Kettle Valley Rail Trail Cycle TourElbow Valley Cycle Club, Calgary, Alberta Canada1999 August 6 - 14~600kmTour Co-Ordinator: P. LaGrandeurWebmaster: P. LaGrandeur..............Last Update 2005 Jan 29 |
|
|
The group at Coquihalla Lodge & Campground, Aug 9.
|
|
This cycle tour was a nine day event on mountain bikes on loose surface former rail bed
and on paved highways.
We traveled in the self supported mode with all camping gear and cooking
equipment on board the bikes. The entire trip was in British Columbia, Canada.
Please link to the orientation page for this trip for more information.
|
|
|
Riding the Rails and KVR Trails
Although William Shakespeare wrote this quote over 350 years ago, it most appropriately described what was to later be called the Kettle Valley Railway. Andrew McCulloch, chief engineer of the KVR, was an avid fan of Shakespeare's works and was said to have sat by the campfire reciting Shakespeare's poetry and used Shakespearean names to title stations along the Coquihalla line. Next time you cycle or drive to Vancouver via the Coquihalla highway you'll know why there are Shakespearean names like Romeo, Juliet, ago, Portia, Jessica, Lear and Othello along the way. Andrew McCulloch was also the visionary behind the creation of the Kettle Valley Railway. Often referred to as "McCulloch's Wonder," some considered the KVR an impossible endeavour, some a cultural curiosity, to others an engineering masterpiece. Whatever way you look at it, the KVR is a mountain bikers haven! With over 600km of abandoned railbed, now with multiple washouts including the odd impassible trestle dropping into steep gullies, the KVR is a cyclist's sensation seekers dream. Why did McCulloch have such a grand vision of a railway? Primarily due to the fear of Americans exporting BC's rich natural resources to the US. In 1887, rich silver deposits were discovered in the Kootenay's. Later, the development of the KVR provided an ideal means to divert Kootenay resources to the seaports of Vancouver, rather than loose the rich resources to the American gold diggers. In 1910, Andrew McCulloch led the construction of the KVR. Five years and 510 km (350 miles) of track later, the first passenger trains were in operation. The Othello Tunnels, just outside of Hope were built from 1913 - 1916, are a mind boggling engineering feat! Can you believe that this section of the Coquihalla Subdivision (from Brookmere to Hope) cost an average of $136,000 per mile (5 times the average cost of railways at that time!) The most expensive mile cost $300,000, near the bridges requiring 22 million board feet of lumber and 4500 tonnes of steel! This section has 13 tunnels an d 14 snowsheds totalling 2 miles in length. However, due to the intense snowstorms, the massive snowfall on the rail caused this section to be closed more often than open. Is it any wonder that the KVR was not a lucrative railway? Although parts of the KVR remained open until the 1980's, most of it is now an abandoned railway line. There is one 15 km stretch of railway that operates for tourists between Trout Creek Gorge just north of Penticton past Summerland to Faulder known as the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. It was here that our Kettle Valley Railway adventure began. Some of us sought out these extra detours that were well worth the challenge!
