TourBC 2007
Hot Springs and Vineyards (and 9,000+ m of climbing!)
My collection of photos from this trip can be found here. (will open new window) A special thanks to Brad Hill and Jules Meunier for many of the photos I've included in this collection.
TourBC is an annual bicycle tour operating in BC, featuring a different one-week loop each year. The 12th edition in 2007 saw 115 riders and 15 staff & crew gathering in Penticton in mid July under a hot summer sun. Our route would take us about 900 km, running north through the Okanagan Valley from Penticton to Sicamous, then east through the Monashees to Revelstoke, then south through the Columbia and Slocan valleys to Castlegar. From Castlegar, we'd climb over the Blueberry-Paulson pass to Grand Forks, then continuing west, over the Eholt and Anarchist passes to Osoyoos, then north again through the vineyards of the southern Okanagan back to Penticton. In all, we climbed just over 9,200m (30,300ft). We experienced temperatures that ranged from around 40°C under brilliant sun in the Okanagon on the first day, to 8°C at the top of Paulson Summit with a descent in torrential rain.
Description: From our TourBC route package
TourBC in 2007 will be centred on two of our famous valleys - the Okanagan and
the Slocan. But never fear, just because we are travelling down the valleys, we
will still encounter lots of the mountains.
The Okanagan Valley Is one of the warmest districts In all of Canada and Is well
known for Its orchards, wineries, and its resorts. The valley Is the northern
extension of the Columbia River basin and forms a high temperate desert area in
Canada. Okanagan Lake Is a holiday destination with many sandy beaches and park
areas.
The Slocan Valley is famous for Its Hot Springs and mining history. This valley
separates the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges In the West Kootenay region
of B.C. The 230 km long Arrow Lakes are actually a reservolr created by the Hugh
Keenleyslde Dam, just west of Castlegar.
Between the two valleys we will cross over several different mountain ranges.
This is a tour full of different climatic zones, terrain, wildlife
opportunities, history and cultural diversity.
Day 1: Penticton to Armstrong, BC. 143km and 1,685m of climbing
Description (from tour booklet):
Day One, we are starting our adventure from the centre of Penticton.
Penticton is known as the City of Festivals. Host to the lronman Canada
Triathlon, Penticton is also famous for the Okanagan Wine Festival and
the Penticton Peach Festival. Nestled between two lakes, the north end
of the city borders Okanagan Lake, while the south end sits on the
beautiful beaches of Skaha Lake (Skaha Bluffs are a big draw for rock
climbers).
Established In 1895, Penticton means "a place to live forever".
Penticton was once a centre for steamboat trade coming down Okanagan
Lake. It Is rich In history and has established itself as a centre for
recreational activities.
Our route takes us along the west side of Okanagan Lake, where we will
pass numerous vineyards on our way through Summerland, and Peachland
where we will stop for water. From Peachland, we carry on into Westbank
using backroads to get to our lunch stop. From Bear Creek
Provincial Park we will continue north still on the west side of the
lake, past beautiful lake resorts and homes before crossing over Highway
97 on our way into Armstrong where we will spend the night.
Route map
(click to open in new window)
Note: I rode with a Garmin Edge 305 GPS-based cycle computer to record each days
ride, and after the trip uploaded the routes into
www.bikely.com. I then annotated
each day's route. Bikely provides a Google map/satellite route mapping
service and hosts about 30,000 routes all over the world (as at Aug 2007).
From the route in Bikely, you can travel the route, see the elevation profile
for the route, or get a cue sheet. By clicking on the "Route Map" above, a
new window will open on the Bikely file for the given day. Below is an
excerpt which will let you zoom in and out and see the route superimposed on a
road map and/or satellite imagery (courtesy of Google Maps/Earth mashing).
Commentary:
While the route for this day would appear to follow the lake and one might
assume it'd be relatively flat, one would be quite mistaken. It was a very
tough day. By noon it was over 40°C on the road
under a brilliant sun. The route kept climbing away from the lake and then
descending back to lake level. There were several climbs of 7% or higher
grade, including one tough little beastie at 10% in Westbank. The
highlight of the day was having my daughter cycle out 62km from Vernon to meet
us on Westside Rd and cycle back to Vernon with us. This was the first
time we'd ever cycled together, and a special time indeed. The lowlight of
the day was simply the heat. I drank at least 13 x 750ml bottles of
diluted Gatorade on the route, plus another 2 - 3 litres of lemonade and water
before and during dinner. Even at that, I was feeling quite dehydrated the
next day.
