Video & Race Report: Trans BC Enduro Days 1 & 2 - Panorama

Jul 10, 2019 at 6:14
by Megan Rose  
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REVELSTOKE, B.C.— Tucked away in Canada’s oldest mountains, Panorama set the stage for the first two days of the Schwalbe Trans BC presented by Yeti Cycles. On the list of North America’s Top 10 mountains with the most vertical, Panorama delivered prime conditions for 160 racers to find their pace on a sample platter of steep loamers, high alpine scree, rocky chutes and the queen stage of the week.

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Day One — everyone’s eyes were opened up for the week ahead. Despite it being on the shorter end of the spectrum for the Trans BC, the 23 kilometers and 955 meters of climbing resulted in 2362 meters of descending – a favored ratio amongst the crowd.

“We’re still the hidden gem – it’s so vast and there’s still so much to explore,” said Andrew Nelson (Invereme, B.C.) Avalanche Risk Manager at Panorama Mountain Resort. “Most of the trails we’re racing are reestablished outfitter and hunting trails from the early 1900’s.”

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Andrew Nelson hikes to the summit of Mount Goldie on Day Two. Nelson and Jason Simpson, Director of Mountain Sports at Panorama Mountain Resort were paramount to creating routes within the ski area's boundaries. Both Simpson and Nelson rode Day Two's course.

Megan Rose, race director and founder of the Trans BC, knew that Nelson had GPS coordinates of forgotten trails for years. Last fall, she began exploring the routes to see where they would lead, discovering a whole new slew of trails to share at the Trans BC. With the help from local trail builder Jose (the legend) Letelier, Rose was able to turn back the clocks on these trails and open up an entirely new zone for the race and local mountain bike community.

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Race director Megan Rose rides Stages 1 and 2 on Day One of the Trans BC — a clear sign that this isn't her first rodeo with event logistics.

bigquotesThe trail building scene around here is about exploring the unknown. You spend a lot of time being lost. That’s what so unique about the mountain biking here – it’s still wild.
— Jose Letelier

Letelier put in an inordinate amount of time prepping and building trails for this year’s Trans BC. Stage 1 was a “Jose-special” to kick off the week – janky turns, a few steeps into catch berms, to warm up cat-like reflexes for the week.

Jose the Legend himself. Days 1 and 2 of this year s TBC owe a lot to this man.
Jose the Legend shredding his trails. Days One and Two of this year's Trans BC owe a lot to this man.

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You know what they say about a trail feather. You are meant to be in that spot, at that moment.

Two chairlifts and a moderate pedal, according to Canadian logging road standards, to the top of Stage 2 gave racers a sneak peek to the high alpine looming above. The summit of Mount Goldie taunted racers at 2649 meters, knowing they would have to scramble up her slippery scree the following day.

Gnar horns. Stoked to be at the top of stage 2
Gnar horns. Open Women Alex Pavon and Ingrid Larouche are stoked to arrive at the top of Stage 2 on Day One. Friends outside the race tape, fierce competitors otherwise - these two are 24 seconds apart after the first two days of racing in third and fourth place.

Stage 2 drop
Ignorance is bliss. For Day One, racers end their climbing at the base of Mount Goldie and drop into the queen stage of the race – Hopeful – for 1090 meters of descending over 7.2 kilometers.

“The conditions we experienced are unheard of, especially this time of the year. It’s usually blown out, dusty and hot,” Rose said. “Today presented the perfect temperatures. The trails tacky, but not wet. There was loam where there is usually dust powder. But as a result, you couldn’t switch off your brain off because the roots and rocks were semi-slick.”

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Stage 2’s high-speed odyssey down the green tunnel allowed racers to get off the brakes for brief moments of reprieve from their hands.

With two more logging liaisons and two stages left, beads of sweat started to pour thinking about the final stage of the day back in the bike park – Punisher.

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Stage 3 finish on Day 1 of the 2019 Trans BC Enduro.
Tom Sampson (Boulder, Colo.) cruises to the finish of Stage 3. Sampson currently sits in 7th place in Open Men.

Passing two men two turns before on Punishers steepest section Jo Peters is all smiles.
Passing two men two turns before on Punishers steepest section, Jo Peters (Open Women) is all smiles.

