The Hardcore 100 occurred in La Ronge, Missinipe and Stanley Mission from March 9-12. (Facebook/Paul Buffel)

By Derek Cornet

Hardcore 100

Fat bike event includes stops at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Nistowiak Falls

Mar 14, 2023 | 3:13 PM

Fourteen fat-bike riders from mostly Regina and Saskatoon were in northern Saskatchewan last week for the four-day Hardcore 100 event.

The event was hosted by Adventure Destinations Inc. (Thompson’s Resort) out of Missinipe in partnership with La Ronge’s Boreal Outdoor Recreation Association (BORA). It was held March 9 to 12 and it marks the fourth time the event has been held.

“The weather was perfect. You don’t want it too warm for a fat bike event because the trail starts to get soft, especially this time of year with the strong sun,” BORA member Dr. Daniel Irvine said.

“It’s nice if it’s not too cold as well. The snow and the water were sparkling. The sun was out. Snow conditions were great. Sometimes the Nistowiak Falls route gets fairly bumpy from the amount of sled traffic that there is, but it’s smoother than I have ever seen it, so it’s a really great time to be out on the trail.”

The event began last Thursday with a 12 to 18-kilometer ride on the Town of La Ronge/BORA trails. On Friday, riders took the Stanley Mission poker rally portage route to Nistowiak Falls, before backtracking to the Holy Trinity Anglican Church and back to Stanley Mission for a total of 47 km.

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“On Saturday, they went south from Missinipe on the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race route and riders went between 35 to 55 km,” Irvine explained.

Nistowiak Falls are one of the highest and most beautiful natural waterfalls in Saskatchewan. (Facebook/Paul Buffel)

Built between 1854 and 1860, the ​​Holy Trinity Anglican Church near Stanley Mission is the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan. (Facebook/Paul Buffel)

“On Sunday, riders rode from Missinipe again around a loop called the Community Trail in Missinipe, and then over on a Ski-Doo trail on the south side of Barker Lake and over to Barker Island and back. Riders rode between 20 to 30 km that day and then travelled back to their home communities.”

Fat bikes differ from other bikes as they have wheels between 3.8 and five inches, while mountain bike tires are in the two to 2.8-inch range. The extra width allows riders to float better on top of the snow rather than digging in. Fat bike tires also generally have a low tire pressure with 10 pounds per square inch (PSI) being on the high end and one PSI on the low end.

Irvine, who participate in the Hardcore 100 event on Thursday and Friday, called it a wonderful experience.

“There was really great camaraderie and it was great exploring the environment and the history around Stanley Mission,” he said.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno