On my recent trip to the Yukon,I was lucky enough to tag along with a group on vacation for a ride along the Yukon River Trail. Well, one of the riders brought along a GoPro Camera and filmed a bit of it. This trail rocks!
Dustan
Dustin on the Norco 2011 Glide – Mix 1 from Blind Nub on Vimeo.
When thinking ‘vacation’, the mind automatically starts drooling over white-sand beaches, palm trees and margaritas right? Well, what if I told you that there was another option where the days are long, the beer is cold and the mountain biking is out of this world? The place is the Yukon Territory. Following the 2011 Norco Product Launch, I managed to sneak away for about a week and visit the midnight sun of the Yukon. Let’s start off by saying that I had a blast!
The Yukon has about 30,000 people that call it home and nearly 25,000 of them reside in the Capital of Whitehorse. Another town that you may have heard of in the Yukon is Dawson City. Situated about 500km northwest of Whitehorse, Dawson City was first settled back to the Gold Rush Days and is now home to about 1300 people. Once a year, the town doubles in size as the Dawson City Music Festival draws people from afar to enjoy some beer, bands and perpetual light. Bringing in artists such as Dan Mangan, Fred Penner, Elliott Brood and more, this is the largest music festival in Northern Canada. The thing about the Yukon that caught me off guard was the people. Living in the city you forget about the aspect of community, and neighborly kindness that is so important to a smaller town’s vibe. Well, it seemed to me that no matter where in the Yukon I was, the people were willing to go the extra mile to make sure I was having a blast. This closeness of the people is one aspect that makes me want to return time and time again. The music festival was really a gathering of people in a celebration of sorts. It is a celebration of the North, the people and the music. This is more than your typical festival.
After spending three days at the Dawson City Music Festival, the time to ride was upon me. Driving back to Whitehorse meant that I could meet up with my friends at Boreal Mountain Biking an the local bike shop Icycle Sports. There is nothing quite like local knowledge when on vacation to find the best spots to spend limited time.
Mountain biking in the Yukon is totally different from anywhere I have ever ridden before. The diversity of the terrain runs from open rock to dense forest, lush meadows to near desert conditions. One minute you may be riding at tight forested singletrack and the next riding a ridge above the beautiful Yukon River. Regardless the trail, somewhere along the way, there will undoubtedly be a stunning vista, a vivid glacial lake or the sight of a winding river. The views are even more spectacular than the best-in-class trails. When you are planning your vacation to Whitehorse, plan to ride the Yukon River Trail, Money Shot, Mountain Hero and more, much more!
At the end of any ride, a bevy is in order and in the Yukon this is no exception. The Yukon Brewery makes some of the best beer around. From the Gold to the Amber, IPA to the Stout, there really is no bad choice… Not only is the beer awesome but the brewery is also a big supporter of the local mountain biking community and the Dawson City Music Festival. When you head up to Whitehorse, check out the brewery, they do daily tours and make a beer that is ‘worth freezing for’. So, the Yukon in a nutshell is pretty straight forward. Good riding, great people, spectacular views, and you can enjoy it all with a cold beer.
Now, just to find my way back to the Yukon soon…
Dustan
Today marks one full year since the launch of the Norco Blog. That is right, 365 days have passed since that first post on January 5th 2009. The year has had some great events, incredible rides and even some technical training along the way. In my biased oppinion, these were the top 10 events of the year through the eyes of the blog
Number 10 – Jan. 5, 2009 – The First Post
Number 9 – July 8, 2009 – Blackrock Demo Day
Number 8 – June 22, 2009 – Ride To Conquer Cancer
Number 7 - Jan. 30, 2009 – California Road Trip, Bike and BRAIN
Number 6 – March 19, 2009 – How to Adjust a Rear Derailleur
Number 5 – July 23, 2009 – 2010 Norco Product Launch
Number 4 – Aug. 19, 2009 – Crankworx Whistler
Number 3 - April 12, 2009 – Cyclebetes Spinathon
Number 2 – Oct.7, 2009 – Riding in Moab Utah
The Yukon is not the best known riding destinations in the world. In fact before about two weeks ago, I didn’t even know mountain biking was popular in the far north of Canada. Being offered to part in a filming trip with Ride Guide in the Yukon Territory was not something I was going to turn down. With little knowledge of the area and 10 days of riding sitting on my plate, the one thing I was sure about was that I was in for a treet.
Flying out of Vancouver was Ryan Leech, Josh (our cameraman extraordinaire) and myself on a riding/filming expedition out of Whitehorse YT. There were a few things stereotypes made me expect such as bugs, cold, and perpetual light . . Turns out only one of these was fully true. There were a few bugs along the way but not the fist sized mosquitoes I was expecting, As for cold, well it was around 30C all week (86F), but as for light I was correct. Having a sunset at around 11pm meant that riding was possible just about any time between 4AM and midnight. Where else can you do that?
While staying in Whitehorse we were put up at Boreal Mountain Biking where I had my first opportunity to stay in a Yurt. The Yurts were not what I expected. With hardwood floors, leather couches and a full kitchen, we were being wined and dined in the lap of luxury. If you are ever heading to Whitehorse check out Boreal, in addition to accommodation they provide catered meals and Sylvain, the mountain Bike Guide Extraordonaire.
The riding in Whitehorse is nothing short of incredible. From fast rolling descents to technical rock faces, wide open alpine to tight forest singletrack there really is a little bit of everything. The only thing that was consistent for each type of trail was that there were spectacular views the whole way. If you are looking for somewhere to fit the ultimate all-mountain adventure while experiencing the views of a lifetime, the Yukon is it!
While the mountain biking was fabulous through the entire trip, Ryan made a point of bringing his trials bike as well to hit some of the local hot-spots. Even riding trials it was hard to miss the scenery, it is everywhere. In addition to riding the local terrain, Ryan conducted a trials demo for the local kids or all ages in Whitehorse in conjunction with the Bike Your Brains Out helmet promotion.
Whitehorse truly is a world cycling destination. From epic trails and incredible views the Yukon has it all. To see more photos from the Yukon check out flickr.com/norcobikes.
Thank you to Yukon Tourism, Boreal Mountain Biking and Ride Guide TV for making it all happen.
Dustan
We are now on our third day in the Yukon. Ryan, Josh and I have been seeing the sights of what Whitehorse has to offer. Let me reassure use, there is a lot to offer. From Fast, forrested singletrack to wide open limestone faces, the trails are spectacular, diverse and smile enducing.
Have a look at a few photos from along the way.
Hiking up Grey Mountain
Ryan riding across the Grey Mountain Ridge
Ryan made us all Breakfast Smoothies
The view from the peak of McIntire Mountain
More to come soon,
Dustan
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