Hannah Bergemann drops into the meat of Stage 4, centerpunching the fastest line sight unseen. Bergemann has a commanding lead over the Open Women after two days of racing with a 4 minute 40 second lead over second place.


The steeps of stage 4 Punisher don t discriminate. Everyone from the best riders to the most cautious was caught off guard.
Stage 4 Punisher laying down the law.
The steeps of Stage 4, Punisher, don't discriminate. Everyone, from the best riders to the most cautious, was caught off guard.


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Day Two —“You’re going to be hating life…” Rose’s words echoed through the thin air. With bikes slung over backs, racers ascended the decomposing flanks of Mount Goldie, marching like ants, one by one, to commence their six-plus-hour day.

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About sums up the day.

Rose’s one request for the week was beautiful weather on Day Two. Racers were treated to the perfect day for slogging bikes around the backcountry – 70 degrees and sunny and crystal-clear views in every direction.

bigquotesIt’s the adventure day that I see as the Trans B.C.
— Megan Rose

On the elevation profile, three distinct hike-a-bikes stood out. At 20 kilometers, it wasn’t the longest distance day, however, it would be one of the most physical days on the bike with seven stages to chip in for and the majority of the 1,492 meters of climbing completed sans pedaling.

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It's all in the details. Rose printed out removable, waterproof elevation profile stickers for participants to keep tabs on the day ahead.

Day 2 of the 2019 Trans BC Enduro.
The march up to the top of Stage 1 was just the tip of the iceberg on Day Two's hike-a-bikes.

For those who have never surfed scree on their bike, Stage 1 off the summit of Mount Goldie, was the closest they’d ever get to skiing on a bike. With pink flagging dotting the way, it was a “choose your own adventure” until the open field funneled into a freshly cut ribbon of singletrack.

Dropping into the first of many many descents with killer views... I suppose they call it Panorama for a reason.
Dropping into the first of many descents with killer vistas. They call it Panorama for a reason.

The next two stages contoured the mountainside taking racers further away from civilization. No aid stations were available on course. Racers were advised to pack a water filter to drink from the roaring stream before heading up the monster 2.55 kilometer and 433-meter hike-a-bike to the summit of Little Brewer.

Crossing avalanche paths on Stage 2
Crossing avalanche paths on Stage 2.

Stage 4
Anne Galyean (Seattle, Wash.) filters water mid-way through Day Two. After an illustrious career as a downhill racer and alumni of the Yeti/FOX Factory Team, this is her first six-day, blind enduro.

Day 2 of the 2019 Trans BC Enduro.
Perhaps it was delirium setting in, but as racers began their hike-a-bike they were looking for the unicorns to emerge from their natural habitat. Eventually, the feeling of moving through fantasyland faded into a steady march. Bikes on backs, for one final push to the summit on grippy utensil-sized shale, brought racers to the pinnacle of Day Two.

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Official Hypeman of Yeti Cycles, Blair Reed elevates the levels wherever he goes - even after hour-plus hike-a-bikes.

Stage 4 is what high-country aficionados dream of – extended sections of big mountain scree surfing went straight down the mountain, through a 3-foot deep snowdrift, and dove straight back into the deep woods. Racers’ grins weren’t weighed down by sections of bogs or awkward flat sections to pedal through. The feeling was unanimous – Stage 4 brought out the best of the Trans BC.

Stage 4
Heading straight back down from where you came from - Day Two, Stage 4.

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Multiple strategies were employed to make it through the snowdrift on Stage 4. This rider demonstrates proper form and execution.

The payoff from hike-a-biking all day was in Stages 5 through 7 – where liaisons were short jaunts or a lift ride to the top of another dreamy descent.

Stage 3
If you see this face out on the trail, know that you're about to get heckled or followed. Tom Bradshaw aka Kiwi Bradshaw aka Brad Bradshaw is your local guide and impromptu #FollowCamFairy.

Day 2 of the 2019 Trans BC Enduro.
More of this, please.

“Stage 5 had some extremely good sections of trails. The switchbacks at the end had the most grip I have ever experienced – the amount of speed you could carry through them, mind-blowing,” said Scott Countryman (Flagstaff, Ariz.) Open Men. “It was the grippiest sections of trail on earth. I still don’t know how it was possible.”

