Trip
Reports
Bike
Trip - TCT Across BC:
1.Vancouver
Island
2.West Vancouver
to Coquitlam
3.Coquitlam to
Albion Ferry
4.Albion Ferry to
Cultus Lake
5.Keith Wilson
Bridge to Hope
6.Hope to Princeton
7.Princeton to
Penticton
8.Penticton to
Creston
9.Creston to Alberta
border
6.
Hope To Princeton (June 30 - July 2, 2001)
Day 1 - June 30, 2001
This weekend adventure had it all. Spectacular scenery, wildlife, a few
intrepid blunders, and marathon biking. I was joined once again by Ted
Butt. He cycled with me the previous Saturday through the Chilliwack Valley.
Ted is a colorful character and his lively conversation was a big part
of this trip. It is very hard to find a compatible traveling partner.
I like to hit the trail at sunrise and travel all day. I rarely stop for
long breaks. I prefer to simply get "INTO THE ZONE" and keep
moving. I am always curious what is around the next bend. Ted is very
similar and together we enjoyed one memorable Canada Day weekend.
Hope
Othella Tunnel Trailhead to 60: 2 hours
(#60 refers to checkpoint in guidebook)
We started at 8:00 am at the Othella Tunnels Trailhead. This first part
is a real treat. The old rail bed is wonderfully maintained and we were
treated to spectacular views of the river below. We walked our bikes through
the tunnels as suggested in the guidebook. The ground can be wet and slippery,
so be careful.
60 to Carolin Mines Exit
At this point we stayed on the highway for the short ride to Carolin Mines
Exit. The shoulder is quite wide and safe to travel on. The TCT trail
is a work in progess on the East side of the Coquihalla River.
Carolin Mines Exit to Ladner Creek
At the Carolin Mines Exit we made a huge blunder. As Ted and I came off
the highway, we saw the dirt road (that we should have taken) heading
north closed. There is a large road sign stating the ROAD IS CLOSED and
cannot be traveled. We headed east instead and crossed a bridge for a
long and painful uphill detour along the Dewdney Creek Forestry Road.
Much to our chagrin, the road never turned North and we eventually gave
up on it.
We returned to the original dirt road with the ROAD IS CLOSED sign and
proceeded along it. We came across a large, but passable hole in the ground.
I would say that if you are unsure about attempting this rugged obstacle,
simply take the highway to Portia Station.
We managed to get around it and found ourselves at a very delightful campsite
at Ladner Creek. There is in fact more than one place to pitch your shelter.
Next to the river there is a fairly sandy area suitable for many tents.
Across the road and slightly higher is a grassy flat area as well.
We immediately stripped down and took a brain-freezing plunge into the
river. We were so hot and dehydrated when we arrived, but within minutes
we felt like a million bucks! There is not a lot of firewood, but we managed
to find a few scraps to start a small fire. There were no mosquitoes,
but a few no-see-ums. The bridge has a gate across it, so you are well
protected from invading car campers. We hung our food from the bridge
and retired for a well-earned sleep.
Day 2 - July 1st, 2001 CANADA DAY!! (A very long
day)
Ladner Creek to Coquihalla Lakes (62): 5 hours
I got up at 5:00 am and did some yoga stretching. We grazed on energy
bars as we sorted gear onto our bikes. Ted was using a bike trailer for
this trip. I was envious of the large duffel bag where you can just stuff
everything. With panniers, you have to be a little more selective to ensure
the weight is evenly distributed between each pack.
By 6:30 am we were cranking our pedals once again as we pushed towards
Portia Station. We grunted our way up one long hill to the highway. Portia
Station, as with other KVR signs along the Coquihalla are simply sign
posts. The actual stations have long disappeared.
As members of Trails BC we chose the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP) Road
to provide further information to the trail builders involved with TCT
planning. Please follow the guidebook suggestions and remain on the highway.
Check with Trails BC to find out when the TMO route will be open. As of
July 2003 there is a new route along much of the old KVR through this
area. Please check out the Trails BC website (found on the links page)
for current info.
Coquihalla Lakes (62) to Brodie Station
(64): 1 hour
There are camping facilities at Coqhihalla Lakes. A short distance down
the road is Britton Creek Rest Area that has picnic tables, washrooms,
and water.
We were advised to remain on the highway until Brodie Station. At this
time the TCT along the Juliet and Brodie Trail pose too many difficult
obstacles to bike riders. On the other hand, the ride along the highway
is all down hill. A nice relief!
The highway crosses the Coldwater River just before Brodie Station. We
stripped our gear from our bikes and made our way down a small hill to
an animal fence that provided access to Brodie Siding Road. Your other
option is to simply follow the paved highway to Larson Exit (as suggested
in the guide book).
Follow Brodie Siding Road to the vehicle access campsite alongside Coldwater
River. At the campsite you will see two rail beds. The correct TCT route
takes you over a steel bridge spanning the river. Unfortunately, we took
the other one. All it meant really was that we got a chance to see another
very cool rail bed (complete with trestle crossings, great scenery). About
30 minutes later we crossed a road that we turned right on. This road
took us up a few hills to Brookemere Station.
After traveling through the Vancouver Island Section and the Southwestern
BC sections of the TCT I am really impressed with the great trail work
done by countless volunteers to get the TCT going. The TCT is not yet
complete but the terrific work done to date is very inspiring.
I am fortunate to know a few of the trail builders in my region including
Leon Lebrun (Regional Chair, Southwestern BC. Trails BC) He is working
as a volunteer on the TCT seven days a week His enthusiasm is only matched
by his energy building trail. I have tried to keep up with him a few times,
but I've given up.
