Road building and Blasting activities on Forbidden Trails

Timberwest contractors are working on road building activities currently till December 22nd.

Please avoid all Forbidden Trails 7 days a week.

Basically, all the forests between the more recent cut blocks are now on the cutting block. This includes portions or all of;

Iron Horse
Rudy’s
Goats Head
Rat’s Tails
Dustwitch
Lumpy’s
Saporro Steeps
Monkey’s Challenge
Puntledge Plunge (upper section)

Blasting activities limit access to all trails.

Thanks for the understanding.

https://www.trailforks.com/polygon/334/

PS Editors note – I’m gutted seeing all these trails on the chopping block and I won’t get a chance to ride them again thanks to my car accident… SO please we all really want to go ride them one more time, but is it worth the risk. You never know when they may be doing blasting work. The contractors are not the company. Frustrations shouldn’t be directed their way.

PPS The photo posted is from 2009 when the road location markings were first created. Sooo we’ve had 9 good years since.

Mt. Washington to Open 3.5 Million Dollar ZipTour

MT. WASHINGTON ALPINE RESORT October 9, 2018 – Mt. Washington announced today the installation of a 3.5 million dollar multi-stage ZipTour. The longest on Vancouver Island, the 2.3-kilometre, four-part attraction, will enhance the resort’s famous alpine-to-ocean views by adding the thrill of a 415-metre vertical descent. The zip line offers guests unique access to the mountain with the opportunity to experience it in a whole new and exciting way.

“The ZipTour will make it possible for everyone to experience the beauty and excitement of Mt. Washington’s terrain, whether you are an expert skier or not,” comments Dean Prentice, General Manager at Mt. Washington. “We are continuing to build towards our goal of becoming a true year-round destination resort. In 2016 we reopened our lift-accessed Bike Park in which we have witnessed huge visitation growth. Continuing that expansion trend, we are excited to announce the Mt. Washington ZipTour is the largest single capital investment into our summer operations in the Resort’s history.”

Foundations are now in. Work will continue into the fall and Spring 2019. The Mt. Washington ZipTour is set to open Summer 2019!

The Mt. Washington ZipTour is a multi-stage course where guests can explore the resort’s terrain via four zip line segments that include short scenic walks in between each. The braking technology of the ZipTour allows for cable spans that are longer, steeper and more dramatic than a typical zip line canopy tour. This system provides guests a full mountain exploration tour, top to bottom, in less than two hours.

“Crews are pouring foundations as we speak,” states Mt. Washington’s Director of Operations, George Trousdell. “The project is a huge undertaking. The course will span a large part of the property; starting right at the top of the Eagle Chair, it will travel from one summit to the next, sending guests zipping high over the gorge to Little Mt. Washington. The tour then works its way down the Hawk side, finally ending on the top of the Rossignol Learning Centre – a thrilling entrance for everyone below to watch!”

The ZipTour gives guests the ability to control their speed of decent dynamically – meaning the guest can decide when to open up the throttle for thrills or to ease back to take in the views. The tour is also a shared experience. The course has two zip lines running parallel, giving guests the opportunity to race for fastest time, interact with each other and enjoy the excitement together.

The ZipTour will include four spans, each with two cables side by side. The total length will be 2,313 meters (7,589 ft) long and will drop a total of 415 metres (1,364 vertical feet). With construction already started and continuing next spring, the Mt. Washington ZipTour is set to open summer 2019.

Courtesy of Terra-Nova LLC of Utah, ZipTour at Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year. In the winter guests enjoy five chairlifts, and five conveyor lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain. The resort also has 55 kilometers of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include a new 2.3 kilometre ZipTour set to open summer of 2019, lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungy trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining. The resort also plays host to over 30 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can use WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air. Additional carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) includes Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

United Riders of Cumberland renew land agreement

As the United Riders of Cumberland roll into their tenth year of existence, they have grown in their function from a riding and racing club to a trail management organization. Recently renewing the 2 year initial land access agreement with the local private forest landowners, it shows their hard work has been viewed positively by the powers that be. To help in this ongoing project, there are a few great ways you can support the United Riders of Cumberland and the associated trails.