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Scott Countryman (Flagstaff, Ariz.) showed up to the Trans NZ earlier this year as a volunteer. He leads the Open Men by 1 minute 38 seconds at the Trans BC. What is his strategy? “Treat every day like it’s its own race.”

The final lift-assisted stage of the day down Moose Powder into Sanchez was intentionally placed at the end of Day Two to leave riders feeling good as they head into Hump Day, in Kimberley, B.C.

Day 1 of the 2019 Trans BC Enduro.
The Trans BC acknowledges that we are racing on the traditional territory of Niitsítapi, Secwépemc, and Ktunaxa for Days One and Two.

Four days of racing remain. Stay tuned to Pinkbike for updates all week long from the Trans BC Enduro. Hashtag your photos #transbcenduro to make their way onto the live stream of the Trans BC’s Media HQ. A special thanks to Kazoom Cycling Apparel, Tourism BC, Squirt Lube and Outdoor Wipes for support. For more information email megan@ridingbc.com or visit www.transbcenduro.com.

Riders get their bikes ready during check in.
The bird's eye view of Trans BC Event HQ at Panorama Mountain Resort. Schwalbe is providing neutral tech support all week for racers include tire replacements for those who shred the gnar a little too hard.

Trans BC Overall Results – Days One and Two – Panorama
Full results can be found at www.transbcenduro.com.

Open Men
1. Scott Countryman 57:40
2. Aaron Bradford 59:19
3. Marty Schaffer 59:30
4. Logan Wetzel 59:48
5. Dan Skogland 1:00:43

Open Women
1. Hannah Bergemann 1:10:31
2. Angie McKirdy 1:15:11
3. Ingrid Larouche 1:15:43
4. Alex Pavon 1:16:07
5. Bonnie Burke 1:16:45

Master Men 40+
1. Shane Jensen 1:04:24
2. David Hutton 1:07:09
3. Jon Burton 1:07:30
4. Kevin Eaton 1:08:58
5. Colin Jacoby 1:10:30

Old Boys 50+
1. Arama Jillings 1:10:13
2. Cary Smith 1:12:20
3. Tim Bergemann 1:15:57
4. Emmett Purcell 1:16:27
5. Chris Urban 1:16:27

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Proof that squids can fly. Peter Wojnar gets air from atop of Stage 4 on Day Two.

Stage 4
Sarah Rawley (Golden, Colo.) returns for her fourth consecutive year of reporting on the Trans BC. RoboArm by day and writer by night, Rawley teamed up with Anne Galyean (Seattle, Wash.) for the Trans BC's Working Woman.

ABOUT MEGAN ROSE — Megan has been riding and racing bikes all over the world for 14 years and organizing bike events for the past 10 years. She splits her time between British Columbia, Canada and New Zealand, running Trans BC Enduro and Trans NZ Enduro races. Over the past six years, Megan has personally raced in over 40 enduro races, timed over 65 days’ worth of enduro races, and organized 30+ enduro races. Megan and her team look forward to bringing you the best of the best from all of these perspectives.

ABOUT SCHWALBE — We are "tire fanatics" and 100% committed to bikes. You will find SCHWALBE bike tires in the USA, in South Africa as well as in Japan and Australia. In Europe, we are even the market leader! Our tires are not available everywhere, but exclusively from specialist dealers. We insist on qualified advice and good service and we know only the specialist trade can provide both.

ABOUT YETI CYCLES — Founded in 1985, Yeti Cycles makes race-bred, obsessively engineered, masterfully crafted mountain bikes proven by the fastest riders in the most demanding conditions. Based in Golden, Colorado, Yeti is owned and staffed by riders who are more likely to be out riding the company’s latest creation than sitting in a conference room. Visit www.yeticycles.com to learn more.

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Author Info:
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Member since Jun 8, 2016
31 articles

6 Comments
  • 1 0
 Fuck yeah Kiwi Bradshaw - keep the follow cams coming. Bummed I couldn't make it this year - looks like the usual shenanigans and fun.
  • 1 0
 Yeay Anne & Sarah, rockin' workin' women shreddin' for all!
  • 2 0
 coutrydude!
  • 2 0
 Someday...Soon I hope =)
  • 1 0
 Yargh, Mutton -- killin' it in Masters 40! Who needs a frickin' ACL, bru?
  • 2 0
 Shane Showtime Jensen!







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