Now envision 22 diehard cyclists, eager for adventure and a real challenge, embarking on a nine day off and on road adventure through the heart of BC's Okanagon and Nicola Valley. (568 km to 710 km total distance, depending on detours taken). After a cycle to Trout Creek Gorge, we rode the Kettle Valley Steam Railway from outside Penticton to Summerland where we were treated to the back 'Box Car Fresh Air Express.' The next 50 km set a precedent for the great adventures yet to come. From the start Monique, Alex and I cycled an extra 35km up to Dark Lake, convinced we were parallelling the KVR, while regularly referring to our forestry maps and 3 KVR books. We eventually ran into a local 'Grizzly Adams' look-alike who said the 4x4 road was impossible to continue cycle through to detour on to the KVR. Honestly, the forestry maps are very deceiving! It was back to the beginning of our days route to find the start of the KVR. Meanwhile, back on the official KVR, eight other cyclists ended up lowering their bikes down a steep cliff with ropes and fording the river, bikes unloaded, except for Persevering Peter; in all a 1.5 hour ordeal! The third group was able to avoid the cliff traverse, finding an alternate route through the woods thanks to Patty's observant eye. Each group encountered the ultimate challenge cycling uphill in +30 C heat while slipping and sliding through death traps! What a relief to plunge into several icy cold, refreshing creeks. Eventuall y everyone arrived safety at Thirsk Lake Campground sharing incredible stories of our first day cycling. At Thirsk Lake, I indulged in an invigorating swim across the warm lake. While I was swimming, the sky burst into a brilliant crimson colour then the sunset faded into a golden glow. As I was swimming back the soothing calls of the loons echoed across the lake. Meanwhile the skies let loose and Alex and I preferred to stay soaked in the water instead of out. Boy did we get out fast when the lightening and thunder started! After drying off at a neighbours campfire under a tarp and sipping red wine, it was a perfect end to our first day! The following day's adventures included detouring around rock falls, carrying our bikes up and down riverbanks to avoid wash outs and some scary, but uneventful encounters with a black bear. Teamwork is essential and few words need to be spoken to coordinate efforts during potentially dangerous times like this. I recommend cycling these stretches of the KVR with no less than four people for safety reasons. In our smaller cycling groups, we all worked together like clockwork! A "must see" near Princeton, is the Princeton Castle Resort. Not only does it have an inviting heated outdoor pool and cedar cabins and lodges, it is surrounded by the skeleton remains of a huge cement plant giving the appearance of an ancient castle. The gardens are interspersed with elegant stone sculptures of Greek gods and goddesses. It was here that we encountered our first limited all you can eat buffet. The unfortunate cooks/owners underestimated the appetites of 22 hungry cyclists. Most of the group & other guests finished 35 Ibs of chicken before some of us even had a chance! We cleared out the entire salad bar. The chef has never seen that happen before; he obviously has never hosted EVCCr's before. We definitely got our money's worth that night! Sheila, Frith, Dawn and John stayed at a historic hotel in Tulameen, where we were bombarded by bikers on Harley's who were there for some special Biker reunion weekend. Our wiry little metal frames were dwarfed beside the huge, souped up, chrome-laden $10 - $30,000 motorcycles. Both groups were in awe of the other, it wasn't quite the clash of the bikers, but it felt like a real spectacle. What an obnoxious noise they made when they stormed out of town. What a relief to get back to the peace and quiet of cycling along the KVR. Our stay at Burt's Horse Motel proved to be a real blast from the past. Burt is just like a living cowboy out of a classic Western novel. He has lived on the land for over 20 years and has never had electricity or running water - and he loves it there! "Why move to hell when I live in paradise?" he retorted. He had rigged up a large solar shower and a cooking shelter with two walls protecting a great wooden stove and sinks and a shower fed by well water. We had good walls protecting a great wooden stove. There were also sinks and a shower fed by well water. We had a good laugh when he pulled out his cell phone to make a quick call: he's a 90's guy after all! In front of a cracking fire, out came Burt with his whisky. He entertained us first on his old guitar, then Brady joined in on the guitar while Burt played the fiddle - they made a great team! Burt kept cursing that the instruments were out of tune - the music sounded great to us. He joked that if he keeled over d ead that night, just push him into the fire and save the $40 bucks for cremating him - what a guy! We'll never forget ol' Burt. On the way to the top of the