  1. Become a member – plain and simple, if you ride the Cumberland trails you should become a member – Memberships can be bought online here
  2. Help out at a trail day – gain some trail karma, schedule will be posted in the spring – http://unitedridersofcumberland.com/trail-maintenance/
  3. Participate in a hosted event – race fees generate a significant income for the club –  http://unitedridersofcumberland.com/events/
  4. Become a sponsor – do you own a business? Here’s a great way to contribute to UROC – http://unitedridersofcumberland.com/about/sponsorship/

The future looks bright for mountain biking in Cumberland and the United Riders of Cumberland are doing great work to bring the trail network into the next phases.

Keep up to date by connecting with their Facebook page.

Cumberland Jump Park & Skate Park to begin this spring.

The Jump Park design-build contract has been awarded to Squamish-based Dream Wizards Events Ltd. Dream Wizards will be responsible for the final in-field design, shaping and grading of four dirt jump trails (beginner through to expert in difficulty rating), a pump track and a run bike trail.

Lead by the renowned BC trail builder Ted Tempany (a.k.a. Big Red Ted), Dream Wizards has been building bike trails, jumps, pump tracks, and slopestyle courses throughout BC, the United States and as far away as New Zealand for over a decade, including for both professional and recreational riders.

The 5200 square foot custom concrete skatepark will have a street section, a bowl and a mini-ramp. Designed with an emphasis on beginner to intermediate features to reflect Cumberland’s growing demographic of young families, advanced features are also built in to challenge more experienced skateboarders. The construction contract has been awarded to the Comox firm Radius Contracting Inc., a company with experience building skateparks throughout BC and the rest of Canada.

Mount Washington Extends Winter Season

COMOX VALLEY March 14, 2017 – Mount Washington Alpine Resort leadership announced they are extending the 2016.17 winter season for one additional weekend. The Resort will close for daily operations on Sunday, April 2nd and will reopen for one additional weekend on Saturday, April 8th and Sunday, April 9th. Favourite seasonal events, The Dummy Downhill and Slush Cup, will take place April 1st and 2nd as planned.

A solid snow base and great March conditions call for extending the winter fun.

“Throughout March, we have experienced some of the best skiing and riding conditions of the season,” states General Manager, Peter Gibson. “By extending our season, we can deliver an extra weekend of winter to our Season Pass Members and day ticket users – conditions are too outstanding to close just yet!”

The Resort will be operating the Eagle Express and Hawk SixPack with a partial Green Acres opening. Reduced lift ticket prices will be in effect and all 2016.17 Mount Washington Season Passes will be valid during the extended weekend, including the Midweek Pass. 16.17 Midweek Passes will also be valid the weekend of April 1st and 2nd.

The extended weekend offers the perfect excuse for a final ski getaway for locals and destination travellers alike. Book online at www.mountwashington.ca and make the most out of the final weekend of winter!

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year. In the winter guests enjoy five chairlifts and five carpet lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain. The resort also has 55 kilometres of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungy trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining. The resort also plays host to over 30 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can use WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air. Additional carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) includes Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month Hits Mount Washington

COMOX VALLEY – January is the annual Rossignol Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month at Mount Washington. During the whole month, Mount Washington focuses on providing the opportunity for as many people as possible to get out and try winter sports by offering significant discounts on lessons, rentals, and lift tickets and by supporting the effort with extra staffing and programs for beginners.  For a special “Learn To” week which is January 9th to 13th, the resort provides “Discover Packages” at 50% off for first-time skiers, snowboarders and cross-country skiers.

