Saturday, May 9, 2009

Mountaineering : The Game Of Brave

There are few places in the world that can market themselves as literal Meccas of mountain biking. The Pacific Northwest is a great place to find dozens of trails. The beautiful forests and beaches of the coastlines are perfect for an hour of casual riding or a weekend long excursion.

The North Shore area in British Columbia is considered one of the true hotspots of mountain biking and from all over the world avid mountain bikers arrive to traverse the hills of the Burrard Inlet and the trails of Mt. Fromme, Cypress Mountain, and Mt. Seymour. Also in the general area, you'll find amazing riding in Coquitlam's Eagle Mountain and Burke Mountain. Together, these numerous mountain ranges comprise one of the best places in Canada and possibly the world to mountain bike.

The Trails

The mountain areas in British Columbia as listed above are some of the most difficult and subsequently dangerous mountain terrain trails around. Merely through the standard machinations of nature there are dozens of obstacles like fallen trees, rock slides, ravines and ditches to jump and much more.

Man has added his own little touch to the trails with bridges, twisting "ladders" and mountain biking ramps. This hybrid style of mixing natural obstacles with man-made jumps and ladders is often referred to as "North Shore" style trail riding. If you're looking for the most popular of these trails, the CBC is considered by many to be the pinnacle of North Shore style trail riding.

Controversy

Like any massive sport related tourist attractions, the trails of North Shore have reigned in a great deal of controversy with local residents complaining of off trail bikers disturbing their property. In some of the nearby mountain trail areas, new developments threaten existing trails on Eagle and Burke Mountains.

Because of the influx of new residential growth and mountain biking tourists, the area has formed a North Shore Mountain Biking Association to help mediate between bikers and residents and try to preserve trails. Also responsible for more fun activities like races and annual events, the NSMBA is one of the premier mountain biking associations in Canada.

Whistler

For those familiar with the world class skiing and boarding of Whistler-Blackcomb resort in British Columbia, it's no surprise that the mountain offers world class mountain biking as soon as the snow starts to melt.

Usually starting in April, the mountain biking season carries through until the end of the summer, utilizing the numerous ski lifts and wide open space to hold numerous mountain biking events. In years when the snow lingers a little longer, mountain biking season might run a little short at the top of the mountain, though usually the lower lifts are open by the end of April.

British Columbia for Mountain Biking

As one of the largest developed spaces, complete with the convenience of modern society and the joy of the great outdoors, British Columbia offers some of the best Mountain Biking trails in the world. You can find something almost anywhere there is a mountain and often enough when you leave the mountain trails, you'll find simple back wood trails that are ten times better than anything you'll have back home.

They take their mountain biking seriously in the mountains of BC, Canada and any mountain biker should take the time and energy to make a visit and traverse the expansive, exciting trails.

photo of Aurora Borealis
Aurora Borealis

An igloo in northern Alaska with the beautiful aurora borealis ( Northern Lights ) in the background.
photo of Lake Audy Sunset Riding Mountain National Park Manitoba
Lake Audy Sunset Riding Mountain National Park Manitoba

A vivid sunset reflects off the surface of Lake Audy in Riding Mountain National Park situated in the province of Manitoba, Canada.
photo of Waterfall Pictures
Waterfall Pictures

Vancouver Island in British Columbia is a great vacation spot and even better for taking waterfall pictures during your vacations
photo of Cape Palliser Coast New Zealand
Cape Palliser Coast New Zealand

Cape Palliser is a vision of beauty along the Southern Wairarapa coast on the North Island of New Zealand.
photo of Sunset Gillespies Beach South Island
Sunset Gillespies Beach South Island

Yellow hues fill the sky at sunset as the sun settles in after another beautiful day on Gillespies Beach on the South Island of New Zealand.
photo of Beautiful Lake Pukaki Southern Alps Scenery New Zealand
Beautiful Lake Pukaki Southern Alps Scenery New Zealand

Stretching out from near the base of New Zealand's highest peak, Mt Cook, and the scenic Southern Alps, the azure glacier fed waters of beautiful Lake Pukaki look more like a mirage, fringed by tussock grasslands, and forest scenery.
photo of Aerial Iceberg Underwater Picture Atlantic Ocean
Aerial Iceberg Underwater Picture Atlantic Ocean