Coquihalla Pass, most of the group was braving balancing like trapeze artists on a one way trestle that ended with a steep drop off into a dry gulch. Everyone that dared follow the group ended up shuffling very slowly backwards along the trestle back to the other side, then climbing down with their bikes to the gulch, hence Peter's name "Leader of the Lemmings". Remember, this trip is a common adventure and everyone makes their own choices! Next to the few washouts, river crossings and steep cliff drop-offs, flat tires seemed to be our second most common minor setback. Rick and I had our own hair raising adventure on the wrong KVR trail while the rest of the lemmings were performing their balancing act, Rick had two instant flats in a row (time to change the kevlar tires). Just then we heard constant grunting coming from the bush - not a comforting feeling while we were stuck there fixing a flat! All day we took several Saskatoon 'Berry Breaks' along the route and saw several bear scats laiden with plump Saskatoon berries; foreshadowing what was yet to come! I must have been stripping the bears favourite bushes while Rick slaved away fixing his flats. We finally got on our bikes, when just then a brown coloured black bear came galumping down the embankment just a couple of metres ahead of me - I froze! Fortunately Rick yelled out and then he (the bear, not Rick) bounded off into the bush. We were so focussed on cy cling hard and fast, that we missed the right turn on the railway and ended up in Merritt (an extra 25 km) instead turning to Coquihalla Lakes. Honest, this was a totally unplanned detour, but I have to admit I wanted a longer day cycling and we loved whizzing along the quiet, paved roads into Merritt: the panoramic vistas were breathtaking! We certainly were glad to hook up with the group again that evening! Brady & George won the bet on us! Another highlight was flying down the Coquihalla highway the next day - seemingly effortless pedalling, but surprisingly not all downhill. Alex and I reached a top speed of 73 km/hr on nobbies; what a thrill! We veered off the highway to see the Othello Tunnels - a staggering architectural feat, well worth the visit! Then we continued along the narrow KVR trail, enveloped by a shady canopy of aspen and poplars; we flew down the trail into Hope. While most cyclists hit the grocery stores and/or the bar, some of us spent the afternoon relaxing at the alluring Kakawa Lake. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a carefree swim straight across the lake while dodging speed boats and jet skies, so I swam, twice around the perimeter to the provincial park and marina: another heavenly swim! Alex, Sherry and Ken also got a taste of heaven at the lake, it was so hard to leave! The next morning we said goodbye to Ken, Sherry Leon and Eric. The cycle to Merritt was a hot but quick one: some of us arrived at the campground at 12:30. It was such a short day that I was determined to seek out more cycling and a refreshing swim in a lake. The locals raved about Nicola Lake: some said it was 7km away, others 13km: it actually turned out to be 22km. I flew down the highway to Nicola Lake, with a fabulous tail wind, then climbed the last 12km with one long downhill to Nicola Lake Provincial Park. Welcomed by white caps and only little children having polar bear swims, I swam, but not for long. I knew I had the final 22km cycle back to Merritt fighting unrelenting headwinds in+30 C The ride through the Nicola Valley was absolutely stunning! With its own micro-climate, the Nicola Valley is actually the tip of a desert that stretches north from Mexico. Located east of he Okanagon Valley, the gently rolling hills are sparsely scattered with pungent smelling, silvery asture sage and dainty white and rose pussy toes, that look like a cats paw. Much of the vegetation is identical to that found in the Drumheller Valley, with two main differences; the Nicola Valley has several freshwater lakes and rattlesnakes, fortunately we encountered none of the latter ones. We took a mid day break at the Douglas Lake Ranch, Canada's largest Cattle Ranch; a huge self-sustaining community. Can you imagine a ranch with over 20,000 head of cattle on half a million acres of land? I couldn't believe the extent of the ranch's operations. Established in 1884, the ranch is a year round destination resort for leisure activities and conferences, with accommodation ranging from cottages, cabins and camping to yurts. There are over 70 employees during peak season, including 20 cowboys, 20 farmers, 1 cow boss, 1 farm boss, 1 teacher (for a one room school house), 1 egg lady, 2.5 truck drivers, 4 cookhouse cooks, 10 recreation staff, 1 rec. manager and 1 general manager. WOW! On 5500 acres of farmland, crops include alfalfa, oats, barley and rye grass. Where's the beef, you might ask? There's one bull for every 20 cows. Cattle include 200 Herefords, 125 Charolais, 100 Black Angus bulls, 7000 mother cows including 4500 Herefords, 2500 cross breeds. Close to 