wOOD

"A tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it.”
Peter Wohlleben

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as splitting cedar for slats; the sound of hammer on axe and the final crack as the wood cleaves in two releasing the earthy scent of its oils.

A selection of wood projects

Tinder Match - Severed D (Mount Seymour, North Vancouver) | Built 2021

In 2019, I found a beautiful piece of curved cedar. Just one, and it was too narrow to split in half. Two years later, Mother Earth was kind enough to provide a second curved cedar, an almost perfect match. So to pass the gift along, we made a gift for Severed and all who enjoy riding it.

The location of the new optional woodwork is also the site of a former braid. About a year ago, a lightly trafficked hiking short cut was raked in by persons unknown to create a line for bikes. It wrecked the drainage and contributed to a few other problems, so I closed it down. I dug in big log barricades burying them deep with rocks to keep them from being easily pulled out. The area was resurfaced with organic soil and replanted with moss and ferns. A nice wide drain diverted water off the trail. Last December, someone tore it all out, raked the shortcut in again and diverted water back onto the trail. With the new woodwork, the drain goes under the roller, again keeping the water from flowing back onto the trail.

Co Leads: Penny, Steve
Build Crew: Frank, Kurt, Dasha, Julia, Dave

Unsolicited D*ck Advice - Severed D (Mount Seymour, North Vancouver) | Built 2021

Choose your own adventure: roll, huck, or jump. Built over a water seepage where past attempts to divert the water off the trail required frequent maintenance, the new bridge reduces the work needed to keep the trail in good shape and helps minimize erosion.

Named after a rider who wasn’t so pleased that we were making changes to the trail. Don’t worry, we’ll change it up again after the wood rots!

Co Leads: Penny, Steve
Build Crew: Kurt, Frank, Greg, Joeben

Swamp Thing - Hill Dr Access (Mount Seymour, North Vancouver) | Built 2021

The long boardwalk nicknamed Swamp Thing on Hill Dr Access trail served well beyond it’s expected lifespan. Rotten and broken, it was past due for replacement. But finding suitable cedar stringers for such a big span isn’t always easy and it took a lot searching to find large enough logs that were also near enough to be feasible to carry on site. Constructed in three sections, the boardwalk is approximately 50 ft long. It was a community effort to build - thank you to all my neighbours and friends who helped carry logs, split slats, peel stringers, and much more.

Lead: Penny
Build Crew: many friends & neighbours

Root Baller - Severed D (Mount Seymour, North Vancouver) | Built 2020

In 2019, a big fir came down in a storm, landing right on Severed. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to turn it into something fun. in order to avoid rerouting the trail where it well, we to cut the tree into sections and then used a come-a-long to winch it off the trail. The sections were linked back together and an entrance ramp built up through the root ball. Riders have their choice of exits, depending on how far along the log they wish to ride.

Co Leads: Penny, Dave
Build Crew: Dodge, Dasha, Owen, Mark, Allan, Joeben

Bigguns (Bear Mountain, Mission) | Built 2020

This classic line on Bigguns at Bear Mountain, a signature log ride that leads riders through a stump, had been unrideable for several years with slimy, broken, and missing slats. The wood of the old log was too rotten to hold nails anymore and the tree’s core had long rotted away. How could we re-imagine the line in a way that was fun for riders, paid homage to the original log ride, reopened the line through the stump, and managed the water issues?

Owen came up with a creative solution that was unanimously supported by all of the rest of the crew… build a ladder up and over the log with a banked corner curving it back to line up perfectly with the stump. It was an honour to lead the FVMBA Trail Crew on their final project of 2020.

Lead: Penny
Build Crew: Owen, Siobhan, Mason (FVMBA 2020 Trail Crew)