Mother Nature finally decided to play nice with members of the Walden Mountain Bike Club (WMBC).

After being forced to cancel the first two offerings in their Bi-Weekly Race Series this summer (formerly the Bush Pig race series) due to rain, organizers opened the trails in Naughton last Thursday as more than twenty enthusiastic participants tackled courses ranging from 7.80 kms to an even 13 km ride.

“This is a decent day,” beamed Jonah Brault-D’Aloisio, a 13 year-old relative newcomer to the sport who added mountain biking to his athletic repertoire on the urging of a friend. “It’s a decent temperature. It could be a bit cooler, but I’ll take it. It’s better than plus 30 with full sun.”

“And it’s been pretty dry lately, but a bit moist, so the trails shouldn’t be too dusty.”

The soon-to-be high-schooler at Lo-Ellen Park still lists football as his primary sport of choice, no great shock to those who enjoyed watching his father (David), an NFC Hall of Famer who starred in the backfield of the Sudbury Spartans and would go on to play with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs.

“This helps to give me a lot better cardio and leg muscles,” said Jonah, noting the cross-training benefits that should give him a leg up in the fall when he makes his way to his first practice with the Knights come September. “And you get the endurance and ability to focus. I am sure there are other things that come along with it as well.”

That said, there are elements of his involvement with the WMBC that allow D’Aloisio the opportunity to appreciate competing at this level versus simply being content to ride as a recreational mountain bike cyclist, taking in the various Sudbury vistas laid out for those who adore this pastime.

“You get to have races, you have people out here who just love mountain biking so it gets you more into it,” said D’Aloisio. “It gets you to want to improve and bike more and more to get better and better.”

Immersed in a race setting for the first time last summer, D’Aloisio can now take it all in stride as he gets himself ready for the forty minute endeavour that lies ahead. “In your first race, there’s a lot of worry,” he confessed. “But after it was done, it felt good.”

“Your legs are tired, you feel tired, but it’s a nice sense of accomplishment.”

With every passing race, there is a greater sense of ease, expanding on that all-important ability to foresee the challenges that lurk around the next corner. “You learn hand-eye coordination, steering around rocks or going over rocks,” said D’Aloisio. “And you’ve got to find your line, make sure you have a good line.”

“You start with easier trails, work your way through and it comes along nicely.”

Rachel Quackenbush has known this reality for some time – despite being just 12 years old.

The love of all things outdoors would see the family take over ownership of Breakaway Sports and Cycle in Little Current some four years ago, with Rachel being the youngest of three children who have all embraced mountain biking for all that it has to offer.

“Being out in nature, getting fresh air and just being athletic – it’s great,” said Quackenbush, who makes her way to grade 7 teachings at Little Current Public School in the fall.

While she and the family have certainly experienced the Walden trails in the past, much of her riding occurs either on Manitoulin Island, tackling the McLean’s Park Trail System just south of Lake Manitou, about halfway between Manitowaning and Sandfield, or heading off in the direction of Espanola, seeking out Heaven’s Gate, a network of trails that run through the LaCloche Mountains near Whitefish Falls.

“There are a lot more rocks and roots on the course on the island,” acknowledged Quackenbush. “Here, it’s a lot smoother and easier to ride. I prefer it to be smoother - but if can be fun going on the rocky trails too.”

Ironically, the mountain bike community from most other parts of Ontario consider the Walden trails to be among the more technically challenging courses in the province.

Quackenbush hopes to have a chance to continue to uncover a variety of settings in which she can bike, having competed at a 21km event in southern Ontario last summer and looking to make a possible return to the event this year.

Joining Quackenbush in the 7.80 km women’s race were Roslyn Godwin, Olivia Luoma and Clara Russell while Dane Gilbeaut, Paul Guenette, Matt Hansford, Joshua Rioux, Julian Luoma, Eden Abols and Lance Howland all embraced the challenge that was the men’s 13km circuit.

Rounding out the field in Naughton were:
U12 Boys – 7.80km: Brody Larochelle, Noah Snider, Maxillien Gervais, Blake Trottier, Cameron Hodgins, Dominic Tomaselli and Hugo Pilon
O13 Women – 13km: Sara McIlraith, Susanne Halet, Mia Nener, Mia Tomaselli

The Walden Mountain Bike Club will be staging their Bush Big Open Random 6-hour Relay this coming Sunday morning before resuming their bi-weekly Thursday evening gatherings on July 15th and running through into September.