JTR junction with Skelula7 (Owl Mackenzie connector)
The Trail now known as Jack the Ripper actually started about 10 years ago. Local trail legends and visionaries Sandy, Potsy, and Jeff were the first to see the vision of a trail from the Cell Tower down the beautiful open ridge to the bottom of Reid Rd. Back then it was known as Titties and Beer. It was such an enormous undertaking that it was always an adventure of epic proportions. The trail had so few visits that it soon became nothing more than an overgrown flagged route through the forest. Around the same time I (Johnny Foon) discovered this line and started using sections of it for the Skelula7 (Mackenzie Owl connector), Jack Hannan, who who had moved to the bottom of Reid Rd. found the bottom section. We agreed that if he worked up from the bottom and I down from the top we could meet up and resurrect this insane old line. On Jacks birthday, September 18th, in 2009 he and myself with a group of 10 or so made it through the new Titties and Beer for the first time. Jack had re-routed some of the more crazed rock lines that Sandy, Potsy, and Jeff were riding back in the day (very impressive indeed) and although still a tough descent, do-able for most mortals.
Jack on the Ripper 2009
The following winter Jack was killed by an avalanche on Mt. Currie. Jack was a world class big mountain skier. It was the skiing that brought him and his wife Laura here from there native US. He truly Ripped and it was agreed by all that Jack the Ripper would be a fitting name for his trail. The weekend before Jacks birthday last year an enormous volunteer effort was made to make the ripper more rideable, and on his birthday of 2010 the first descent of the new and complete Jack the Ripper was made by a large group of riders.
Wendy Brookbank riding Jacks ramps
The views from the ridge are as good as it gets
Jacks birthday is tomorrow (sunday Sept. 18). A group will be meeting at the Pemberton High School at 10am to ride the entire route from the valley. Groups of riders from the other side (Mt. Currie) and those who need to incorporate a shuttle will try to meet up at either Middle Earth or The Cell Tower. All are welcome to join in this ride, experience the natural beauty of this ride and feel some of the energy Jack Hannan had for this place.
We miss you Jack! Your energy is with us forever!
