49′er is a sweet blue square track located in Blewett about 10 minutes drive west of Nelson. Offering plenty of stunts, flowy single track and even some steeps, 49′er pretty much has a little something for everyone. Nicknamed “Friends and Lovers” by some locals, 49′er is a great ride for a group of different skill levels.
The climb to get to the 49′er trail head is a bit of a grind, a little longer than say getting to Fat Chance in the Mountain Station area, but it seems a little easier because of the mellower grades on the logging road. The climb offers some epic views of Toad Mountain and the Kootenay River, and all in all you should top it in about an hour. The trail is broken up into three sections, each crossing the road, with the the first two sections being the blue square, stunted up lines, and the third being the steepest section with less stunts.
Beginning with the first section, you start off in a peddly section that gets the blood flowing and your mind set to the task at hand. A couple of small A-style bridges let you test your skills as you flow through the forest. This whole section makes use of your cranking ability and it’s a good idea to keep your speed up to easily flow over some mini-bridges that take you over some fallen trees. Near the end of this section is a stunt with a nice little drop on the left (keep speed up here to clear the rock behind the jump) and a ride-down skinny on the right. Either way is fun and a small jump gives you a little opportunity for some more fun quickly after that. Peddle up a short hill and negotiate a short rocky pitch and your already out on the road. Section 1 – complete.
The second section features some really long and challenging log rides. The first of which is right at the beginning of this section. Gear choice is key to clean this stunt because at the end of the first log, you have to clear a small A-style bridge and then negotiate the second section.. which at the end of it turns hard right and you start climbing up a up-angle log that is pretty long and finishes on a down-angle skinny. After that there are plenty of stunts and alternate lines all through this loamy section of forest. There are a couple of low to the ground log rides too to get initiated into this Kootenay art form. Continue with the trail, flowing through some peddle sections with some good little stunt breaks in between. The last part of this section is a bit steeper and flowy that get’s you ready for the last section.
Once you cross the road the last section drops in steep and fast. It’s mellows right away but you can keep you speed up to flow over the flat sections. Then you get into some steeper rocky sections that can get a little dusty in the mid-summer.. but once your through that it’s clear sailing to the end. At the end of the trail your back out onto a spur of the main logging road up. Climb or push that pitch for a couple of minutes to get back to the main logging road.. head left and b-line it back to the parking lot.
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Posted by Smitty on May 27, 2010
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Buddha or Smiling Buddha is a sweet little blue square trail in Nelson’s Mountain Station riding area. Accessible from a number of spots as you head up the logging road, Buddha offers a bunch of low-to-the-ground bridges and stunts and is a fun ride for any skill set.
Buddha starts with a quick little bridge ride that quickly gets your head in the game. You then quickly into either a black diamond elevated bridge or your railing the corner around it and getting ready for a little jump line that is coming right up. In the middle of the jumps you cross Honey, a sometimes “Up” trail (watch from XC riders climbing this), and watch y’er bars because it’s a tight fit between some trees or you can hit the marked gap jump on the right. A couple of quick mini bermed corners and your back out on the road.
The next section is short and quick. Starting with a bridge over a wet area, your quickly into an “A” bridge and then a skinnier bridge over a really wet zone. There is no ride around this one.. you just gotta do it. After the wet area your into the loam, and crossing the quad road and here Buddha starts to get a little more technical. This next section has a green circle route that heads right while the main line heads up onto a twisty and turny low bridge log ride that ends with the drop off the rock. The green line heads all around this and your into some loamy, steeper turns until you fire out on to the lower logging road and the end of Buddha. From here you normally head right into Atomic Speed Goat or if your not into that you can head down the logging road but you’ll be in for a long pedal back to the Mtn Station lot.
Buddha clears from snow pretty early in the year and because it crosses the road a lot and is accessible from the logging road, evening ridge road and Honey, it’s easy to work a section and master these lower bridges before you hit up some of the bigger stunts on the other trails around town.
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Posted by Smitty on May 18, 2010
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The newest trail in Nelson’s Mtn Station, EliSim is all about flow, and probably one of the flowy’est trails around town. Easily the most popular trail in the Mtn Station area EliSim is one of the few trails that really is open to all skill sets… but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. Riding this trail at speed opens up it’s potential with everything from steep rooty sections to flowing single track with some nicely built up berms – thanks to some recent trail maintenance.
Climbing from the Mtn Station lot, it takes roughly 45 minutes to get to the trail head. Options for the climb are many. Most tough it out up the logging road, but there is also Shasta and even Evening Ridge Road as options to gain the elevation if you don’t feel like climbing on the road. EliSim cross the logging road several times so there is the bonus of dropping in early or working a section over and over – if that’s what you are after. At the top of the climb the trail begins with a few cranks on the peddles and your onto the first wide bridge that takes you over some fallen trees. Lay off the breaks and your off through some nice loam. After a few minutes you’ll already hit the first logging road crossing. Continue on your line across the road and your into a sweet double apex banked left turn and then your off at speed looking for the sweetest banked up “S” turn. Nail that and lay off the brakes again through a high-speed section that leads into a massive bridge crossing that goes over 719. The rest of the trail continues in much the same single-track goodness until the last section where again there are some nice banked corners, a few small airs and a bunch of old stunt remnants to check out. You finish out on the old BNR tracks.. turn left, start peddling and in 10 minutes your back at the Mtn Station lot.
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Posted by Smitty on May 07, 2010
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Shitalker is a moderate blue square or easy black diamond ride in Kokanee on Nelson’s North Shore. The trail takes off from the landing just off the logging road – a 20 minute climb up from the parking lots. Shitalker isn’t marked in the Roots, Rocks and Rhythm Trail Guide but a quick stop by one of the local bike shops and it’ll be penciled in for you. Holding some spectacular views of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, Shitalker snakes it’s way through an old burn offering the rider nice bermed up corners and a few good sized airs.
The trail starts off with some nice sweeping bermed up turns that quickly lead into a nice step down that quickly transitions to a nice step-up lip. A large log lies over the bottom of the transition and adds to the intensity of this little section. Both the step-down and step-up are roll-able for the less “air” inclined. A pretty good sized launch comes next, again with a ride-around, this launch has a nice wide take off and a buttery smooth landing. A few more sweeping turns and the trail dives into the forest where there are plenty of sweet rock-rolls and technical rocky sections to get your blood flowing. There are ride-arounds for most of the rock-rolls so just have a peak around to check out all the different lines. Toss in a few low skinnies for fun and your almost all the way through. To finish your ride you rip through a rooty little steep section finishing just behind the take-off parking lot. This trail is popular on the weekends and will usually have more than one group running shuttles on it so get there early to have the trail to yourself.
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Posted by Smitty on May 04, 2010
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