The scenery was spectacular, the route was challenging, the cycling was awesome,
the tour organization was superb. Each day a crew goes out first thing in
the morning and places "TourBC" yellow signs along the route. We don't
even need to carry maps or route sheets! All in all a bonzer day indeed!
Day 2: Armstrong to Revelstoke BC. 136km and 895m climbing
Description (from tour booklet):
Leaving Armstrong on Day Two, we will continue to use pastoral backroads to
travel through the City of Enderby, the top of the Okanagan, and Grinrod before
rejoining the highway. Enderby is situated on the banks of the Shuswap River
below steep volcanic cliffs which tower above the city. Legend has it that the
ridge resembles the head of Neaderthal Man who guards the northern gateway to
the Okanagan Trench. Grindrod Is a small farming village named after a CPR
inspector In the late 1800s.
Our route takes us along the side of Mara Lake, an important salmon habitat and
watersport recreation area. Our stop at Mara Lake will give us an opportunity to
swim. From here our route takes us into Sicamous, the Houseboat Capital of BC
and gateway to the Shuswap. Sicamous Is another town nestled between two lakes -
Mara Lake and Shuswap Lake. Sicamous has a spectacular natural setting with
scenic views of mountains and crystal lakes.
Still using backroads for some of the route, we head east passing the historic
site of Craigellachie, just west of Eagle Pass Summit. Craigellachie Is
the site where the last spike was driven In the Canadian Pacific Railway. We
follow the Eagle River past Three Valley Gap, a heritage ghost town, follow a
local road across the Columbia River and into Revelstoke. Known as the
capital of Canada's Alps, this area Is renowned for its backcountry and heli-skiing.
Route map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
Day 2 was quite a bit cooler than the first day, and while still quite pleasant,
was a welcome relief from the heat. The day started with a leisurely spin
through the dairy farming area stretching north from Armstrong, and kept us on
very quiet back roads for quite a while.
Arriving in Armstrong, the signed route leads us right to the D. Dutchmen Dairy
where the ice cream cones are grrrreat! After that though, we're on the
Trans-Canada Highway most of the way to Revelstoke. Lots of traffic,
including trucks. The road has a decent shoulder stripe all the way,
except on numerous bridges, where the roadway narrows and the shoulders
disappear. We'd have to time our approach with gaps in the traffic,
and then sprint for safety on the other side of the bridge.
Like yesterday, there's a staffed water stop mid-morning and mid-afternoon with lots of water, Gatorade, fruit and snacks. And there's also a staffed lunch stop, today at Craigellachie, with tons of drink and food. I like this style of cycle touring!
Our campground in Revelstoke lies along the banks of the Columbia River. Given that there's a major power dam just upstream from Revelstoke, the river flow is deep, fast and roiling. Signs warn of dangerous currents and rapidly changing water levels. Indeed, early the next morning, the river level is down over a meter and it's mirror calm, because power production throttles back overnight and waterflow through the dam is much lighter. By the time we're packing up and leaving for breakfast, the river level is rising noticeably and the current is picking up. Not a good place to swim!
Day 2 was another great day. The heavy, noisy traffic on the Trans-Canada posed little risk except at the bridges, yet it did distract from the beautiful scenery along the route.
Day 3: Revelstoke to Nakusp, BC 103km and 1,305m climbing.
Description (from tour booklet):
From Revelstoke, on our third day, we cross back over the Columbia and head
south on Highway 23 along Upper Arrow Lake. Prior to 1969, the Arrow Lakes were
two smaller lakes joined by a 32 km river. The installation by BC Hydro of the
Hugh Keenleyslde Dam flooded the river and created the larger and longer lakes.
This route is the start of our trek down the Slocan Valley which separates the
Monashee Mountains to the west and the Selkirk Mountains to the east. We will
encounter very little traffic on this route as there are no significant
settlements between Revelstoke and Nakusp. We will cross over Upper Arrow Lake
on a free ferry which we will board at Shelter Bay, after enjoying our lunch.
Ferries run every 1/2 hour, so enjoy your lunch - there is no rush.
