥檚 a great idea.鈥�
Foos had done two laps at that point, and was hoping to do one or two more. He had pre-ridden the course for three hours Friday helping set it up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great today,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 little on the chilly side, but, you just have to dress for it ... Jim Hawkings, who lives in Pine Ridge, he stomps these trails every day. It鈥檚 phenomenal, the work he does. The trail鈥檚 like a sidewalk. It鈥檚 beautiful.鈥�
The men鈥檚 winner was Ian Parker (eight laps) and the women鈥檚 winner was Heather Clarke (six laps).
The total laps ridden on the day were 67, for an approximate total of 603 kilometres.
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