IN WHISTLER’S BACKYARD A PROVINCIAL PARK SAYS NO TO MOUNTAIN BIKES

Garibaldi Provincial Park officials held a packed meeting last week to review the long-term plan for the Spearhead region of the park and said they’re concerned about how access is impacting cultural and archaeological sites. In particular they see the increasing popularity of mountain biking and the desire for riders to access a proposed hut system (for skiers) as a threat. Mountain bikers call B.S.: Officials don’t want bikes, but helicopters will be permitted to continue flying the well-heeled into this prized backcountry. The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) said it’s not happy, and in March more than 80 percent of respondents to the online comments survey were in favor of mountain biking in the Spearhead, with proper management. The matter isn’t entirely over yet. WORCA officials are requesting a meeting and public comment is still open until January 10. Via Whistler Question.

WHY WORKING OUT IN THE AFTERNOON IS WHAT YOUR BODY WANTS

The 24-hour gym isn’t such a great invention. Or so scientists studying circadian rhythms and exercise now think. The gym rats in question…were actual rats. But the vermin share our physiology, meaning that they, and we, have so-called pacemaker cells that receive signals from light sources or darkness that set off a cascade of molecular effects, including when to sleep, wake, and function physiologically according to the dictates of our body’s internal clock. What’s more, scientists wanted not just to determine whether exercise at a certain time of day can be a net positive (it seems it can), but whether exercise done out of sync with a circadian clock can be harmful. The latter question is huge because recent research has linked out-of-sync circadian rhythms in people to an increased risk for diabetes, obesity, certain types of cancer, memory loss, and mood disorders. But with the mice they learned that those of us with “broken” clocks (insomniacs) may be able to fix them with afternoon workouts, leading to better sleep and hopefully a lower incidence of the above diseases. Via NYT.

A WORLD SERIES OF CYCLING…WHILE UCI STRUGGLES TO STAY LEGIT

In the wake of Lance Armstrong’s downfall the governing body of cycling, UCI, has been heaped with massive criticism. Now the UCI says it’s in favor of a push from outside groups to create a so-called “World Series” of cycling. It would revise the road racing calendar to feature 10 new worldwide grand prix four-day events alongside the three Grand Tours (Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, and Giro d’Italia) and six of the major one-day classics. But the new series isn’t distracting the UCI’s critics. In an attempt to quell detractors, the UCI hired independent auditors to evaluate its overall governance but that may not be enough for outside groups. The so-called Change Cycling Now summit held last week in London calls for the ouster of UCI leadership and for independent (rather than UCI) drug testing. Meanwhile the Manifesto for Credible Cycling was also launched by several leading European newspapers including France’s L’Equipe and Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport. Any world series ideas are going to have to wait for the UCI to clear its name or be completely overhauled. Via Road.cc and Sport Business.

UTAH SKI LINK GETS CRITICIZED – BY THE HOOK AND BULLET CROWD

The move to wed The Canyons and Solitude via a lift amounts to the Forest Service ceding only 30 acres of public land and putting it into private hands. Now a voice you wouldn’t expect, Outdoor Life, is calling it out as an unwise move, saying that Utah Congressman Rob Bishop is in the wrong with his proposal and that it will create a domino effect of public land going private. “SkiLink may seem like a small thing, but it’s part of a widening pattern of attempts to undermine one of America’s greatest treasures: our public lands…The effect of the sale of public lands will certainly curtail the number of folks who get to hunt, as with the less available land, you will have less opportunity to hunt or fish. Public Lands are the great equalizer when it comes to ensuring the founding father’s vision that all Americans would have a place to hunt and fish and provide for their families.” The entire editorial is worth a read…and the reader response has been to criticize the magazine. Via Outdoor Life.