On the other side of the lake, if you were to explore some of the gravel
sideroads between Galena Bay and Nakusp, you would find many hidden hot springs.
Halcyon Is one of the more famous resorts just south of the ferry terminal.
Once in Nakusp, we will have an opportunity to sample their hot springs which
are a short distance out of town. Nakusp is ringed by mountains, Valhallas to
the south, Monashees to the west and Selkirks to the east. The town was first
established during the mining boom and the railway was completed in the late
1800s. Paddle steamers operated on the lakes until the early 1960s carrying
timber, produce and passengers. Nakusp is located at the junction of Highway 23
and Highway 6.
Route Map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
Day 3 was awesome. All the way to the ferry terminal at Shelter Bay there
was little to no traffic other than the occasional logging truck and RV.
As an aside, trucks I don't worry about .. their drivers are professionals, used
to their vehicles, size and handling characteristics. RV drivers on the
other hand ... most are rentals, most drivers are in one for one week a year,
and they don't have any feel for the vehicle.
At the ferry terminal, some manage to scarf down a quick lunch and board a ferry
quickly for the 15 minute crossing. These people are lucky -- they'll have
good weather all the way to Nakusp. For the rest of us, we linger over
lunch, and then are ready to board a ferry but are denied because it's
overloaded with a couple of large trucks. (Actually, I think I'm glad I
didn't get on that one!) We end up landing at Galena an hour after the
last group to cross. This is just enough for us to run into cold rain just
before the afternoon water stop. And it's cold rain! Yet again
I learn the hard way that even on nice warm days with good weather forecasts,
one always carries a jacket when riding in the mountains!
In Nakusp we enjoy a great dinner thanks to the local seniors group, and then
walk down to the beach to help dinner settle. Just another day in
paradise.
Day 4: Nakusp to Castlegar BC 149km and 1,720m climbing.
Description (from tour booklet):
Our fourth day, takes us on Highway 6 alongside several lakes and rivers as we
make our way towards New Denver, a rural village on the shores of Slocan Lake.
Silver mining was New Denvers primary industry for many years, but logging has
replaced mining since the early 1900s. During World War II, New Denver became a
Japanese-Canadian internment camp. While men were sent to labour camps in
Eastern Canada, women, children and elderly men were sent to New Denver where
they lived In small shacks. Many of these Japanese still live In New Denver.
From New Denver, we will continue south along Slocan Lake, through Silverton,
now, BC's smallest community, but previously another booming mining town, and
Slocan City, the smallest incorporated city in the world, at the south end of
Slocan Lake. From here, the Slocan Valley Rail Trail is visible from the road
and we parallel it south through the small towns of Winlaw and Slocan Park.
Just south of Slocan Park, we take a back road to bring us out on the north side
of Lower Arrow Lake in Castlegar, the crossroads of the Kootenays.
Castlegar sits at the confluence of the Columbia and the Kootenay Rlvers, and is
nestled between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges, a beautiful backdrop.
The Arrow Lakes, the Columbia, and the Kootenay flow in from the north and the
Columbia flows south Into the US. There are 9 dams controlling the water flow in
the area, generating electricity for Canadians and Americans. It has been said
that Castlegar Is the best "dam" city In the world.
Route Map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
The ride from Nakusp to Castlegar, especially the stretch from Nakusp to Slocan,
was probably the most beautiful bike ride I've done. The air was still and
cool, there was no traffic at all for most of the day, and the scenery was
incredible.
From Nakusp we climbed the rise up to Summit Lake Provincial Park and wound
around and down to emerge high over Slocan Lake. The ride along Slocan
Lake was up and down and at one point, approaching the town of Slocan, the
highway was carved out of a sheer cliff. On our left the cliff rose up and
up, and on our right, just off the edge of the road, it dropped down and down to
the lake far below. Awesome!
While scattered showers were forecast, the occasional dark clouds never did
their dirty on us and we arrived to a hot, sunny campground in Castlegar.
And even though we did about 1,700m climbing today, it didn't seem like that
much at all. Another beauty day!
