A lot of geography was traversed on this tour of the south central area of the province. Lakes whose shores we biked along include: Vaseux, Skaha, Okanagan, Woods, Kalamalka, Mara, Griffin, Three Valley, Lower Arrow, Slocan, Kootenay, Christina, and Osoyoos Lake. The Columbia, Kootenay and Kettle Rivers as well as lesser rivers and streams afforded valleys to follow. Somehow we crossed sections of the Selkirk, Purcell and Monashee ranges of the Columbia Mountains, including a few climbs epic in distance and slope. The route was very well planned, such that it started out relatively “easy”, the climbs got longer and more arduous towards the end of the eleven days riding, and the majority of days ended either descending, or riding along flat sections.

The route and highlights were as follows (distances and elevation gains are approximate):

1. Oliver to West Kelowna (95k, 940m) A beautiful sunny Okanagan day, sweeping views of Skaha and Okanagan Lakes.
2. West Kelowna to Vernon (75k, 700m) Another gorgeous sunny day, mainly off-highway on the east side of Okanagan Lake and through scenic rolling hills and valleys of the North Okanagan.
3. Vernon to Sicamous (80k, 620m) Lovely country riding, passing through the small towns of Armstrong and Enderby. A visit to the Armstrong Village Cheese Company was appreciated, too many cheeses to taste. In Sicamous, a multitude of flavours of ice cream were to be found at D Dutchman Dairy, and dinner was consumed at the rather rough appearing Joe Schmucks Roadhouse. It was fine.
4. . Sicamous to Revelstoke (75k, 1025m) A few roadside attractions are to be found on this forested route: Craigellachie, the location of the “Last Spike” of the CP Railway, established in 1885, linking all of Canada by rail; and, the Enchanted Forest, a classic “tacky-tourist” stop, loved by all who visit, and make repeat visits. Revelstoke also featured a train museum, and several fine bakeries.
5. Revelstoke to Nakusp (100k, 1350m) During the first half of the ride there were spectacular views looking along the Columbia River. A restful 15 minute ferry ride from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay, across Arrow Lake, was followed by a spectacular steep climb out of the ferry landing. Weather had turned cooler, and 10- 15 minutes of light drizzle was encountered. A pleasant pullout having picnic benches and a waterfall made for a nice lunch stop. Traffic on the highway was minimal, and came in bunches as was dictated by the hourly ferry schedule. Nick’s Place in Nakusp offered a reasonable burger, and a quite entertaining surly 4 waitress (maybe the client invited said behaviour?)
6. Nakusp to Kaslo (95k, 1265m) This day involved a few arduous climbs, and happily ended with 14 km of relaxing gradual descent. The BlueBelle Bistro and Beanery in Kaslo was a great stop, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. En route, one had opportunity to visit the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver. A National Historic Site of Canada; it is a testament to the 22,000 Canadian citizens of Japanese descent who were interned during WWII. It “aims to enrich our understanding of internment history, but also to emphasize the fragile nature of democracy and importance of civil rights for all Canadians” (quote from brochure).
7. Kaslo to Nelson (70k, 1000m) This was a cooler day, riding along the west side of Kootenay Lake. After Ainsworth Hot Springs, a good bakery offering hot drinks, sandwiches and fresh baking was a wonderful surprise encountered at Balfour. Sadly, the rain came, giving most people a good soak for the last half hour of riding.
8. Nelson was the perfect city in which to have a rest day. The most comfortable beds, quiet setting, and restful sleeps were had at the Mountain Hound Inn. Dream catchers located above the beds worked their charm. Boasting more eating establishments per capita than San Francisco, there were so many to choose from. Oso Negro Café and Packrat Annie’s (bookstore and café) were amongst the favourites. A group dinner at the Hume Hotel was enjoyed by all. We were fortunate to come across the Wednesday farmer’s market, and a few took time to visit the Nelson Museum. One could have participated in yoga, meditation, and all kinds of chakra rejuvenation in this most hippy-hipster city.
9. Nelson to Castlegar (82k, 1300m or 42k, 475m) Two route choices were available, going south passing through the towns of Ymir and Salmo, or, going a shorter distance along the Kootenay River. The Doukhobor Discovery Centre in Castlegar was visited by a few. The centre documented the history of immigration to Canada and the settlement of these communal living pacifist Christians.
10. . Castlegar to Grand Forks (100k, 1640m) This was a day of epic climbing, an unrelenting 40 km of ascending at gradients ranging generally from 2-6%, followed by a more epic descent, then a calm valley section from Christina Lake to Grand Forks. During the ascent, a grizzly bear was seen by one rider. Borscht, goluptsi (cabbage rolls), vareniki (pirogies), and other Russian-Doukhobor foodstuffs were available at a few of the restaurants in picturesque Grand Forks. After such hearty meals, we were ready to work in the fields, or, ride for another day.
11. Grand Forks to Greenwood (60k, 530m or 40k, 950m) The longer gentler route through the USA followed the Kettle River Valley, passing through the village of Curlew. A great lunch stop at the Bored Room Bistro was found in Midway. Usually the route would have the day ending in Midway, but because of a circumstantial lack of accommodation, riders had to backtrack fifteen km up to Greenwood. The site of yet another Japanese-Canadian internment camp, Greenwood was rejuvenated in 1942 from being a deserted mining town to being a camp. Its local museum documents both mining and internment history. A huge slag heap at the west end of town is a vestige of the smelting that ceased in 1918.
12. . Greenwood to Oliver (105k, 1000m) The day started with a relaxing 15 km descent back to Midway, a relatively flat ride along the Kettle Valley to Rock Creek, then a pretty solid climb. Seeing, and smelling the burned pine trees from the forest fire in the Rock Creek area was sobering, and sad. The wind picked up during the day, turned into a nasty headwind just before the summit, and was gusting by the time most riders reached the ridge above Osoyoos, setting a challenging descent. It was a warm 25 degrees centigrade in Osoyoos, making an outdoor lunch enjoyable. The last 20 km from Osoyoos to Oliver was superb, mostly downhill, helped by a strong tailwind, warm, and riding past vineyards and orchards.

Road conditions were generally good. Only in a few sections was the verge too narrow or broken up to cycle on. As the tour started after Labour Day, it is assumed traffic volume was less than during the summer. Much of the ride was on highways, sharing the road with late holiday maker caravans, transport and logging trucks, the vast majority of which had courteous drivers with respect to bicyclists. It was a picturesque tour, through some of B.C.’s most beautiful countryside.

It was a good group of participants, friendly, cheery, low-maintenance, and helping the organizers where needed. Ernie Schmidt generously drove all but three days. Gracious thanks go to the organizers of the tour, who had been working on it for over a year: Doug McIntyre, who on a daily basis sorted our Happy Hour, and provided useful information about the following day’s ride; and, Brigitte Relling who shared with Doug in the planning and working out general logistics of the tour. Most unfortunately Brigitte had a small but serious vehicle accident on the second day of the tour, and was unable to participate further. She is currently at home and improving daily. We all wish her a full recovery, and look forward to see her bicycling again.