[John P.]

Just got back from 12 days in Whistler. As always, it was a great, great time with good friends, fantastic food, and tons of riding.

Anyway, on Thursday I decided to see how long and far I could ride in a single day using my GPS to measure progress. Having gone out the night before, I was a little slow in the A.M. and didn't get on the mountain until 10:30AM. Also, I rode with some friends at different points in the day who had some flats that took a while to fix (amazingly, I suffered zero mechanicals all day), and that slowed things down a bit. But in the end, I got more than enough riding by the time I had to get back for dinner at 7:30PM. I ate lunch on the lift (thanks, Tanya, for bringing the sandwich!) and tried to just do steady laps all day. I also tried my best to ride a variety of different trails, but I pussed out on some of the gnarlier ones (Clown Shoes, Joyride, Goat's Gulley, D1, Rock City, etc.).

Here are the results:
Number of runs from the top of Fitzsimmons Chair/Gondola Midstation to Village: 8
Number of runs from top of Garbanzo to Village: 4
Total vertical feet descended: 22,684
Total Number of miles covered (chair and bike): 52.67
Total number of miles ridden on bike: 34.01
Total time on mountain: 9hr 02min

Obviously, this is no record and I'm sure there are plenty of badass folks who could put this to shame, so post up your own stories/pics! I can tell you that my day was exhausting but tons of fun.

Later,

JP

 

[dump]

That's awesome! Very envious lying here on the couch recovering from acl reconstruction.

 

[FCLinder]

Damn JP you are one lucky boy. Already saving up for a trip out there next summer but for the whole family. I bet youe trip would have been much better if the Bikini Team was there at each Lift to give you a Ice Cool Drink!!!!!

Glad to see your still out having fun man.

Cecil

 

[CBJ]

First time in seven years I will not be in Whistler this year due to visa renewal. I will be back next year. Seems like the weather has been perfect this July.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

yeah how are conditions up on the mtn right now? we will be up there august 9th - 14th...from all the vids i have seen it is really dry

 

[John P.]

Damn JP you are one lucky boy. Already saving up for a trip out there next summer but for the whole family. I bet youe trip would have been much better if the Bikini Team was there at each Lift to give you a Ice Cool Drink!!!!!

Glad to see your still out having fun man.

Cecil

Thanks! We actually may have done one better this year - we had our friends Carolyn and Tanya stay with us at our condo, and they not only did all the food shopping at Costco down in Vancouver, they cooked these insanely great gourmet meals every night and morning (grilled salmon and prawns, eggs benedict, multi grain pancakes, grilled marinated steaks, etc). I can't thank those two enough. With the discounts they got on groceries, it only cost the 6 guys in our place $185 each for 7 days of food and beer (12 cases, I think?). Ridiculous.

Seems like the weather has been perfect this July.

You wouldn't believe it - I was there the 16th through the 27th, and it didn't rain a drop until we got a tiny sprinkle on the afternoon of our very last day. The trails are a bit beat up because of the dry weather, but I'd take rough trails and sunny/warm weather over rain any day.

 

[bizutch]

Do me a favor. Can you change the color coding of the run from the top of Freight Train to A-Line? I'd love to see that route singled out.

 

[BRIANBUELL]

Sounds like you had a great time, maybe too much time eating great food though!

 

[Fonzie18]

I shall be up there this Sunday through Wednesday! stoked.

 

[FlipFantasia]

finally getting some rain today.....we need it, badly.......I choked down dust at the pemby fest all weekend, it was awesome!

 

[chriscarleton]

I was just watching out for a sh!tstorm the entire time I was there.

 

[John P.]

Do me a favor. Can you change the color coding of the run from the top of Freight Train to A-Line? I'd love to see that route singled out.

I'll try, but Freight Train doesn't connect directly into A-Line. You'd have to hit Dirt Merchant in the middle (or do a flat ride across the top of Fitzsimmons Chair which screws up the flow).

Here's something that will interest you, though: we did a Freight Train>Dirt Merchant>A Line run, and I counted up all the drops/jumps along the way. The total was 93!

 

[Tenacious Doug]

On a slightly unrelated note what GPS unit are you riding with, been looking at them recently, like the look of the Garmin units but dont know anyone using them.

 

[ChrisKring]

FYI: there are garmin files available for a map of the Whistler trails.

I intend on riding with my Garmin 60CSX when I am there in September. Partialy to keep track of the same thing John did and partialy to be able to find some of the trails that we didn't ride the last time I was there.

