So here is the thing: When you stand around in the deep forest and you take care to apply the bug spray, do not forget a spot — any spot — because the mozzies will find it and you will end up with a neatly-arranged circle of mosquito welts. Just saying!

Anyway, it was Thursday (July 5) and the Chromag Toonie race was on. Having decided to capture the moment, for posterity, I rode up to the Basalt Spur to check if the mythical ‘rider that rides up the spur’ actually exists.

Let me put your mind at ease; nobody rode up that spur. You will have to take my word for it or check out the WORCA Facebook page, where I will post the video once it has been edited. Which may take a while because as it turns out, smartphone cameras do not do well in bright sunlight. Who knew?

I hope you all enjoyed your ride up the Highline Trail and up the Westside River Trail and oh, before I forget, UP the basalt Spur. You can’t say I didn’t warn you.

I did like the descent, although I must say the top bit was rootier than I remember it.

The honours for the night go to Chromag, the Northshore Billet, Burnt Stew Cafe and Phillips Brewery for taking part in another successful Chromag Show and Shine, which on this particular evening featured not only shiny Chromag bikes but an actual warm summer evening and Colin’s enchiladas. Who could ask for more?

Tonight (Thursday, July 12) the Whistler Bike Guides, together with Alpine Bike Parks, Splash Nash and the Riverside Junction Café, will take us around Green Lake. This is another one of our classics and this one features a pre-Toonie.

In order to get to the start, you must first ride way past Emerald to the Wedgemount Parking lot, a long ride in its own right. The finish will be at the Riverside Junction Café.

So, if you are one of those people using a car to get to the bike race, you’ve got a problem. Park the car at the start or at the finish? Time to revive the buddy system, methinks.

Having much kindness in his heart, Grant Lamont has given us choices. You may ride the hammerhead race, which will take you up and down to Comfortably Numb, or you can ride the original Green Lake Loop. Either way, we will experience the new north part of the Sea to Sky Trail, or at least the part that is finished, which will feed us into Lost Lake via the Siwash Trail.

I haven’t been on the new bit but it is a pea-gravel trail a la Tin Pants, so it ought to be mellow riding. I’ll be sweeping the Loop part of the course, so if you hear somebody behind you going, “Chop chop, boys and girls. Let’s go, it’s 10 past beer,” that’ll be me and you’d be the final rider on course.

Next week on July 19, Team Whistler, Whistler Chiropractic and the Whistler Brewery will take us back into the Interpretive Forest. Sign-in will be at the brewery, as will be the après, so messing around with backpack trucks is not required.

We finish where we start, how easy is that?