Day 5: Castlegar to Grand Forks BC 99km and 1,500m climbing (Blueberry-Paulson Summit)
Description (from tour booklet):
Leaving Castlegar, on our fifth day, we immediately start up Blueberry-Paulson
(actually two summits) along highway 3. This is the longest climb of our tour
and takes us past Nancy Greene Provincial Park at the turn-off for Trail. After
a short break here, we will continue climbing to the summit (1535 m) and then
descend down Into Christina Lake, the Oasis of the Kootenays, a popular holiday
destination. Its good weather and plethora of lakes and trails make it very
attractive. The Lake Itself is reputed to be the warmest tree-lined lake in
Canada. From here, we will continue west along the Kettle River and into Grand
Forks.
Like Castlegar, Grand Forks' history is closely linked to the mining and
railroad boom of the 1890's and early 1900's. The original settlers came for the
rich farmland and stayed on as the industrial era took over, including 5
railroads, mines, smelters and power plants. The CPR built the first railroad
into this area in 1899. The station, the oldest CPR station in BC still in its
original location, is located in West Grand Forks. Grand Forks is also home to
many Doukhobors. Located In the Sunshine Valley, Grand Forks is named for Its
location near the convergence of the Kettle and Granby Rivers. The town Is
overlooked by Observation Mountain to the north and the aptly named Rattlesnake
Mountain to the east.
Route Map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
What a day, what a ride! We packed camping gear wet from rain and left the
campground in cold, light rain. We only got a 5km warmup spinning through
not-awake-yet Castlegar before hitting an 8% grade on the on-ramp to Hwy 3 and
immediately started the long uphill slog to the Blueberry Pass, a winding 26km
climb where every curve revealed still-continuing grade ranging from 3% to 7%.
I settled into a nice rhythm and caught Jules and Brad just as we hit Nancy
Greene Provincial Park and our water stop. As the altitude increased, it
got colder and colder. After another 22km of climbing at the same grades,
we finally reached the Paulson Summit at 1,535m elevation. The temperature
here was only 8°C! Cold!
This descent was one of two I'd been looking forward to since signing up for the trip. The descent from Paulson Summit to Christina Lake is 1,100m in 24km, an average grade of 4.6%, the highway is wide with big sweeping bends and no switchbacks, and smooth all the way. WAHOO! Unfortunately, as we started our shivery descent, the clouds closed in and then let loose. The rain was so heavy we couldn't see much at all -- the rain was bouncing up 15 to 20cm off the pavement and it was like being inside a waterfall. One descent opportunity shot!
Fortunately, as we rolled through the little town of Christina Lake, the clouds parted, the sun came out, and the temperature was about 15° higher. We stopped at a 50's-style ice cream shoppe, stripped off our sodden gear and hung it on picnic tables to dry while we enjoyed a round of ice cream. The day wasn't going so badly after all!
After Christina Lake, the road wound along the Kettle River Valley all the way to Grand Forks, with occasional dark clouds and brief showers. After the Paulson descent though, we just laughed at the clouds. We rolled into Grand Forks, set up camp and dried everything out and packed it away in our tents just before the clouds opened up once again. A great dinner was followed by entertainment from a local pipe band. Another great day! What a life!
Day 6: Grand Forks to Osoyoos BC 128km and 1,575m climbing (Eholt and Anarchist Summits)
Description (from tour booklet):
On day six, still following the Kettle River and Highway 3, we continue west and
up. This day, the climbing doesn't start immediately, we have about 6 km to warm
up before the climb really starts. Not as long as the climb out of Castlegar,
there are a couple of sections which are a bit steeper before it lessens. From
the Eholt summit, there Is a nice descent into Greenwood and then it is a short
jaunt to Midway. Originally known as Boundary City, the name was changed because
the village is located midway between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Although mining was an important industry, sawmills were active and of course,
the railways to transport this product to the south and west.
Rock Creek will be the next small town we encounter, a respite before the next
climb. This once flourishing gold and silver mining boomtown is in the south
Okanagan region. Because of the "gold rush", trails were constructed to the
area. When bigger strikes moved some of the population on to other locations,
the trade route remained. And later the railway was constructed to handle the
ore and smelter traffic. From Rock Creek we will climb over Anarchist Summit for
a thrilling descent into Osoyoos, Canada's only desert area.
Osoyoos is located at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 3 and is primarily
a retirement and vacation centre. We will be staying at Nk'Mip Campground, just
minutes away from the only native owned winery in BC and a desert cultural
centre. Situated on the shores of Lake Osoyoos, at the edge of the desert and
just minutes from downtown, this campground is truly an oasis in the desert.