KyleHansen(web)“Winter is not for hibernation,” laughed Mike Manara, Snow School Director at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month is all about getting out and learning a new sport – fresh air and fun!  Our certified Snow School instructors and beginner-friendly terrain play a big part in making it easy to learn.’” Manara also noted, “All of our instructors are fully certified with the Canadian Ski Instructor Alliance, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors or Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors. The instruction we offer is of the highest caliber and our aim is to see the student linking turns and having fun after their first lesson.”

With a unique beginner area, Mount Washington boasts five ‘Magic Carpets’ which are widely recognized as the best method for beginners to get up the hill.  The ‘Magic Carpets,’ which most closely resemble a moving walkway found in airport concourses, gently whisk beginners up a covered conveyer to the top of the gentle Easy Acres slope. ‘We invested over 3-million dollars into our beginner area in 2012,’ explained Peter Gibson, General Manager. “We graded the slope to a much more beginner-friendly pitch and installed the magic carpets to create a world class beginner area. Since the development of Easy Acres, we have introduced over 20,000 participants to the sports of skiing and snowboarding through our certified Snow School programs.”

January also marks the start of the seasonal Snow School programs. For all ages, these 5 to 10 week programs will provide the foundations for novice and intermediate level skiers and riders to be confident out on the slopes.  More advanced participants will have the opportunity to reach the next level in your abilities.

Rossignol Ski and Snowboard Month at Mount Washington includes: 50% off alpine and Nordic Discover Packages during Rossignol “Learn To” week, January 9 – 13; Winterfest which offers 50% off alpine and Nordic day tickets, January 16 – 20; and this year the resort announced the introduction of Never Ever Days to the Resort which is all-inclusive package January 7 and 21 for just $25. Details can be found online at www.mountwashington.ca

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year.  In the winter, guests enjoy five chairlifts and five carpet lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain.  The resort also has 55 kilometers of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungy trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining.  The resort also plays host to over 30 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can use WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air.  Additional carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) includes Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

Project Perseverance for the Cumberland Community Forest

perseverance-hallows-eve-ball-2016-poster-finalProject Perseverance is underway! For the next 2 weeks (right up until Saturday October 29th) the Cumberland Forest community is going flat out to meet some ambitious fundraising targets – and every penny is matched by a generous secret agent! There are so many ways to support the incredible effort underway.

1. Buy a Perseverance Raffle ticket – raffle tickets are now on sale! Prizes include 2 flights with WestJet (anywhere they fly), Mount Washington Lift Passes, Tribune Bay Camping, a Cedar Love Seat, BC Ferries Tickets and a Legendary Date Night in Cumberland! Tickets available at the Wandering Moose and Riders Pizza or from a Cumberland Forest volunteer. $10/ticket and every $ raised is matched

2. Bid on the Perseverance Online Auction – the online auction goes live this weekend (October 15th) and there is SO much to buy from generous businesses and professionals who have donated to the cause! Bid up, bid often. Every $ raised will be matched. Check facebook and web Oct 15th for web links to the auction site.

3. Come to the Perseverance Party in the Park! – Join us for a Party in the Park following the Perseverance Trail Run on Sunday October 23rd. Enjoy live music, DJ’s, face painting for kids, scavenger hunt, delicious BBQ, craft beer and a silent auction. 12-4 and ALL WELCOME. Rain or Shine! RSVP HERE

4. Get you ticket to the Perseverance Hallows’ Eve Ball –  do NOT miss this spectacular Halloween event on Saturday October 29th. Music, dance performances, aerial acrobatics, inner sanctums, spirits and ales, costume contests and so much more. CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET or stop by Riders Pizza. Every $30 ticket purchased is matched by supernatural forces!

5. Donate Cash or Silent Auction Items – there are still lots of ways to contribute to this campaign! You can make a cash donation by cheque (just mention Project Perseverance in the note) and drop off at the Wandering Moose OR visit our special fundraising site HERE and donate to Project Perseverance by Credit Card. Donations for the silent auctions on Oct 23 and Oct 29 are also welcome. Late items for the Online Auction are also welcome as we can add items as we go – message info@cumberlandforest.com to make arrangements.

