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A Fernie Classic: Dirt Diggler

Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,683
4,912
North Van
I've just gotten back from a fantastic trip to visit an old buddy in Fernie, BC. Derek's been living there for years and after winging a bit about the local trails, he decided to take matters into his own hands. 3 years ago, he started building his own trail: Dirt Diggler Saturday was the 3rd edition of the Dirt Diggler fall classic. No pics of the event, but I've attached some pics we took a couple days later of a ride I had the luck to take.

Top of the run after a long ride up a pretty damn steep and rocky road


A little snow and lots of wind at the top. One of the builders atop the drop-in.


Me contemplating the tough start to a long run ahead:


Droppin' in


Trying to get it under control before the bermed-right hander


Sacred-rider Johanna doing the same


The gang having a giddy laugh at how awesome the trail, the view and the conditions are


I'd never ridden any terrain quite like this before. The cut was about as wide as a lot of the skinnies I've been riding out on "The Shore". Only on this, you travel 3X the speed, and if you bail, you tumble. Far. And you're lucky to get your bike back.


Especially once you get more comfortable picking up speed and hopping and pumping the bumps. So much fun


The creator showing off the fruits of his labour. Awesome, awesome trail.


The gang after a couple switchbacks. Taking those corners from one long cut to the other was so much like snowboarding or skiing. The conditions were just so perfect. Endless traction, not a brake bump in sight.


More giddiness and an awesome view


Getting back down into the trees, but still plenty steep


Fun features start popping up more and more as you cruise down to the lower stretch. A fun hip:


There's one more really unique section of that trail which was just phenomenal, but I'll have to find then post the pics. A coal seam chute called the Black Lung. Coming soon!
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,683
4,912
North Van
Here's a quick vid of the Black Lung. You get a good idea of what it's like:

Pretty cool to float through a coal seam.
 
Kntr

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
Its all legal. Its a race they do every year. They even put a bench at the top with a helicopter. Fernie is awesome. The resort isnt too bad either.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,683
4,912
North Van
Kanter said:
Its all legal. Its a race they do every year. They even put a bench at the top with a helicopter. Fernie is awesome. The resort isnt too bad either.
Click to expand...
Ha, not sure we're talking about the same thing... Apart from Fernie being awesome, that is. I don't think there has ever been any helicopters involved, yet. Unless of course you were just mentioning helicopters for MMike's benefit...in which case, that's kind of funny.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,683
4,912
North Van
You probably know the area way better than I do. I've only been there the one time, but the trail development out there is just fantastic. The variety of techie steeps and super-fast fire/logging/exploratoin roads is the kind of riding I could do for a long long time and not get bored.
 
SilentJ

SilentJ

trail builder
Jun 17, 2002
1,312
0
Calgary AB
Da Peach said:
You probably know the area way better than I do. I've only been there the one time, but the trail development out there is just fantastic. The variety of techie steeps and super-fast fire/logging/exploratoin roads is the kind of riding I could do for a long long time and not get bored.
Click to expand...
The cool thing about BC is that you can say that about Golden, Invermere, Fernie, Revelstoke, Nelson, Penticton, Kelowna, Kamloops, Williams Lake, ..., ..., ..., ..., ..., ..., ... before even mentioning any of the resorts. We have some pretty decent stuff around here as well. good pedals, good pushes, and good shuttles.
 
dirtyd

dirtyd

Chimp
Oct 20, 2008
1
0
ferngullie
'08 Dirt Diggler DH fall classicShare
Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 11:11pm | Edit Note | Delete
Well...its October...the biking season in the ferngulley is almost at an end. Most of this bike season, which started for me in late March was pretty uneventfull after a "jump's gone bad" episode on my b-day in late June. i ended up with a really broken talus, bringing my stoke to an end or maybe just a "break" for the time being. After more then 12 weeks with no dirt or spinning. I have since been biking like its going outta style for almost 6 weeks trying to make up for lost time. The ol' peg is holding up as is the rest of me.
All this to say that i have been getting some flack for not writing a blog on the Dirt Diggler DH which was held Saturday September 20th. I had been meaning to sit down and write a summary to the event that I had created and almost did not get to participate in its 3rd year. i really look forward to the event to see it grow each and every year. with anticipation of one day seeing it as fernie's own 'Psychosis'.
The trail saw lots of upgrades this summer with the help of some friends dedicated to the somewhat modest verticle it offers. It drops 3500 feet in almost 6km's of constantly changing terrain.
This years event was a fall classic of sorts. It was beautiful weather often seen in most of our summers. Making the trail dry, fast, and gnarly as opposed to last years 60km/h upsloping winds, hail/snow, lots of moisture and again...gnarly to some degree.
We had 18 men and 3 woman this year as opposed to the 27 who braved the weather last year.
The times blistered in the September sun.
Luke Nelson proving once again he is the Dirtiest Diggler of them all posting a time of 13min 07sec besting his last years time by almost 2min.....damn!!!
Don Arsenault coming in 2nd with a 13min 36sec
Conrad Spring of Team Pilsner keeping his 3rd place position at 14:16 making up almost 2 min on his time from last year (thanks for all the help this summer bro)
4th Travis Roesner in from Cranbrook @ 15:05
Tied for 5th Mark Proden Team Pilsner, Calgary and Allan @ 15:51
7th Jimmy @ 16:27
8th dirtyd @ 16:29 almost 20sec faster than last year..must be the extra led in the foot.
9th Eric Nicholson @ 16:44
10th Rhyner @ 16:51
11th Mark Ormandy @ 17:31
12th Vince Barbaro @18:07
13th Rob rrr!! @ 18:16
14th Sammy @ 18:52
15th Rhodney @ 19:12
16th Danger @ 29min and change...with a flat!!
the 3 courageous woman who battled the diggler this year all had rough rides from what i heard.
The best time was Steph Grassi from Calgary coming in at 29min 07sec
Amanda Ridgeway getting back on her bike after...to long still managed to place 2nd in 42min 07sec
3rd place Lucy Richer(7th overall in'07), time: who's counting anyways.
Thanks again to all the racers, volunteers and sponcers for another successfull Dirt Diggler DH fall classic.
dirtyd
maybe see ya next fall, always good to see new faces
 
Kntr

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
I wish I could have made it. I was trying to find the date earlier in the year and then sort of forgot about it. Do they do a pre-run? Is there a shuttle vehicle or do you shuttle yourself?
 
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