This story started last fall at the Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium held here. My wife Ann guided some of the group rides and in the process met one of the attendees, Sue, from Whistler. Sue was so stoked about our trails she suggested that her ladies’ mountain biking group at Whistler make Williams Lake their destination for this year’s annual road trip. An email arrived in February asking Ann if she would be able and willing to accommodate “twelve or fifteen” ladies for 3 nights. What the heck, make some new friends, show off our trails, it’s all good. By mid-spring it was up to 18 (“Um…sure, no problem”), then 10 days before arrival, “Ann be honest, can you handle 21?” “(Gulp) Yes, I’m sure we could manage that”. Friends were recruited to guide 3 different levels of rides, we brainstormed about the best routes, and braced ourselves. A full house plus a tent city in the backyard made for a busy weekend, but it was good times from start to finish. The ladies ate out one of the nights, and for their home-cooked meals purchased their food at the Growers’ Co-op and other locally based businesses. The expresso machine on loan from Barking Spider, fuelled by locally roasted coffee, made for happy mornings. The ladies embraced the local culture with cowgirl regalia second-to-none. The group had the full range of riding abilities from some having barely ridden on singletrack to a recent BC Bike Race contestant, and all found suitable trails for both fun and challengeBikes were ridden, friendships were formed, good times were had, and our trail system acquired a whole new fan club. Mission accomplished.
Here are some of the ladies’ comments:
“Riding in Williams Lake was off the hook! Fun old school XC with swooping, flowy descents…couldn’t have been more fun! We just scratched the surface and I’d love a chance to ride more of their trails.”
“The fast flowy downhills were the summer equivalent of a stellar blue powder run.”
“Our group included riders from non-technical cruisers to a BC Bike Race competitor. We ALL had fun and found challenges. My favourite – Hillbilly Deluxe – swoopy, steep side walls.”
“There was something for everyone. Fast flowy downhills, miles of meandering XC trails through gorgeous forest, and techy features and descents. The trails were well marked and maintained and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! Local hospitality and their excitement to share their trails made the experience even better.”
“I loved the airiness of the forest on the rolling single track offered on both Fox Mountain and the somewhat steeper South Lakeside. Being able to stop and forage fresh raspberries as we rode along was a delightful bonus.”
“Local hospitality is warmer than you will find anywhere on the planet.”