6. Spread the Word! – Share the web and social media links widely and tell your friends and networks about this incredible project and fundraising potential of Project perseverance. The Cumberland Community Forest Society is a registered charity and tax receipts are issues for all cash donations over $20.

Forbidden Plateau logging starting sooner than expected

UROC has been asked to communicate the following harvesting information from TimberWest. Although this area falls outside of the URoC – TW land use agreement area we will work with TW to minimize impact to trails where operationally possible and remove debris for trail reconstruction.

“We are planning to log the block CW001 near Forbidden Plateau beginning later this week or early next week. Generally some sections of the impacted trails will be cut but they will have to be closed during harvesting operations. The harvesting will be done by a contractor and we will do our best to minimize impacts to the trails.”

Affected trails to include:

Upper Cabin Fever, Cabin Fever, Gecko, Two Sheiks, Screamin Deamon, Iron Horse.

Please follow any signage and please respect the boundaries of the logging activities.

12901335_598721066944395_4320850856252467951_o

Bike trails at Mount Washington headed in a new direction

COMOX VALLEY, VANCOUVER ISLAND – Following a three-year hiatus, the chairlifts will once again be spinning this summer for lift-accessed mountain biking at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. The trail crew has been working steadily throughout the spring for an anticipated mid-July opening. They have been using new techniques to re-build some of the old trails and working to add new trails to the range of offerings.

Mike Manara, who is responsible for the design and construction of the Bike Park, recently spent three days riding over 100 kilometers of trail in the Park City, Utah area. While there, he met with Charlie Sturgis, the head of the Mountain Trails Foundation, to discuss their trail network, which the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) designated five years ago as the world’s first Gold Level Ride Destination.

The meetings focused on new trail design and building techniques that helped Park City achieve its vaulted IMBA status – there are still only five Gold Level destinations in the world. This is not the first trail research Manara has done; he states “By spending time with industry partners we have been working on best practices with our connections at Whistler Bike Park and Silver Star to absorb knowledge from the top Parks in the industry.” His objective has been to bring these best practices in the mountain biking world back to the trails at Mount Washington.

Manara’s trip to Utah was at the invitation of the resort’s new owners, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI.) One of the principals of PGRI has been involved in the ongoing efforts to make Park City a world-class mountain biking destination, so biking is something they understand intimately. An estimated $250,000 will be invested into the mountain biking trails at Mount Washington this summer with enhancements planned for each year thereafter.

According to Manara, the trip was extremely worthwhile, “We rode an amazing array of terrain; flow trails, gravity trails, cross-country trails, bike parks, skills parks and pump tracks. I even had the chance to ride the brand new WOW! Trail which is 14 kilometers of some of the best downhill trail I have ever ridden. When you go to a place like that with such a variety of top-quality riding, you can’t help but be inspired to bring back great ideas we can use here.”

Manara is an avid and experienced mountain biker. He has been involved with the trails in Cumberland for the last 15 years and is one of the founders and longtime president of the United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) in the Comox Valley. He has seen the explosion in the number of riders so he understands how important the trails are to the success of Mount Washington’s mountain biking offering.

“I am hands on with the crew,” Manara explained. “We are finding new ways to build great trails at the resort, including using smaller machines which require less reclamation work. This means the overall time spent on the trail work is more productive and less impactful on the environment, while producing more interesting riding because it can have a better flow with the terrain.”

The team is made up of 12 builders who share the same ideas and values of building fast, flowy, smooth and fun trails on Vancouver Island. “The crew building the trails are riders,” stated Manara. “It is important that the people building the trails understand the flow and style that makes the experience great for a rider.”