6600 calves are born each spring - now there's the beef! Ending our day of intense, heavy duty mountain biking along a freshly grated road, we stayed at the Salmon Lake Resort. There, Alex and I had an interesting swim - definitely not one of the top ten! I knew the algae were in bloom, so the water was hardly crystal clear like most BC lakes but local fishermen said it was harmless. After swimming across and back, I had to peel the green algae scum off my bathing suit - I can't believe people actually buy this green slime to eat...it was like carrying a neon green algae mud bath under my swimsuit! After an hour of exhilarating downhill terrain, we headed East towards Vernon, while braving a harsh pelting rainstorm. Monique, Alex and I blasted towards the rustic Okanagon Lake Forestry Campground and to the amazement of others, I first spotted the only distinct marking; a hidden orange gate. My navigating skills are improving! Sue and Barb soon arrived; we felt great after cycling 112km up and down hills. Four hours had gone by and no one else followed: we were quite concerned. Then Peter, George and Rick showed up at 7pm. Rick and George had taken the big mountain biking challenge up and over the mountain, via Pinaus Lakes; what an ordeal they had! They spent most of the afternoon slogging through knee high mud; unrideable and unpushable at times with their fully loaded bikes. With the help of a local farmer, they managed to get a ride through the mud. They continued to cycle and climb, attacking the rest of the hilly detour. Five left to go: Brady, Patty, Nancy, Mehran and Gary were nowhere to be seen; so we assumed they went to Vernon for the night with the rest of the group. The next morning we met up with the missing 'infamous five' cyclists in Westbank. They had blasted right by, totally missing our forestry campground: instead cycling 120km to Provincial Park Campground. Oh the stories we shared! Our final ambitious days ride was over 100 km to Penticton via Westbank, on the exhilarating I, remarkably little weekend traffic. Eight weary cyclists rejuvenated at Denise's parents place in Westbank overlooking Okanagon Lake. Those that had a swim and a hot tub were not eager to cycle the final 52 km to Penticton. Mustering up all the energy we had, we braved the strong headwinds all the way to Penticton, ending the trip with a fabulous Greek feast at Theo's Restaurant. The KVR trip was an invigorating adventure not to be missed! Pushing all of us to the limit, perseverance ultimately prevailed! Peter, you always seek out and create top notch, challenging, high energy off and on road adventure cycling trips. Thanks for another awesome ride! A Tribute to All the Hearty Cyclists on the KVR Adventure Peter 'The Ultimate Cycling Sensation Seeker' & 'Leader of the Lemmings' Who never loses his cool even on the one way trestle to nowhere! Brady 'Burt's Bud' Who never misses a guitar beat, or a beer! Patty 'The Amazing Alternate Route Seeker' Who avoids cliff traverses at any cost! Nancy 'Flat Tire Queen' Who put up with a flat tire and flat tube within 40 minutes of riding, on a borrowed mountain bike in the middle of nowhere, in a desert. Thank god for Peter's spare! Barb 'Stop Snoring' Who survives many sleepless nights beside snorers at & away from home! P. S. We won't mention any names! Frith 'Frigging trailer!' Who had the foresight to pack his panniers in his totally uncooperative, 2 wheeled bike trailer, that he gladly ditched in Princeton. You are a better man for it! Sheila 'Road Warrior #2' Slip sliding away at great speeds on gravel and putting up with road rash. Sue 'Road Warrior #1 ouch!' elbow road rash AND for carrying two spare tires for over 600 km! Denise "It's beautiful; no it's gorgeous!" & "Where's the beach?" Who always seeks out the ultimate swim, with some new exceptions: swimming across Lake Okanagon and green scum! Rick 'Flat Tire King'&'Where's the trail? Forget the trail, where's the beer?' He's a great sport! Alex 'Smiles on Hills' Who always maximizes his speed on screaming downhills! Monique 'Mountain Biking Maniac' Your years of racing sure paid off! George 'Unfaltering Navigator' & "Beer's waiting" Who never gets lost or gives up, despite the odds. Ken 'That *$*!@#! bike' For persevering five days on a full suspension, downhill bike with trailer. Sherry 'The Patient One' Always an optimist with words of encouragement. Dawn & John 'The Brave Biker Duo' Who can mingle with the best of the bikers & have a great time! Mehran & Gary 'The California Beach Bums & City Slickers' Way to go riding on slicks all the way! Peter can relate to your tough slogging in sand. Leon & Eric 'Extra Early Birds' Who were so fast and up at dawn, some of us never saw them until the end of the day! Chris 'Mystery Man' Where did you disappear after the first hour? We missed you all trip! Denise's Words of Advice for Planning your KVR Cycling Adventure
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Trout Creek trestle south of Summerland looking south.
