Gorefest is an 8-hour endurance race that has been running since 1997 and is now based in Gore,
Nova Scotia. Mark and Lora attended this event when they were Trail Care Crew and the section of trail that they worked on during their visit is still holding up perfectly. Gorefest is an important event because it provides a fun atmosphere that attracts riders of all abilities. You don’t have to be an elite racer to appreciate the bike toss and naked nighttime crit. Just like any other 8, 12 or 24 hour event the main goal of the event is to get together with friends, ride and have fun.
We arrived on Saturday morning to find about a dozen eager volunteers itching to get some trail work done. Our project was to tweak a trail that in the past had always been used as an uphill but that needed to be adjusted to flow well as a downhill. We conquered a few projects by lunchtime and after lunch Chad took five really keen volunteers back onto the trail to continue work. After everything was wrapped up we hopped on the bikes and rode a lap around the racecourse.
After a boisterous night on Saturday we registered for the event and managed to get in a few good laps before having to get back to work. We met with the primary builder and did a quick in the field trailbuilding school to help him trouble shoot some problem areas and provide insight on future development.
We want to thank Mike Phillips, the organizer of Gorefest for letting us participate in such a fun event (we’re going to work on our bike tossing skills for next year).