Cancelled (lack of interest) LARCHES! Little-Big Elbow MTB Loop

Coordinator:   Mike W
Type of Ride:  MTB Intermediate, with short hike to Tombstone Lakes
Distance:  48.5km
Cumulative Elevation Gain:  1100m
Anticipated Pace:  15 km/hr overall, slower uphill, faster downhill
Duration:  5 hours moving time, 7 hours including stops.
We will regroup at intersections or every 15 minutes.  No one will be left behind.

PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO START TIME TO GET YOU AND YOUR BIKE READY

Come and enjoy the larches at "one of the premier larch locations in K Country"!  (According to page 157 of Daffern's Kananaskis Trail Guide Vol 2, at West Tombstone Pass and Tombstone Lakes.)

This is a 48.5km backcountry mountain bike loop plus a 4.5km out-and-back hike to Tombstone Lakes about halfway through the ride.  We start and end at the Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area Trailhead Parking, located about 500m beyond Forgetmenot Pond, at the end of Hwy 66.  We'll be doing the loop counter-clockwise.  The riding surface is a combination of gravel, dirt, and rock.    To get to Tombstone Lakes, we'll  leave the road and our bikes just N of Tombstone Pass and walk along a trail over West Tombstone Pass to Tombstone Lakes.  You may want to bring a lightweight bike lock, and walking shoes if your bike shoes are unsuitable for walking. 

There are no facilities along the entire route.  You'll need to bring all the water and food you'll need for the entire trip.  There will be streams en route for water refills, but it's up to you to determine if and how to purify it.  There are outhouses where we park.

Participants should ensure their bikes are in excellent condition and bring along more drink, food, clothing, safety, repair, and first aid gear than they would normally bring on a road ride.  You should also bring bear spray and a headlamp.  We will regroup at intersections or every 15 minutes or so, whichever is more frequent.