Glaciers and Grasslands Double Hub and Spoke – Lillooet and Merritt, BC, June 18 to 25, 2016
Trip Report by Rob McKerracher – link to Glaciers & Grasslands Double Hub & Spoke photos.
On June 18, 2016, fifteen 15 eager riders were welcomed to Lillooet by George and Jeanetta Zorn, the trip organizers and our guides for the week. We gathered at the gazebo on the grounds of the historic Miyazaki House for our orientation and that became our outdoor happy hour meeting place for the next three days. The hub was the Hotel de Oro and the (free) Seton Lake BC Hydro Campsite.
Lillooet has a rich history, both from millennia of native industry and trade and the opening up of the province during the gold rush days of the mid nineteenth century. George and Jeanetta have deep roots in the area and their love of the geography and the community made us all feel like locals. To start our immersion, we had a delicious, cycling appropriate lasagna dinner put on by the the Lillooet St Andrews United Church Ladies and we were ready to ride.
On day one we rode north up the Fraser Canyon and the Marble Canyon. For many of us this was a spectacular introduction to the dry east side of the Coast Mountains Range. In retrospect this may have been our most challenging day. The gradual fifty kilometre climb along the edge of the Fraser River canyons to Crown Lake had us savouring the possibilities of the long descent. When we turned around we realized that our strong showing on the way up was influenced by a tailwind that had us pedalling hard just to keep moving on the trip back down to Lillooet. That evening Dr. Ian Routley and Vivian Birch Jones of the Lillooet Naturalists Society gave a presentation showcasing the unique habitat created by Lillooet’s intersection of climatic zones.
On day two we rode west on highway 99, away from the dry canyons, up Cayoosh Creek into the moist forests of Duffy Lake. We stopped for lunch by the lake, the western horizon capped by mountains that confirmed the Glaciers hub of the trip and then back to our cars at the Cottonwood Recreation site.
Day three was on highway 12 south, toward Lytton. The road is high above the Fraser River with spectacular views of the ranches on the bench lands on the opposite side. This is hot dry country that leaps to life when you add water. No surprise then that vineyards are being planted. The day concluded with a wine tasting and dinner at the Fort Berens Winery back in Lillooet.
We established our Grasslands hub at the Quality Inn and the Moonshadows Campground in Merritt. Once again we were welcomed with an introduction to the local flora and fauna by Dr. Alan Burger of the Nicola Naturalist Club.
The first day we took highway 5A along Nicola Lake and past Quilchena with its historic hotel toward Douglas Lake. All agreed it was the best pavement we had every ridden on, to the extent that some were so entranced they rode past the turn off to Douglas Lake Ranch and carried on toward Kamloops. George & Jeanetta generously hosted a potluck dinner at their campsite that evening
The next day we drove the bikes to Spence’s Bridge, another gold rush boomtown and headed back up the Nicola River valley. The valley is a wonderful mix of old ranches and back to the landers, with remnants of the old Kettle Valley Railway bed meandering through it. We turned around and coasted back to our vehicles for coffee and a fresh cherry tart at the Inn at Spence’s Bridge which claims to be the oldest hotel in continuous operation in the province.
Our final day was out and back along the Coldwater River Road, another day of rolling ranch lands stretched out along the valley. After lunch by the river, it was mostly downhill coasting back to town for a final coffee and muffin break a Brambles Bakery & Café in Merritt, a local favourite.
In spite of this area’s reputation for summer heat, the weather was perfect. The double hub and spoke concept worked well in these mountains and river valleys. George’s maps and the out and back nature of each day meant riders could customize their distance and elevation gain by picking their own starting point and turn around point and yet still be part of the larger group. George and Jeanetta’s love for this part of British Columbia showed through in all the details of their organizing: good road surfaces, low traffic levels and amazing history and scenery in an area that many just drive right past.