River Valley Cycling

Supporting Cycling In and Around Fredericton

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Multi-year Woolastook refresh in the home stretch.

January 18, 2025 By Chris Norfolk

We’ve shared lots of progress updates over the past 2 years and it looks like we are ready to share the the big picture. This is the result of RVC’s effort to build a brag-worthy trail network that will anchor Woolstook on the map for another whole generation of local mountain bikers. While a trail network like this is never really done the major construction we imagined with our master trails plan is now mostly complete.

Woolastook now has:

  • 20.7 km of trail at a range of grades
  • 10 hub junctions designed to make navigation in-woods easier (fewer intersections)
  • Stacked loop options so you can choose your adventure and distance
  • A beautiful backcountry – accessible with a proper climber – including a flow descent – and a view!
  • A name for every trail – we landed on “Obsession” for the flow line down from the deck

Here’s the new trailhead map that’s getting installed soon:

Click the map to download a geo-referenced high-res .pdf … and we’re on Trailforks as always

This trail project embodied local success at its very best:

Grassroots club organizing. Nearby towns signing letters of support. Local volunteers putting in sweat. A phenomenal local bike shop partner. A hometown hero running the network design. Two Maritime professional trail building companies. Lumber from a local sawmill a stone-throw away. Signage from a local print shop. Local businesses stepping forward to help. Secure access to public land. Government funding a project to benefit the local community. This feels good.

Aside from the map our main trailhead sign is going to include plates to give credit to all of the volunteers who played a big role in making this place the gem that it is now. Work isn’t going to stop – and despite the best build quality these trails are going to need maintenance – but we’re ready to call our project successfully finished. We hope you like the result.

On to more big things.

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Woolastook

New Flow Trail in Woolastook

September 16, 2024 By Chris Norfolk

Riders – we are opening another flow trail. This time, it’s in Woolastook’s front-country and you won’t have to crank out twenty-one switchbacks to get your lap down.

A few weeks ago Kodiak Trial Works returned to Wooly and started digging with an aim to carve out a descent that will run from the “summit deck” to the trailhead. Today we are ready to tear down the caution tape and open up the first section of the trail. While things may still be settling, we think it’s ready to ride down to the intersection with Summit trail. Have a look at these progress pics and go catch a session in the week of sultry weather we have coming up!

For now, the trail will keep it’s temporary “T-8” designation from our Woolastook Master Plan. We’ll wait and see how the rest of it feels before giving it a name. It will be a moderate (blue) grade that it will keep through the rest of the build and it will also be a downhill-only direction. Sorry, because of the expected speeds and the jumps this one isn’t suitable for hiking or trail-running.

T-8 on Trailforks.com

While we are at it… there’s a few other updates we’ve recently made to clean up the map for Woolastook park. All of these updates are live on Trailforks now so update your app if you use it:

  • Split Rail has now been finished all the way to where it joins with Kelly’s Cove. Thanks Bev! We’ve updated the entire length of this trail to give it a ‘green’ grade.
  • Rock N’ Roll, The Otterbahn, and Owl Be Back are all new opened in the last few months.
  • We’ve renamed the trail built around the Fox’s Den to ‘Silver Fox‘!
  • A few old legacy trails are decommissioned (as per our plan). These include Dave’s Drop, Bev’s Knoll, Mel’s Fav, Rough Start, and Snakes N’ Ladders. These were great trails for their day but they’ve been retired to make room for streamlined new trail junctions and other modern design improvements.

We hope you love riding the new T-8 and the completed Split Rail! These projects wouldn’t have been possible without the generous funding from the Canada Community Building Fund AND from the heroic quantity of volunteer effort that has poured into this park since our project began. If you love Woolastook, as well as the other trail systems we support, it’s not too late to contribute. RVC’s 2024 memberships are still available! Plan for a riding as the leaves change colour and the air turns crisp.

JOIN RVC

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Woolastook

RVC’s “Wooly 4” Presented by Trailway for 2024

July 30, 2024 By Chris Norfolk

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Register Now!

This long-running favourite event is about having a good time. Race solo, or as a team, at a hammer or chill pace. We’re excited to be showcasing a couple of brand new trails in this year’s course that will suit a wide range of skill levels! The course will include both new hand-built as well as machine-built trails, and everything will be flow-tastic. Racers complete as many laps as they can in the allotted time, solo (must be 19+) or as relay teams of 2 or 3. Or just do as many laps as you feel like riding, and hang out at the start/finish cheering and socializing. It’s all fun.

As usual, there will be great draw prizes from our amazing community bike shops, Explore Velo and Radical Edge, and refreshments and swag from Trailway Brewing. We’ll have Willie’s Sausages on site BBQing. You’ll get one item with your event entry (meat or veggie), and spectators and extra-hungry riders can buy extra items at $5 apiece.

Adam of Baxter Photography wil be taking shots during the event, so ham it up or catch some sweet air when you see him. After the event you can get access to the photo set for $5.

As in 2023, Race HQ, the start/finish, and parking will be in the Fox’s Den. You won’t find it on Google Maps, as it’s not normally open to camping, but HERE are directions from the 102. Basically you’ll follow the campground road all the way around to the campground loops. You’ll pass a set of gates and then a little garbage trailer and then turn left where it’s signed “Fox’s Den.” Race day, it will be signed from the park entrance on the south side of the highway to the start/finish and parking.