Mario Fehrenberg and Scott Stansbury from Cumberland are on the Mount Washington trail crew. Both builders are especially proud of their work on the trail called Vanilla, a flow trail that is part of the Cumberland system. Joining them are Bill McLane from Nanaimo and Jeremy Baker from Courtenay. McLane worked on the trails for “Builder,” a mountain biking trail film. Baker helped build the original “Monster Mile,” one of Mount Washington’s signature trails, in 1997. Fehrenberg, Manara’s right hand man, noted, “We’re having a blast putting together the trails this time around. There are definitely huge improvements, and we’re making sure they are dialed and work great for the riders.”

“We are rebuilding the trail-system in three phases,” noted Manara. “The first phase has been focusing on sculpting a new Bike Park entrance to the Hawk Chair with a series of berms that will be fun for every skill level. Additionally, our beginner trail Green Line, is being reworked and Back in Black has received a face lift. In phase two, we are connecting a number of trails into one new line which will create the first new intermediate run; Hot Wheels. Phase three will see the top sections of the mountain linked together in a new way. We are also rebuilding a scenic 10 km cross-country (XC) bike loop with a modest total elevation change of 200 meters, The Finger Trail, which can be ridden from the base area without requiring lift access.”

The weather the first few weeks of June, while being a rainy challenge, has been an opportunity to see how the work that has be completed sets up in the alpine environment. Fehrenberg explains “When it rains, we build bridges over sensitive terrain and source out areas of possible erosion so we can create a more sustainable trail using grade reversals and low impact drainage. We want the trails to be here for the long-term so they need to be able to stand up to the weather in our region. It works out well for the riders, too, because it gives us natural opportunities to create the flow that today’s mountain bikers have so much fun riding.”

With four to six lift serviced, gravity fed trails expected for opening day, Mount Washington will have an experience available for every skill level and style of rider. The downhill and cross-country mountain biking trail systems will continue to expand throughout the summer season. The bike crew will work on new trails as weather permits. At the same time, they will ensure that the current trails remain in great shape through daily maintenance.

Peter Gibson, General Manager at Mount Washington commented “We are thrilled to be back in the bike business. The trails are looking amazing and having Mike heading up the team gives us a lot of confidence that the trail system will be top notch.”

“The decision to reintroduce the Bike Park wasn’t taken lightly,” Don Sharpe, Director of Business Operations at the resort divulged this week. “Our new owners are committed to a successful long-term plan for summer development, so they wanted to make sure that whatever we did was sustainable. We have all been working on bringing mountain biking back to Mount Washington since last November.”

Best practices from around the mountain biking world, sustainable trails, and bigger smiles on the riders’ faces from fast and flowing trails. Mount Washington’s trail builders may have hit on a winning formula.

THE TRAIL BUILDING CREW

  • Mike Manara
  • Mario Fehrenberg
  • Bill McLane
  • Scott Stansbury
  • Tony Radomi
  • Arne Neumann
  • Chris Snodgrass
  • Jef Gurney
  • Nick Dunn
  • Peter Dunn
  • Joseph Schnurr

Read more about their bios online

Mount Washington Bike Park June Update

Great news coming from the hill! It’s great to see some of our local builders working to bring some new trails and flow.

13412062_10157153382295515_7268415435604281536_oBy mid-July we expect to have 4-6 trails open with something for every riding level and type. We will have flowy, technical and cross-country. Crews will be working all-season long to expand.

Below are photos of a Bike Park trail walk from last week. The lower half of the mountain is drying up nicely and crews have been busy shaping Green Line and Back-in-Black. The snow has begun to melt on the upper mountain, things are still wet but have been drying up fast.

Rocky Mountain Bicycles have been chosen for our rental fleet. The two bikes we will have available are the Maiden Park, a fully carbon DH bike and the Altitude 730, a great bike for our new flowy trails! There is a small repair and rental shop set up in the Alpine Lodge to deal with minor repairs such as flats and brake tuning. For larger repairs we encourage you to support your local bike shop.

 

More Photos from the progress.