On my way home from last Sunday’s ride, I was reflecting a bit on Galbraith in general. A lot of treasures are in the eye of the beholder and I think Galbraith is one of them. I know that mixes metaphors, but that’s okay with me. To a mountain biker, Galbraith is a treasure, while for the non-mountain biker it might be seen as a complete eyesore with a bunch of dirt roads, trails and boardwalks without railings.
I’ve said it before and will say it again. I am thankful for the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) and the work that they do to keep the trails up and access to Galbraith open. I will be the first to admit my support for them has been pitiful at best, having donated to WMBC only the once and never showing up for volunteer trail work. I will have to try and do better in the future.
Another part of my reflection was about trail sponsorship. I’ve snapped numerous images in front of signs that bear the name of companies who have donated to keep the trail system alive. I truly do appreciate those businesses, yet it wasn’t until this week, snapping a picture in front of the Dog Patch sign that I really looked at the sponsorship. In this case, Dog Patch, appears to be sponsored by Max Dales Steakhouse in Mt. Vernon. It happens that I like meat. It also happens that my wife and I are always looking for someplace new to eat and maybe get a beer. So I think we might try out Max Dales, and maybe I can even consider that doing better at supporting WMBC. 🙂
Enough self-flagellation.
Galbraith for me has been great. The way I ride it may not be the way all the big time down-hillers do, but I still have a lot of fun without ever leaving the ground. The way I do Galbraith is really basic. I push pull or drag my bike up to the top and then as time permits I enjoy riding any number of trails on my way back down to the car. If time or weather doesn’t permit, then I ride the road straight back to the car knowing that I’ve just completed a great cardio workout just by making it to the towers.
Choosing a trail or system of trails to ride after earning the altitude is really the way to enjoy Galbraith. From the top, it’s a smorgasbord. Here are a couple of easier, no airtime required, ones from the Samish Way/Galbraith Lane parking area.
- Whoopsie Woodle – (tough trail, from roots & rocks perspective though)
- Mullet
- Kung fu theatre/Tough Love
- 3 Pigs
- Dog Patch
If it’s a warm day without time restrictions I will also ride from the towers way over to the North and ride Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Last Sunday was a bit chilly and as I said I just did the Tower climb and then the Dog Patch on the way down. Here’s the Relive link also.
Ok, so that’s the post. Just wanted to show a little appreciation towards those who spend time and money to keep up Galbraith.
