The Triple Crown

Thanksgiving Triple Crown - Coast to Coast

You may query what is a triple crown? Well every town has one, it's just that the N.Shore exemplifies it. A triple crown is the King of Epics in your own backyard, a triple mountain doozy or a big circumnavigation of your valley, the full meal deal etc etc, you get it, right?

Here is a video of last years event -2009 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yACDNLyTf7Q

Here on the N. Shore we link up all three mountains, from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay - we go all the way. 8100 feet of climbing 63 km's, just another day at the office. Now some people will debate what the official route is, but I don't give a rat's ass, if anyone wants to even put their bike on three mountains, great. If they can even ride the lowest trails on three mountains and dip their toes into the water, great.

and if like our intern in the picture above, you come from France and love to Mountain Bike then this silly ride is gonna put a big grin on your silly face.

We always start early for this neveaux annual event (stay tuned for next years date) 8 am in the Cove. With a good showing this year of 21 starters, Greg Hayes, Wade Simmons, Bob Faulkner, Keith Stark, Luke and Mark Kazmirski, the 'French' Intern, Andrew Clark, Johnny Rockall, Paul Kalish, Alex, Mark, Arthur, the Traslin Brothers, Sam from Victoria, Richard, Doug Horn, a bunch of others and Clark forgot his helmet in the car, so this was the crew for the 2010 Triple Crown.

We cruised quickly up to Park Gate and began our Old Buck ascent. As usual things spread out pretty quickly, but this is a tour not a race and there were many stops planned, in fact there is a store after each mountain.

Our route took us low over Mt Seymour up the Buck and over to the Severed D. My thoughts on this were to entice all the maybe's; once they had two mountains in the bag they would be suckered into the third, well I think my plan worked, I got an extra 2 peeps for sure.

Up we climbed and down the Dick, no problems, great crew, no flats, over Bottle Top and up twin bridges to the 'end of the line'. It's nice to have a coffee on thanksgiving at 10 am in your biking gear, mid-ride, don't you think?

Then it was onto Fromme, where we picked up Bruce Spicer, took a spin down the new Bobsled (nice work gang) and onward to the peak of Grouse. It's a long climb and there were many other groups out there with a questioning look as we purposefuly drove onward to the top - "see yeah next year suckers."

I guess it would seem that the Village Chair or Jet Boy trail gets it's action only once a year, the bang for the buck is debatable, big ass climb, yes a sweet descent, but really I think we can and do do better over on Fromme. Non the less, it's a sweet, loamy steep ass trail, good for a little pucker. We had a quick stop at the engine, and without casualties descended to Skyline.

Here was a major parting of the ways, 21 dudes quickly became 11 as we headed to the Mount Royal store to refuel. And wouldn't you know it Doug Horn was there waiting for us. 11 became 8 as we headed into what was now looking like a grey Cypress Mt, with guaranteed precip.

Yeah it was a bit chilly and I was thinking about my supplies as we headed out, but when you have a purpose there is no thwarting it. Up through the BP's onto the Millstream connector and up to the 2nd switchback and up and up some more. There were plenty of tired legs as we approached the summit and some near aborts, but our little group cajoled and supported itself all the way to the Port o John trailhead. Then and only then are you truly looking down on the finish, it's an awesome feeling to know you are so close and the rest is literally all downhill.

When we came out at Cypress Park estates it was a good cast of characters, Doug Horn and Arthur Gaillot headed home on their bikes, Clark went for a long night shift up the sea to sky somewhere and Richard, Sam, Dre and the Traslin brothers went all the way to Horseshoe Bay for some well deserved Fish n Chips.

and this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home to the couch. Again 8000 feet patiently climbed with a wicked awesome crew, 63 km's from Coast to Coast and don't forget, see you next year for the Thanksgiving Triple Crown.

Get out there and push yourself just a little, each day.

Dre