US roadtrip - Whistler - Sea Otter

Day 1
Whistler - Hood River
Pretty dull.. a day of driving.

Day 2
Hood River
Breakfast at Betty's
Pick up 2007 Dakine goodies (thanks Chico!)
Take van to get brakes fixed
Riding - Seven Streams, Family Man, 8-Track
Night on the town for Marks Birthday
Summary - Great little town with a super friendly and fun local community. Huge riding potential, want to come back - soon!

Day 3
Hood River - Kalamath Falls (ish) via Crater Lake
Breakfast at Egg Harbour - mmm
Mainly spent the day in the Van with a quick stop at Crater Lake. Stunning volcanic lake with very little going on in the winter.
Camped at a great spot right on Wood River. Eerily quiet and remakably cold site warmed up with a killer Chilli.


Day 4
Kalamath Falls - Reno
Breakfast on site and a cold start for a 35 mile road ride before a left over chilli lunch once the WCFG bus picked us up.
Arrived in Reno (mini Vegas) Not really worth seeing unless you like shows and slot machines.

Squamish Toonie #1

Squamish kicked off their 2007 Toonie race season in style on Sunday with a fantastic course in the Squamish netowrk.
Starting from the Golf course, we headed up the climb to Darwin's Bridge, then climbed again up the small hill to the top of the Powerhouse Plunge. After descending the plunge (where logging work has sadly started), into crampit woods and the new Farside trail then followed the SORCA arrows to Plateau Dr. We turned right on Plateau Dr. and the course ended at the emergency access at the western end of the road.

I was given a heads up by the last rider in the train of 10 or so riders through farside, that once we hit the road, there was 200m to the finish tent. Remembering from last year that the Toonies are on a points system for the leading riders, I figured I'd do my best to get a good start to the season. Figuring on the 200m that had been called out, I dug deep and really gave'r for the last little bit.. seemingly 2000m later, the finish still wasn't in sight and I had to let the train I was leading out come past me for a bit whilst I tucked in and sucked in some air.. finally seeing the end of my pain, I managed to fin da little extra and get back some of those previously hard earned places.
Ultimately finishing 12th, I was stoked, although thought I'd either cough up a lung or my heart was about to go pop! Mark looked a little worse than I felt, but fair play to him for dragging 2.35 stickies around the course with him ;)

With a Squamish Toonie about twice as long as a Whistler Loonie, I can see why the Squamish boys are so blinking fast by the time the Test of Metal comes around!!

Great course and plenty of Whistler faces in the 78 starters.