Story Behind the Top 5 Grams of 2014 - #3

Behind the Gram 2014 - #3 Chilcotin Campsite

Caption: Is sleeping outside AND riding bikes all day the best of both worlds? I think it might be. Learn how today on the @rei blog.

Technical Details: Captured with Olympus OM-D E-M1 with Olympus 12-40 2.8 Lens @ 12mm (24mm equivalent). Exposure 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200. Color and contrast adjustments in Adobe Lightroom. Cropped and uploaded via Instagram.

Story: Any way you look at it, Lorna Lake in the Chilcotin Mountains of British Columbia is an inspiring sight. However, it takes on new dimensions of greatness when your first glimpse is through the windshield of a float plane that will soon be using the azure waters as a landing strip. If you happen to have mountain bikes and camping gear on board, you’re absolutely frothing at the mouth.

Float plane mountain biking in the Chilcotins has become somewhat legendary among the riders of the Northwest and beyond. An area with unrivaled access to high alpine single track riding, and over 120 miles of trails, this place is a dream come true for those who seek to use bikes as a mode of exploration instead of a toy on a manicured track.

I had wanted to visit the area for a number of years before finally managing to put together a trip, but an opportunity to produce a story for the REI blog spurred some last minute action and I was able to book the last flight of the season to Lorna Lake with riders Sam Larson and Shannon Skouras. The Tyax Adventures float plane dropped us off with everything we needed to survive in mountains and we had three days in which to explore and eventually cover the miles back to Tyax Lodge.

This photo was taken at our first night’s camp just down the lake from where we stepped off of the plane. For the whole story and more photos from the trip, check out these pieces on the REI blog:

Planes and Drivetrains - Mountain Biking the Canadian WildernessFast and Light Packing for Mountain Bike OvernightsThe Advantages of Riding 27.5 Wheels

To follow the ongoing adventures follow @scottrinck on Instagram!