Grand Beach can be busy at times. For those who don’t know, only a short trip from the traditionally visited areas reveals a priceless gem – the Grand Beach Ski and Trail system.
Last Sunday, local sportsman Jason Carter’s initiative put together an early Sunday shin-dig for people involved in the Fatbike scene.
Grand Beach Trail officials agreed to Carter’s proposal to host the event at the site, as long as the bikers agreed to assume responsibility and to act in good faith. Some of those directives included, to not damage the trails, and to be polite when encountering others using the trail.
Tom Kolesnik, Carter’s partner in crime, posted the event on a Facebook page called Fatbike Manitoba: a local hang-out for like-minded outdoorsy types.
Kolesnik also just returned from a hugely successful event at the The Birkie — where hundreds of people on Fatbikes descended on a ski resort in Wisconsin to fly down the slopes — so he has a good idea of how to encourage participation, if only from the promise of spectacular views.
Carter notes, “Many places in Manitoba are marketed as ‘attractions’ and are quite well known; buildings, businesses and highway plaques. But, trails — places where we use our feet, lungs and human-powered devices to enjoy nature — don’t have such notoriety.”
“That’s what makes events, like today’s Fat Bike Throw Down so important,” he adds. “Tall trees, great vistas, abundant deer, and tree-top wind sounds. An incredible lift to our city-bred psyches and souls.”
The next such event is on Sunday, and is open to bicycles with 3.8 inch tires or wider (and yes, this limits the bikes to Fatbikes only). However, anyone who wishes to run, hike, snowshoe, or cross country ski is more than welcome on this trail, at any time. Anyone who doesn’t have a Fatbike, can rent them from local bicycle shops if they want.
Time for the event is 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot where the traditional cross-country skiiers park.
And finishing off, Jason Carter adds: “Today’s ride helped us share the natural gems Manitoba can offer to more people. But it left me wondering: how much more of this province do I not know about?”
For more information about the ski trails at Grand Beach, please visit: http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/pdf/park_maps/grand_beach/grand_beach_map.pdf
Woodcock Cycle on St. Mary’s Road, will rent you a Fatbike for $50 per day.
All photos by Gregory McNeill