Route Map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
More grand climbs and descents! Leaving Grand Forks with the early sun
lighting up the hills with a beautify golden glow, we spin along a quiet highway
for about 6km, eyeing the steep grade climbing diagonally up and around the
mountain ahead of us. Once we start climbing, it's almost 15km and 600m up
to Eholt Summit at an average grade of 4% with some steeper 7% sections.
From the summit, it's a nice roller coaster ride down to Greenwood, where we
stop at the Copper Eagle Cappuccino & Bakery for absolutely wonderful
buttertarts and coffee.
From Greenwood we wind through Midway and lunch just before Rock Creek. After Rock Creek, some serious climbing starts up Anarchist Summit. It's about 20km to the summit and then 11km of rolling hills on an alpine plateau, with a cold rain shower or two quickly scudding through, to a secondary summit and our last water stop before the big descent. This is the second descent I'd been looking forward to.
The highway descends 1,000m in 20km (5% average grade) with several tight switchbacks along steeper (7% to 8%) segments. A partner of one of the riders is driving a camper truck and agrees to drive "blocker" for Brad and me. With her in the camper behind us with four-way flashers on, Brad and I are free to take the lane and go for it. Unfortunately, there's a slight headwind, we're slowed by our rain jackets, and it's drizzling on and off for the first part of the descent. We bank around a couple of switchbacks at 50kph (signed at 30kph) and on one long stretch with a 7% downgrade just can't get aeordynamic enough to really fly. Oh well! It's still an incredible descent. I've never done a descent before where I've been in a tuck for 20 minutes! We averaged only 60kph on the descent, topping out in the mid-70's. That's far short of the 82.5 kph I did on a short steep grade on Day 1.
The campground in Osoyoos is run by the Nk'mip First Nations band, and we're treated to a great dinner and wonderful entertainment by a troupe of young native dancers (see photos).
Again, what a life, what a day!!!
Day 7: Osoyoos to Penticton BC 68km, 560m climbing, and several wineries!
Description (from tour booklet):
Our last day we will stick mainly to the back roads as we make our way north to
return to Penticton. Our shortest day, we will be able to visit up to four
wineries along our route as we follow the hillside east of the highway and
by-pass Oliver. For some of this route we will be paralleling the Kettle Valley
trail and some participants may choose to use this route instead. Our first
winery visit will be to Jackson-Triggs winery, right at the Junction with
Highway 97 just north of Oliver. Following the highway, we pass by Vaseaux Lake
before turning off to head up Into the hills again where we will have lunch at
the Wild Goose Winery.
From the winery, we descend Into Okanagan Falls which is located at the south
end of Skaha Lake. The actual falls were reduced to gentle rapids with the
construction of the flood dam which controls the level of water flowing south In
the Okanagan River. We will follow a route on the east side of Skaha Lake. This
route takes us past even more winerles, Skaha Bluffs, a popular climbing
destination and right into Penticton. We will skirt the busiest roads and follow
the bike route to make our way back to our start location and the finish of 7
glorious days of cycling.
Route Map (opens in new window)
Commentary:
Our last day is a short one (68km) with little climbing (less than 600m),
through the vineyards and orchards of the lower Okanagan Valley from Osoyoos to
Penticton. Leaving Osoyoos, our swarm of cyclists headed north is matched
on the other side of the highway by more serious looking cyclists training for
the Canadian Ironman. They're headed for the Richter Pass, which is a
serious climb in desert heat, in the middle of the 180km bike segment.
Good luck to them!
Our route is a peaceful one, off the main highway most of the way. Our first rest stop for water and snacks is at the Jackson Triggs Winery, and lunch (mid morning!) is at another winery a short while later.
With a light tailwind, warm temperatures and pleasant sky, it's a fast spin along the final flats into Penticton. Our little troupe heads for Dairy Queen and a well-earned reward for completing a great trip. Then it's off to Okanagan College for a shower, and to collect our baggage and make our way home again.
TourBC 2007 was an incredibly well-organized event, and I'm told that the previous year's had been equally well organized. This trip is highly recommended. Look for TourBC on the web here.
Alan Medcalf
August 2007
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