麻豆社区

Excellent weather contributed to a great turnout for the 5+ Hours of Light fat bike festival at Wolf Creek Campground Sunday.

The event was co-hosted by Contagious Mountain Bike Club and Cycling Association of Yukon.

The Star spoke with organizer Jesse Weyman about halfway though the event.

He said the final number of riders that registered was 62.

Weyman agreed that the weather had something to do with the large turnout.

鈥淰ery likely, yes. The last time we hosted the event, the morning temperatures at sunrise were at about -29潞C and this year it clocked in around -3, -2.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a gorgeous, sunny day here. The trails are great as well.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a tough year. I coordinate the grooming for the Contagious Mountain Bike Club (CMBC) as well and it鈥檚 been a tough year with all the strange freeze-thaw pattern we鈥檝e had in terms of getting the trails groomed at Mount McIntyre and on Grey Mountain.

鈥淎nd the volunteer, Jim Hawkings, who packs the trail out here, has done a fantastic job. So it鈥檚 a real nice course out there.鈥�

Weyman said the course is 8.5 km long and 鈥渘ice and wide, packed. There鈥檚 a couple sections that are single-track but a lot of it is wider because it鈥檚 the walking trails here at the Wolf Creek campground. And really nice rolling terrain, not too many big hills. Just a couple little ones along the way to keep you on your toes.鈥�

Weyman said he鈥檇 gotten really positive feedback from the riders.

鈥淚t seems like everyone鈥檚 having a great day. There may be a couple slippery spots out there down by the river but overall, reports that the trail鈥檚 in great shape and everyone鈥檚 having a great time.鈥�

Weyman said there were a couple people in holiday theme costumes, as well as copious amounts of food available through a pot luck.

He also thanked the volunteers for their efforts.

鈥淚t really takes a community and we鈥檙e so lucky in the Yukon to have so many people that not only fat-bike, but mountain-bike too and get engaged in their community events. So really just grateful to everyone who鈥檚 lent a hand to participate and for all the people who chose to register and show up. It makes putting these efforts in to host these kinds of events worthwhile.鈥�

Aaron Foos was taking a break after doing three laps on the course.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great. Pretty ideal. Nice temperature.鈥�

Foos said his goal for the day was to 鈥渉ave fun.鈥�

鈥淚 do at least five (laps.) I鈥檓 not trying to race for the win. I鈥檓 just having fun.鈥�

Of the festival, Foos said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e ever missed one of them. I usually help organize them.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just fun to ride with people that are like-minded on bikes in the winter. When you get a nice day like today and get a chance to do a bunch of laps with friends, it鈥檚 great.鈥�

Foos said the warmer temperature gets more people out on the course and added it was -4.2潞C on the trail Sunday.

鈥淎s long as it doesn鈥檛 get warmer. When it gets above freezing, it鈥檚 not great,鈥� related Foos.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good fun. Jim鈥檚 got the course in great shape, as usual.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have a dedicated neighbour like that who keeps the course in such great shape.鈥�

Foos said he set up the course.

鈥淚 designed this course when they moved it from the Grey Mountain course. We started this event on Grey Mountain years ago and then we had a winter that was too warm and all the trails iced up really badly on Grey Mountain and it was too dangerous to have it.鈥�

Foos pointed out that the Wolf Creek course is pretty intermediate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 friendly for everyone. Its not too hard. If people want to try out the fat bikes and get a taste for it, it鈥檚 not going to 鈥榗rush their soul鈥� and make them hate it.

鈥淎nd there鈥檚 lots of options to make it shorter if you just want to go for a spin.鈥�

Foos said, however, there鈥檚 enough of a challenge for people who want to take it seriously.

鈥淚t can bite on a few spots on the course, which is kind of nice. I think it鈥檚 a good balance for participation and still challenging people that want to go hard.鈥�

Foos said the conditions Sunday were almost 鈥渢oo good.鈥�

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to slow down or else you 鈥榦vercook鈥� a lot of corners. I鈥檝e seen a number of people who鈥檝e done that on a few corners because conditions are so good. You can go too fast.鈥�

Foos added Icycle Sports had a fleet of rental bikes there for people who wanted to have a go at the trails.

Brooke Alsbury was splitting time on a bike with her friend, Alison Sisson and had done two laps.

鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful. What a spectacular day,鈥� she exclaimed. 鈥淭he conditions are amazing and the temperature is just magical.

鈥淭he trail conditions are excellent. I鈥檓 not a racer, but for the race today, I think it鈥檚 been really great. It鈥檚 all packed down and it鈥檚 fast and it鈥檚 fun.鈥�

Alsbury, a first-time 5+ rider, figured they鈥檇 do five or six laps.

She added, 鈥淭his time of year, any event that brings people out and brings community together, I think is really important.

Weyman figured the total number of laps ridden by all riders was likely somewhere in the 700-800 range.

Hudson Lucier, president of the CMBC, head coach of the Yukon Mountain Bike team and local athlete, completed the most laps and set a new course record with nine laps completed, riding over 70 km during the five hour event.