Categories:

  • Solo Men (must be 19 or older)
  • Solo Women (must be 19 or older)
  • Open Team (members may be of any age and gender)
  • Women’s Team (all members must be women/girls)
  • Youth Team (all members must be 16 or younger)

*(Solo racers must be 19 or older as of December 31, 2024)


Event Day Schedule:

  • 9:30-10:30 am Registration and plate pickup
  • 11:00 am Race start
  • 3:00 pm cut-off to begin final lap
  • 3:30 pm awards and draw prizes

Race Registration Fees:

  • $40 until 6pm on Saturday, August 24 or on site race day for $50.
  • If you are not a Velo NB member, there is an additional fee of $10 for a day license.

Trailforks.com

Other important info:

  • There is no potable water on site. We’ll have some bottled water, but do yourself and the environment a favour and plan ahead.
  • Bathroom facilities are a rustic outhouse and a Port-o-John.
  • If you prefer to sit somewhere other than on the grass, bring a portable chair of some sort.
  • The event runs rain or shine.
  • Parking is in the campground loop near the start/finish. Pull into a site or clearing or pull up on the side of the road where there’s room, don’t block people in or park on any tents.
  • Want to stay at the park? Ask us about unserviced camping at the Fox’s Den loop adjacent to the course. 

FAQ

Is the course marked for pre-riding?
You can find the course above on Trailforks and here on Strava. “On the ground,” the course is lightly flagged in pink and orange. Meaning, there are flags around turns and intersections. If the flag is on the right, the next turn will be a right turn. The course will be signed and mostly taped Saturday.

Can youth participate?
There’s no minimum age to participate on a team. For youth who wouldn’t be confident completing the course on their own, one option is for a parent to team up and ride with them. Your team will only get credit for relay laps – i.e. if you ride a lap together, the timing system will only register one lap.

Where can I set up my team tent?
There will be room set aside for team tents near the start/finish and feed zone. Ask our volunteer parking attendants to direct you when you arrive.

Is there an e-bike category?
Sorry, e-bikes are not permitted this year.

What’s this I’m hearing about an enduro?
If you’re in the park Saturday from around 1-3 pm, why not cheer on the club enduro race? It runs on Radical Ledge, Big Wooly, Mammoth, Birch, and Leg Eater. If you’re looking to preride the Wooly 4 course Saturday, that will go more smoothly before and after the enduro, as the events share a couple of trails.

I have more questions!
No problem. Ask your question in the discussion in the Facebook event, or get us on Facebook messenger, or use the contact us.

Register Now!

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Woolastook, Wooly 4

New Woolastook Trail Names

May 31, 2024 By Chris Norfolk

We’re ready to release the names for the trails in the new section of Woolastook opened up last fall and this spring. We had a lot of fun with the name suggestions that came in from members through our survey, and from names that we’ve heard people throwing around on rides. We get that everyone’s bored of the “T-Whatever” temporary names… so here we go!


Fox Trot (820 m)

This was the first ground to be broken on our massive Woolastook project. Named as a nod to the ‘Fox’s Den’ campground that’s been such a great neighbor.


Missing Link (820 m)

This was the crux of the whole project. The area had been thoroughly scouted over the years looking for a way to break through the wet seeps and springs that seemed to pop out of the ground everywhere. Only after we engaged the real professionals at McElhanney who designed our master plan and walked the land did we see that it was possible to find high ground and open up the Woolastook back-country.


Twenty-one (1.1 km)

Well… because there are twenty-one switchbacks above mountain road to get to the top of the climb. Keep pedaling! While this is intended to be a climb trail we recognize some beginners may want to use this as the easiest way back down the hill after making it to the top.


Radical Ledge (680 m)

This unique trail features riding on exposed bedrock before it turns downhill with some significant berms and drops. Named to give a nod to one of the pillars of our local ridging community. One-way traffic.


Big Wooly (730 m)

A flow trail. This sends the rider down quick towards some big turns, rollers, and jumps (no mandatory air). Just as the trail takes a huge turn to the left near the bottom there is a connector that shoots you towards Mammoth… otherwise follow the line and head back for another climb of Twenty-one. Downhill only.


Mammoth (1.5 km)

A flow trail. A natural extension of Big Wooly with the same speed. Look for more berms and rollers and some optional jumps. Everything is big. This takes you all the way to the lake and a short climb return shoots you to the start of Missing Link for another lap. We think the ‘Wooly Mammoth‘ linkup will be one of the most popular segments in town. Downhill only.


Woolastook mountain biking trails

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Woolastook

Winterbike Plan 2024 – Woolastook

January 13, 2024 By Chris Norfolk

Riders!

It will snow… eventually… it has to! Your Winterbike membership supports trail grooming at several locations in the Fredericton area. Here’s our plan for Woolastook.

This year RVC groomers will keep a little more than 11km of trail open at Woolastook. The layout here will let riders plan out routes using stacked loops so lots of distance options will be available. You’ll want to build up to a full distance ride though because the winter lookout is worth it. We won’t tell anyone if we see you pushing your bike up the last bit of that steep hill up to the lookoff – we promise.

Woolastook mountain biking trails

Mike Hutchinson, RVC’s vice president and Tim Dine, volunteer groomer will both do some heavy lifting this winter and plan to groom regularly. From time to time he may get a little help from Andy. Give these guys a huge thanks if you are out and you run into them. Grooming snow for fatbike is a tough job and volunteering is how it all happens!

Can’t wait!

This grooming plan is what you can expect RVC will keep open for the duration but from time to time we’ll probably be able to enjoy a few other pieces of singletrack opened up by volunteer snowshoers. If you want to update your Trailforks app the winter mode map is now up to date.

Remember, you can join RVC Winterbike right now for 2024! We hope you enjoy and we appreciate your support.

Filed Under: Announcements, News, Winter Bike Tagged With: Woolastook

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