by Comox Valley Record
Published: October 21, 2010 6:00 PM
A beaver statue that had been carved into a broken-off tree on a Cumberland mountain bike trail was cut down and removed Sunday afternoon.
The vandal(s) replaced Stanley the Beaver with a cross carved into the stump with a chainsaw. The beaver’s hands were holding an empty can of Thirsty Beaver beer, which was left sitting atop the cross.
Those who use the Thirsty Beaver trail, especially out-of-town visitors, regularly had their picture taken alongside the carving.
The carving was created by a member of the River Rats, a volunteer group that built the trail between last October and May of this year.
The men and women volunteers include mountain bikers, trail runners and adventure racers.
The Thirsty Beaver has become one of the two most popular trails in Cumberland, along with Blue Collar. It includes about 400 metres of elevated trail on hand-split cedar ramps, bridges and logs.
Photos of Thirsty Beaver have appeared in the English Singletrack magazine. In addition, the television show Ride Guide has taken video for a coming episode.
The Thirsty Beaver name derives from the beer most Rats drink after a hard day’s work of trail building.
Anyone with information about the missing beaver is asked to contact any of the local bike shops.