The Contagious Mountain Biking Club of Yukon held the 5+ Hours of Light Fat Bike Festival on Saturday at Wolf Creek, east of Whitehorse.

The festival started at approximately 11:07 a.m. and went to approximately 4:46 p.m.

Bikers rode a nine-kilometre course, starting at the Wolf Creek campground.

Colin McCann, one of the organizers, explained the event.

“It’s meant to celebrate the solstice. There’s five hours and 39 minutes of daylight today ... we encourage people to come out and do as many laps as they can ... but it’s also meant for just anybody to come and go for a fat bike ride.”

McCann explained how it works. “It’s a festival where we can do a race and ... where people can come. So there’ll be people coming later today when it’s not so cold and they’ll just do a lap ... or a couple of laps, or they’ll come and ride with friends.

“I have some friends I haven’t seen in a while – I’ll ride with them later today.”

The temperature at Wolf Creek was unofficially a surprisingly balmy -29C, with no wind chill. Properly dressed, it was actually rather pleasant out there. McCann said the cold would affect the riders’ performance.

“So the cold will slow the bikes down ... the grease in the bearings will be slower. The pedals will be slower. People’s bodies will be slower. The record is nine laps for men, and eight laps for women. I don’t think we’re going to approach that today. I don’t think anybody will set a record today.”

Aaron Foos was one of the riders. When asked why he was here, he responded “fun! I love this event,” he exclaimed. “I volunteer and help put it on. I live near here, so I’m partial to these trails. I like to have people come out and share the trails with us. It’s a good time. Lots of my friends come out and ride around on the shortest Saturday (of the year). It’s a great idea.”

Foos had done two laps at that point, and was hoping to do one or two more. He had pre-ridden the course for three hours Friday helping set it up.

“It’s great today,” he said. “A little on the chilly side, but, you just have to dress for it ... Jim Hawkings, who lives in Pine Ridge, he stomps these trails every day. It’s phenomenal, the work he does. The trail’s like a sidewalk. It’s beautiful.”

The men’s winner was Ian Parker (eight laps) and the women’s winner was Heather Clarke (six laps).

The total laps ridden on the day were 67, for an approximate total of 603 kilometres.