Abyss in Nanaimo on Saturday morning (Nov 25)

[smoochy]

Meet at Pirate Chips downtown at 11:30am on November 25.

i've got room for three bike on my car rack.

ride the abyss.

it will be fun.

Max

[CraigH]

I already sent you a PM, but I'll be there.

[CraigH]

Weather forecasts:

http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-20_metric_e.html

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/cities/can/Pages/CABC0195.htm

~~~~~~~~~~

AlanB from W.Van. will also be coming over too.

[smoochy]

yup, it's gonna be a cold one, bring your wind breakers and warm gloves.

[Jah]

I'm definately in as well. I have a little Mazda pickup so I can't carry a lot of passengers but I can carry bikes.

[CraigH]

Everyone still a go for the ride tomorrow?

Heading for the ferry after work, hoping to get the 5:00pm.

It would be great if you could hold off the snow until the ride is over...

Edit: What started this ride in the first place:
http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=87288

[Jah]

So far there's three of us?

[CraigH]

4, riding buddy AlanB from Vancouver is coming over too.

[smoochy]

It's gonna be a big'un!

I'll leave the shih-tzus at home...

[smoochy]

One of Craig's friends is going to be slightly late, so the second meeting option is at the trailhead at 12:30pm.

I will be at Pirate Chips at 11:30 and i'll wait there until about noon eating power food before heading to the powerlines.

Max

[CraigH]

I'll leave the shih-tzus at home...

I was hoping to meet your dogs, guess it will have to be the next time.

Thanks again for leading the ride, Alan & I had a blast!

Sorry about not joining you for post ride food, the choice was either to try for the 5:00 ferry, or hope the snow didn't get any worse and take the 7:00.

As it was the 5:00 was a little bumpy.

We saw less snow driving across the lower mainland than there is in Nanaimo.

Time for a shower & beer!

[CraigH]

So far there's three of us?

Great to meet you, if you make it over here, let me know and we'll try to hook up for a ride.

[Jah]

I had a ton of fun Craig, Max and Allan. I'm a little sore today but all is good. :) I'm definately up for riding the shore with you guys sometime.

[socanadian]

How was the trail now that they log some of it off!! Did you do the full loop? (humility to the road and back up to abys) Disorientates me every time I hit the new clear cut. My name is Russ and I'll keep an eye on the forums to see if you guys come over again!!

[CraigH]

Starting from the Harwood Mine & Powerline intersection.
According to trail names on the map, loop was:

Powerline road
Enigma
Western 1/3 of T-Bone
Abyss
Waterline road
Humility
Optional Eastern loop off of Humility (no name on map)
Humility
Gravel road (now extends to T-bone, not shown on the map)
Eastern 2/3 of T-bone
North end of Abyss
Powerline road

http://www.island.net/~pmcgarri/abys.pdf

Edit: I see Alan has posted some pics of the ride here
http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=87288&page=2

[smoochy]

yup, a great ride all-round. dogs will come next time, i just didn't want them to get trod on in the crowd!

good pics Alan, i like the before and after...

Max

[socanadian]

Nice..crazy weather changes!! We ride the abys or enigma to abys (depending how hard we wanna ride).
Then we turn onto connector, over to humility, turn right down to waterline, ride waterline back to abys and ride up that dam hill. Back along abys to enigma and race down that.. Good loop

[Jah]

How was the trail now that they log some of it off!! Did you do the full loop? (humility to the road and back up to abys) Disorientates me every time I hit the new clear cut. My name is Russ and I'll keep an eye on the forums to see if you guys come over again!!

Hey Russ good to see another Nam local on the site. You'll definately have to join us on the next go.

[socanadian]

Oh ya sure would like that. Me and a buddy ride it usually 2 a week.

[CraigH]

Digging up an old ride planning post, we are riding the Abyss on Friday morning, anyone ridden it this spring to give a condition update?

[smoochy]

not recently, but it was good about 1.5 months ago.

[CraigH]

Thanks for the info!

Was just curious if it got hit with the windstorms & blow downs like the trails over here. Also if the logging & road building operations up there had taken out more trails.

[Heathen]

The Abyss is so nice to rail on my XC ride. I love all the short steep rock faces.

[socanadian]

We cleared most of the fall downs and built a new trail that skirts the newly logged out section. (trail is called poker run)
The motorbikes haven't killed the trails yet but are trying, the trails are in great condition.

[CraigH]

We cleared most of the fall downs and built a new trail that skirts the newly logged out section. (trail is called poker run)
The motorbikes haven't killed the trails yet but are trying, the trails are in great condition.

We saw the Poker Run trail, but since I didn't know where it went we skipped it and took the old route. Next time...

I posted in the other Abyss thread on the Shore board about the damage the quads are doing to the trails up there.

[socanadian]

Poker run is a bitch in either direction!!! Love it