Our visit to Cornerbrook, NL, happened during a time of great excitement and activity as the West Coast Cycling Association was nearly finished building their first trail, the Ginger Route. The trail is part of a 50km masterplan (that IMBA Canada’s Trail Solutions had a hand in designing) which will draw in mountain bikers from near and far with progressive and sustainable trails. After three years in the works, the small group of volunteer builders are excited to get Ginger Route finished, and started on the next segment.
Our trail project was to help the club with the last section of Ginger Route, a trail that connects from an urban park to the beautiful terrain above that will be showcased by trails in the rest of the plan. Built with a variety of ability levels in mind, the trail slowly winds its way along the contour upwards; a major improvement from riding the road or existing service road up. It will serve as both a fantastic warm up for people starting their journey, or a fun, fast and flowy descent that is sure to leave some permanent smiles on riders’ faces. With the help of volunteers, we were able to overcome some of the challenges of the terrain; using rocks and hard work to armour over delicate tree roots, and raw power to remove old stumps that are in the way.
There’s no doubt that the future is bright for mountain biking in Corner Brook; with a great plan for trails and dedicated people behind them, the area will be a hotspot in no time. On top of that, with the legendary hospitality that visitors will receive, as Rachael and I did, most will surly make the return trip. Indeed, we were saddened to leave as Corner Brook started to feel a little like home.
Big thanks to everyone in Corner Brook who helped us on our visits, especially to our hosts Peter, Becky and Sara, everyone at Cycle Solutions (and coffe shop Brewed Awakening). Be sure to put Corner Brook, and Newfoundland’s West Coast on your bucket list!
Click here to check out the photos from our visit.
Read the last TCC’s blog about their trip to Corner Brook: Building a Legacy