Singletrack 6 2024 - Stage 4: Kaslo (Mount Buchanan) Recap

Stage 4: Kaslo (Mount Buchanan)

What a relief. Today’s stage was a welcome reprieve from the physical and mental demands of the first three stages. The climbing went down easier, and so did the descending. Our hosts must have known we’d be hurting.

Still, it was a beaut and boasted some unique features. We started by clicking off a few of today’s 1,400 m of climbing with a road climb out of Kaslo before turning onto yet another well-built, perfectly pitched climbing trail.

The early, mellow climbing gave way to what was today’s highlight—West Access Trail—which is described by Trail Forks thusly: “Exposure on steep sides. Not for the faint-hearted.” This punchy trail with its steep ups and downs did indeed hug a cliff side for several kilometers but the dirt was impeccable and the sight lines allowed one to rally anytime the trail flattened or pitched back down. It proved to be a place where the all-around rider could catch back up to the pure climber.

But that pure climber would soon get their turn again as we then launched upward, climbing the machine-built flow trail, Friendly Giant. Under the cover of forest canopy, the dirt here was like pavement and the lower portions rode incredibly fast. The climb ground onward and became steeper and steeper, much to the pure climbers’ collective delight, as we popped out on to a pitchy service road near the high point of our day.

Turns out Friendly Giant accommodates high speeds going down, too. The bermed flow trail allowed for fast descending and all without worry of arm pump or major catastrophe. We plummeted back down through the timed descent and soon enough we were rolling through the finish line.

What. A. Relief.

-JW & CD

Rides of the day (week?):

Matthew “Florida Man” Dockins: Matthew, a civil engineer who’s racing in the pro/elite field and currently in eighth overall, is from Florida. Florida! The highest point in the Orange State is Britton Hill, which stands a proud 105 meters (345 feet) above the sea level. Sure, they have beaches and Disney World but a mountain biking mecca it is not. Dockins explained that abandoned mines are what give their local trails any elevation at all, which is exactly what makes Dockins’ performance this week so impressive. How he’s still alive is anyone’s guess. Chapeau, Matthew.

Alexa Smythe: Though she didn’t start mountain biking until she was 40—Alexa Smyth, a high-school teacher and mother of two who’s enjoying the S6 half-pint offering—has certainly taken to the sport with gusto. She’s up here with her husband and fellow rider and her enduro bike (a style of riding which much prefers), knocking out steep climbs and steeper descents. In fact, earlier this week, Smyth managed 6th overall on one of the timed DH sectors. Though she notes she’s “very much out of her element here,” one could certainly argue the opposite, especially given she’s riding with people who’ve been on mountain bikes for 20-plus years. May we all be fearless and humble enough to take up new activities, no matter our age or situation. May we all be more like Alexa.