Well the builder wanted me to spread the word, so here it is....
The trail is on Menzies Mountain about 20mins north of Campbell River. Great views, some alpine/old growth singletrack, stunts, and some steeps. What more could you want?
Here is the info from Aaron, the builder;
The long awaited, never doubted (?), Grand Opening of what promises to be the premiere mountain trail of our area is upon us. The time has come to test your mettle, and put the MOUNTAIN back in Campbell River's Mountain Biking!!! Please come and share in this momentous occassion and spread the word.
Details:
This is a cross-country downhill trail. It is not a "sick" trail although it has technical sections. Trail difficulty = "Blue Sqare" with one <100m walkable black diamond'ish steeper section, plus optional "Black Diamond" lines. It's not a novice level trail. This is a mountain environment so prepare as you would for any eventuality (appropriate clothing and 1st aid kit). I am the trail builder, not a first aider, and I am not a "guide" per se. CRCC members will be insurance covered under their existing plan (I think?) but others are on their own. I will have map photocopies for those who are there by 11am.
The road climb is LONG with plenty elevation gain and is a worthwhile part of the experience. The climb follows a rough logging road for just under 9 km (you will walk your bike up some steeps). This will take an experienced mtb rider between 1 and 1.5 hours up on an "all mountain" type bike (budget more depending on your fitness level etc). The trail begins in a high clearcut, at the end of the road, entering high elevation old growth timber and beautiful open grassy subalpine meadows shortly thereafter. Riding these sections (minor hike-a-bike), will take another ~15 minutes before you reach the trail summit, and lookout, where we will hold a short Christening Ceremony and have a snack (BYOS).
The upper trailhead is accessible by clearance 4x4 vehicle so if you're not up for earning your turns, you could shuttle it, however its a long rough'ish road so shuttling is a waste of time in my opinion.
Determine your own prefered ride start time based on the following schedule:
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10:30 - 11:15 am - Start riding uphill. 11am Group Ride start from base of Menzies Mtn
(Right turn off Hwy 19; 5 km north of the Browns Bay Marina road; See recent clearcut to your left at road junction).
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12:30 pm. Quick Regroup at end of logging road, at upper Trailhead.
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1:05 pm. Snack Break (BYOS) and Trail Opening Ceremony at Top Lookout.
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~1:20 pm. Downhill delights! (budget approximately 2 hours)
FYI. We did the first Unofficial ride this past Sunday with about 10 riders, with rave reviews! I assure you,... this is THE event of the year for Campbell River's mountainbiker population (well, I'm biased).
Be there or square folks!!!
Aaron Smeeth