The massive area of ice underwater, as seen in this aerial picture, acts like a sail as the iceberg is carried south on the cold Labrador currents and along the coast of Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean.
photo of Cute Baby Animals
Cute Baby Animals

One look at these cute baby animals is enough to want to put an end to the brutal harp seal hunt in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada.
photo of Husky Dog
Husky Dog

Photo of a cute Husky Dog posing for a portrait shoot during a dog sleding excursion in Alaska, USA.
photo of Canoe Pictures
Canoe Pictures

Canoe Pictures taken at Misty Lake on Vancouver Island
photo of Autumn Pictures
Autumn Pictures

Autumn on Cape Breton Highland National Park in Nova Scotia, an great vacation destination
photo of Beach Sunset
Beach Sunset

Stock Photo of a beach sunset in Newfoundland
photo of Waterfall Picture
Waterfall Picture

Waterfall Picture taken in the Rainforest of vacation destination Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada
photo of Stars In The Sky
Stars In The Sky

Photo of Stars in the Sky with Northern Lights in Alaska, also called aurora borealis
photo of Cute Babys
Cute Babys

A herd of cute harp seal babys were no more than three to four days old when I visited the ice floes on the Gulf of St Lawrence.
photo of Pictures Of Toronto
Pictures Of Toronto

Photo of the city of Toronto in southern Ontario, Canada
photo of Bridge Pictures
Bridge Pictures

Bridge Pictures showing an old wooden Bridge
photo of Niagra Falls
Niagra Falls

Stock Photo of the Niagra Falls - Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada
photo of Priceless Pictures
Priceless Pictures

Priceless Pictures of cute pet dogs are hard to plan for
photo of Denali National Park
Denali National Park

Denali National Park with Wonder Lake in Autumn, a famous Alaska vacation destination
photo of Cute Puppies
Cute Puppies

One of the cute puppies on the arctic ice floes of the Gulf of St Lawrence in Canada.
photo of Wild Bears
Wild Bears

Photo of wild bears showing a Grizzly Bear in Knight Inlet, British Columbia
photo of Iceberg Pictures
Iceberg Pictures

Colorful Iceberg picture off the Coast of Labrador, Canada
photo of Cute Puppys
Cute Puppys

The Harp Seal puppies on the ice floes of the Gulf of St Lawrence definitely fall into the category of cute animals.
photo of Fall Pictures
Fall Pictures

Fall Pictures on Cabottrail in Nova Scotia in the Cape Breton Highland National Park
photo of Leopard Pictures
Leopard Pictures

Leopard Pictures taken in Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa
photo of Thunder Storms
Thunder Storms

Thunder Storms over a yellow canola field with a oil pump, Alberta
photo of Cougar Pictures
Cougar Pictures

Cougar Pictures, Portrait of a Mountain Lion on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
photo of Inuit Indians
Inuit Indians

Traditional fur parka used by Inuit Indians.
photo of Love Pictures
Love Pictures

Love Pictures of a romantic couple gazing out at the beautiful icebergs in Newfoundland, a great honeymoon vacation destination
photo of Maori Warrior
Maori Warrior

Stock Photo of a maori warrior in New Zealand
photo of Winter Trees
Winter Trees

The sun sets over these snow covered trees during the winter in Alaska, USA.
photo of Snowboarding Pictures Whistler
Snowboarding Pictures Whistler

Snowboarding Pictures taken in Whistler
photo of Stormy Waters
Stormy Waters

Stormy Waters at Cape Palliser on the North Island of New Zealand, an hidden holiday vacation location
photo of Killer Whales
Killer Whales

Killer Whales (orca whales) surfing in a boats wake at high speeds
photo of Cheetah
Cheetah

A cheetah showing teeth in Namibia.
photo of Skiing Pictures
Skiing Pictures

Male skier skiing down Whistler mountain in Whistler, British Columbia under beautiful clear blue sky.
photo of Rainforest
Rainforest

Pure Nature in the ever green rainforest in the Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State.
photo of Winter Pictures
Winter Pictures

Dog mushing in Alaska
photo of Orca Whales
Orca Whales

Orca Whales spyhopping, whale watching in Johnstone Strait
photo of Pictures Of Northern Lights
Pictures Of Northern Lights

Green dancing Northern Lights over pure nature in northern Alaska, USA.
photo of Harp Seal
Harp Seal

Stock Photo of a white Harp Seal on the