Sprinting To Whistler... |
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| By: | Tom Marx |
| Date: | 8/19/2005 thru 8/21/2005 |
| Two clowns take their Yamaha R bikes to Whistler, the really loooong way. While there, it's downhill MTB fun on Kona rentals. | |
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| Ever since Denise and I make the trip up to Whistler on our bikes last year, I was looking forward to the chance to try it on the R1. The Beemer was nice, it handled pretty well, and carried lots of stuff. Some of these roads simply demanded more though. So I planted the seed early, telling everyone that would listen, that there was this great ride -an epic - if you just wanted to put in a couple days. Well I got one taker in Alan. Sure, there were some fence-sitters, but when it came down to it, they were just posers! So Alan and I made it a Yamaha show, him on his R6, me on the R1, and off we went into the Great White North to Whistler, the long way! |
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A map of the area... |
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Tom finishes loading fuel in preparation for the North Cascades Highway crossing. |
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Looking up into the construction area on SR20 - this is about as straight as it gets in the early portion of SR20... |
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While waiting for a pause in the construction on SR20, Alan sits against the scenic backdrop. Also, nice motorcycles... |
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Now that's some helmet hair...really it was the wind. |
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Alan's R6 sitting at the Esso in Lytton, BC. Another 4 hours to go to get through Lillooet, Pemberton and finally into Whistler Village... |
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Having already devoured around 400 miles on this day, Tom's R1 sits in Lytton, BC, ready for another 200 and change on this day... |
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Looking back at the Village while on the lift heading up to midstation. We only used about a third of the mountain... |
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Riders braver (better) than us head to the top. Only diamonds or DDs will get you down from there - there were no blues - BTW, that's a false summit here... |
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Alan at the top of the hill, the Village and Alta Lake are in the background... |
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Tom on top with the Village in the background... |
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One of the more fun blue trails, the Crank-It-Up even had a mini-terrain park about half way down. This trail opened the week we were there, not too many used it... |
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Alan caught me on a small table-top jump - hey this was my first day downhilling - at least my short looked like it was having fun! |
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I caught Alan showing off some front-wheel stunting off one the diamond jumps...that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! |
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The last run of the day - on Smoke And Mirrors - scared the crap out of me. These were the only planks I rode. |
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Alan, either much braver, or less bright than I, tried to inhale on Smoke And Mirrors - with this result! |
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A little perspective to Alan's fall - ytes it was from the top of the hump - about 6 feet... This is why we rented the bikes, and bought the insurance! |
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Alan gets ready for the ride back home - only 400 miles today... |
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A fresh Mogul's latte consumed, Tom get's ready in the bright sunrise for the ride home... |
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Luxurious sport tourers they're not, but when the roads go snaky, these animals are the mongoose! |
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A few miles north of Hope, BC, most of the good stuff is now further north in our mirrors, we say farewell to the best BC has to offer. We'll be back! |