And then there is Bill Archibald. His official title is VP of Routes,
Trails BC but his name is synonymous with outdoor recreation in BC. Everybody
knows Bill. His love of nature is only surpassed by his generosity in
sharing that knowledge with the people around him. Quite simply, he is
the best.
Okanagan Region
Brookmere Station (1) to Coalmont Station (6): 5
hours
We refilled our water bottles and learned the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR)
museum was closed now. The person in charge died a couple of years ago.
I don't know if there are any plans to re-open it. Brookmere is the official
start of the Kettle Valley Railway recreational trail. Many of the old
buildings still stand and being there is like stepping into the past.
We headed South East towards Spearing Station. The route towards Princeton
was easy to follow. The grade is flat, but the surface sometimes was rather
bumpy. The section from Brookmere for the first couple of hours gave my
muscle joints quite a work out. Having a bike with suspension along this
section would have made the riding much better.
The scenery, however, is what makes the KVR so cool! We passed by creeks,
farms, over bridges. A few times there were even the remains of dead cattle
alongside the trail, their bleach white bones glistening in the late afternoon
sun. I would recommend that you definitely treat your drinking water along
this section. At Thalia Station (#3) there is a detour around the remains
of an old trestle. The TCT has put in a nice side trail that will take
you to the road. Cross the road and push your bike up the switchback to
regain the KVR.
As far as camping sites go, the KVR passes through a lot of farms, so
there really is not any place to camp until you get to Otter Lake, near
Tulameen. You can leave the KVR as the guidebook suggests finding nearby
camping areas, but we were too tired for any such detour. We just kept
on going.
Also to remember, there are lots of gates. Please close them behind you.
At one creek crossing, the bridge is partially out. There are a couple
of planks to get you across, but we had to strip down our bikes of gear
in order to carry them across safely.
Thynne and Frembd lakes are nice, but difficult to access from the trail.
From the north end of Otter Lake, the KVR really gets interesting. To
our right was this magnificent body of water that stretches southward
for 7 km. To our left, the steep light brown sandstone reflected the evening
light as we cycled along. On the lake we could spot a few people fishing.
The sun had dipped below the ridge to the west, so we were thankfully
back in the shade again.
At the south end of Otter Lake we crossed a long wooden bridge into the
town of Tulameen. We had arrived around 7:30 pm and the town's only general
store was closed. There are two pay phones, a campground, and small hotel
if you wish to stay the night. In addition bikers will find there is the
Backroads Bike Shop in this small town. I was told by a fellow cyclist
the shop is fully equipped with a sister location a few kilometers down
the trail in Princeton. The phone numbers are: Tulameen (250-295-3735),
Princeton (250-295-3722). Another company I found out about runs a shuttle
service in the area. You can find more information by contacting Neil
McDiarmid @ 250-295-6681.
We pushed on to Coalmont and soon found ourselves basking in the smokey
atmosphere sipping beers in the Coalmont Hotel. Christine was waiting
for us as she had driven from Vancouver earlier in the day. In fact, the
trip to Vancouver by car is about 3 hours. The people are very friendly
and accommodating. You can leave you gear and bike safely in the main
lobby. To book accommodations contact the Coalmont Hotel @ 250-295-6066.
After 14 sweltering hours on our bikes, our bodies were covered in a coating
of dust, sweat and sun screen. It felt wonderful to have a bath in one
of their big claw foot tubs. If you ask nicely, they will certainly fix
you something from their kitchen. The food was simple, tasty, and reasonably
priced.
The place was built in the early 1900's and still boasts the same hand
painted linoleum floors that the miners would have stomped along years
ago. It was no problem falling asleep!
Day 3 - July 2, 2001
Coalmont Station (6) to Princeton (8): 1.5 hours
I woke up early and went down stairs to do my morning ritual of yoga.
You can sit outside on the front porch and just watch the world go by.
Which in this case is not a lot. The occasional car drove by asking for
directions, but it was fairly quiet.
One of the bikers (motorcycle variety) who were also taking in the quaint
atmosphere of the Coalmont Hotel stopped and asked me if the bar was open
yet. I looked at my watch and told him it was only 8:30 am. He looked
at me as if I had something funny and headed in anyways. I went back to
my stretches. My right knee was quite sore, as I had overdone it a little
the previous day.
After a great breakfast, Christine took Ted to Manning Park (1 hour West
of Coalmont) where Ted was going to cycle back to his home in Sardis.
I kept on going the short 7 km section to Princeton. The section leading
into Princeton was amazing! I passed by beautiful red colored vermillion
cliffs and copper tinted sandstone hoodoos. The different colors, shapes
and textures of the landscape overwhelmed my senses. Sloping hills with
ponderosa pines gave way to the cobalt green waters of the Tulameen River.
I passed through tunnels and over bridges. I also spotted numerous places
to camp along the way. This is a place you could easily spend a week exploring.
On this section I also came across a few fellow bikers. One woman was
doing a solo ride along much of the same trail we had just passed. She
too had run into a few challenges with finding the trail, but once she
connected to the KVR she had made steady progress.
I arrived in Princeton and stopped at the Visitor Info Centre, which is
on the KVR. It is next to a Subway sandwiches restaurant. This is a good
place to have lunch, drink a Snapple and use the washroom. The visitor
info centre has a very friendly staff willing to share their local knowledge
with tourists. I just collapsed onto the grass and rested.
PICS
Terasen
Pipelines Road traces the old Kettle Valley Railroad
along the Coquihalla River.
Brookmere
Station is the official start of the KVR Recreational Trail.
The
KVR portion of the Trans Canada Trail passes through many private farms.
The above picture is the remains a cow . . . I think.
A bridge
that was just long enough.
Coalmont
Hotel where we stayed.
Hoodoos
along the Tulameen River just north of Princeton.
Vermillion
bluffs near Princeton.