|
|
|
Shay locomotive, the star of the Kettle Valley Heritage Steam Train at Summerland.
|
|
|
Riding the Kettle Valley Heritage Steam Train.
|
|
|
The baggage car on the Kettle Valley Heritage Steam Train.
|
|
|
Ken reclining. A new use for a $4000 bike.
|
|
|
Alex doing a high tree act over Trout Creek.
|
|
|
Rainy meal at Thirsk Lake.
|
|
|
Frith pulling bob on way to breakfast at Three Lakes general store.
|
|
|
Trestle over Osprey Lake lily pond.
|
|
|
Mehran exalting beside Osprey Lake.
|
|
|
L-R: Nancy, Patti, Brady reveling over the fine bike trail.
|
|
|
Monique getting watered up atop trestle.
|
|
|
Mehran enjoying life.
|
|
|
Rick repairing tire.
|
|
|
George getting watered up atop trestle.
|
|
|
The hogs tied up and patiently waiting outside Princeton Hotel during breakfast.
|
|
|
Crossing Tulameen River outside of VV&E tunnel under Hwy #3 at west edge of Princeton.
|
|
|
Patti & Brady outside Coalmont Hotel.
|
|
|
Brady admiring wooden Indians outside Coalmont general store.
|
|
|
Burt Sharkey of Keyshar's (Burt's) Horse Motel serenades the group.
|
|
|
Nancy (L) and Burt with horse.
|
|
|
Patti (L) and Barb on rail trail at Brookmere.
|
|
|
Nancy opening fence. Yes, says Nancy,
we always leave gates as we find them. Patti in background.
|
|
|
Oops, wrong bridge. Let's turn around now. This bridge
at the start of the Coquihalla line at the Brodie wye
turned out to be washed out at west end. We should read our guide book more carefully.
Coquihalla highway in background.
|
|
|
Patti enjoying traversing a washout on the Coquihalla line.
Nancy behind to right.
|
|
|
Brady tightening Peter's bottom bracket.
|
|
|
Othello tunnels at Hope.
|
|
|
Loading the bikes onto the truck for the shuttle from Hope back to Brodie
|
|
|
Scratch this tire and tube.
|
|
|
A fine bridge and trail on the way to Merritt from Brodie.
|
|
|
Frontier church at Nicola.
|
|
|
Nicola Lake from Hwy 5A looking west.
|
|
|
Quilchena Hotel at Quilchena.
|
|
|
General store at Quilchena.
|
|
|
Bicycle cowboys at Douglas Lake Ranch.
|
|
|
Brady (L) and Mehran.
|
|
|
More Douglas Lake Ranch Bicycle cowboys.
|
|
|
Douglas Lake general store.
|
|
|
Antique delivery wagon from Woodward's department store in Vancouver.
|
|
|
|