 

[danielsapp414]

I've been riding Whistler on the weekends mostly, usually the shore on saturday and whistler on sunday, sometimes in the week also, and am up to 11 days with 105 runs/scans....so that's 105 halves I suppose. Going to try to go do every trail on the mountain; top, bottom, plus some other trails I know of on the mountain in a day sometime here soon, but we'll see as the joints in my fingers are not working too well and that may or may not happen but its alright, riding is fun!

 

[dirtboyracer]

That's awesome! Very envious lying here on the couch recovering from acl reconstruction.

Same here. I'm itching to get back on a bike already and I'm only 12 days out. Gotta wait though. Stories like these don't help too much...

 

[PatBranch]

yeah how are conditions up on the mtn right now? we will be up there august 9th - 14th...from all the vids i have seen it is really dry

I'll be there about the same time. I didn't even know it was going to be crankworx.... Dry should be good for me, since everything I ride in this state is dry.

 

[spocomptonrider]

I just got back from 4 days of riding up there. It was my first time and it was very impressive, I've got to say riding Garbonzo from O-Sin - Goats Gully - In Deep - Fatcrobat - D1 - Joyride was probably one of the most challenging and fun times I have had on a bike, the variety was amazing. I feel like I made a bigger improvement in my riding in 4 days up there then I have all season.

Also the old classics like freight train - dirt merchant - lower a-line were so much fun especially in full death train mode with 6 plus guys. Another lower line that was alot of fun for our crew was Whistler dh - The French Connection - Crack Addict. I cannot wait to go back in 2 weeks, I will have a GPS and keep this record in mind.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

Wow! 12 days in Whistler? Ouch. That makes me sore just thinking about it... Albiet a good sore. :biggrin:

Got 3 days up there a couple weeks ago and all I got was this lousy picture...

 

[dan-o]

1 more day of work until 6 days of whistler bliss. I can feel the hand and liver pump already.

 

[auntesther]

1 more day of work until 6 days of whistler bliss. I can feel the hand and liver pump already.

"work"? you get a new job or something?

 

[dan-o]

"work"? you get a new job or something?

Edit: 1 more day of telling other people to work.
I'll hoist a pitcher of water in your honor if my lifetime ban from garfinkles has been pardoned.

 

[auntesther]

Edit: 1 more day of telling other people to work.
I'll hoist a pitcher of water in your honor if my lifetime ban from garfinkles has been pardoned.

so jealous...I could go for some sweet trails and a dozen pithcers of water right about now

 

[Runner]

I'm going from Aug 2 - 11 for my first time, anybody else up there then?

 

[dump]

Same here. I'm itching to get back on a bike already and I'm only 12 days out. Gotta wait though. Stories like these don't help too much...

We're in the same boat. I'm 11 days out. Feel better...

 

[RaID]

quick question John P

What GPS are you using to map out your runs like that?

 

[John P.]

I'm using a DeLorme GPS PN-20. It's a pretty cool device that you can upload aerial imagery onto so that you can actually see where you are in an area while actually out in the field.

The big downside is that I haven't figured out how to use it very well in Canada yet. To create the image you see at the top of the page, I basically pulled the GPS file off of the unit (in .gpx format), then I uploaded that file into Google Earth. From the sounds of what ChrisKring said above, I'm guessing some of the Garmin units are a little more adept at use in Canada?

FYI,

John P.

 

[Fonzie18]

I'm going from Aug 2 - 11 for my first time, anybody else up there then?

I shall be out there the 3-6. Orange Cannondale Judge with a 40.

 

[RPG]

How was it DROPPIN' in on freight train? I bet it was LOADS of fun!

Note to everyone: Inside Whistler joke.







President of the Nick Manning Fan Club since 2008

 

[ohio]

**** my face, that looks like a sick day. You must have some strong legs, especially at the knees.

 

[pelo]

Awesome with the GPS.

 

[chriscarleton]

**** my face, that looks like a sick day. You must have some strong legs, especially at the knees.

droppin loads all over your glasses

 

[RPG]

droppin loads all over your glasses

Eat it!

 

[chriscarleton]

eat It!

I Am Thunderstorm Hardon

 

[ChrisKring]

here is where to download a garmin file with the whistler trails on it

http://www.switchbacks.com/maps/NW_Trails.html

 

[oliverberry]

I am a massive fan of whislter
and this is the first pic of whistler properly
and its awseome sounds like a good day