Tour B.C. - just 4 weeks away. Route planning is happening. I have three proposed routes ranging from 621 km to 726 km. ( that’s 372 miles to 435 miles for the Americans). Approximate run time is nine to eleven hours depending on how long we linger over lunch. One includes two ferries. One includes some good gravel but affords some spectacular scenery. I have avoided major highways were possible. Each of the routes offers up a little of everything. The challenge was to keep it interesting but not overwhelming. I think I’ve done that.
I have moved ride time start back from 9:00 to 8:00 so that we should be all safely back in Chase for 6:00.
I will decide on the route based on weather, feedback from the group but mostly road conditions as we get closer to the date. I will post three proposed routes over the next few days.
If you plan to join us for this ride, please register on the NW ride schedule site or give me a call (preferably both). Any feedback might be helpful in deciding which route to take.
Here’s route #1:
726 Km./435 miles approx. 10 hours.
Leave Chase travelling west on Hwy. 1 to Pritchard. Instead of continuing on to Kamloops, there is an interesting twisty little road that meanders through rural terrain called Duck Range Rd.. This climbs up into some highlands then exits out onto Hwy 97 approx. 5 km. from the intersection of 97 and Hwy 1. Head back up 97 to Hwy 1 and continue through Kamloops to the 5A, which is the old Nicola Lake hwy. to Merritt. There is also another back road off of Hwy. 97 near Barnhartvale which connects with 5A completely bypassing Kamloops. I haven’t explored that yet but that’s another possibility. Either way, from Merritt we would continue done 5a to Princeton then hwy 3 (the Crowsnest) through Hedley to Keremeos where we would head north again up 3a to reconnect with 97. 97 is the primary Okanagan corridor. What it lacks in adrenaline boosting twisties, it more than makes up for in scenic vistas. The only real grind is getting through Westbank and Kelowna. If you’re “jonesin’” for an adrenaline fix by now, we may cut off just before Kelowna for a run up Westside Rd. which bypasses Kelowna and puts us back on 97 just north of Vernon heading for Falkland. At Falkland we will leave 97 and take the Chase/Falkland road back to Chase. Although this cutoff includes 6 km. of gravel (It’s really good gravel; I run it comfortably on the big Ninja at 50+ kph ), it has other delights that more than offset whatever you may feel about a little gravel. By now it should be about 6:00 and time to fire up the bar-b and cook some animal.
Stay tuned for routes #2 and #3 to be posted over the next week or so. All feedback appreciated. We hope you decide to join us. Keep in mind that I have scheduled a second Tour B.C. for June with a different route. If the response if good, I may add on another in July.
That’s it.
I hope to hear from some of you over the next week or so.
Dave Owen,
B.C. AAD
Chase, B.C.
I have moved ride time start back from 9:00 to 8:00 so that we should be all safely back in Chase for 6:00.
I will decide on the route based on weather, feedback from the group but mostly road conditions as we get closer to the date. I will post three proposed routes over the next few days.
If you plan to join us for this ride, please register on the NW ride schedule site or give me a call (preferably both). Any feedback might be helpful in deciding which route to take.
Here’s route #1:
726 Km./435 miles approx. 10 hours.
Leave Chase travelling west on Hwy. 1 to Pritchard. Instead of continuing on to Kamloops, there is an interesting twisty little road that meanders through rural terrain called Duck Range Rd.. This climbs up into some highlands then exits out onto Hwy 97 approx. 5 km. from the intersection of 97 and Hwy 1. Head back up 97 to Hwy 1 and continue through Kamloops to the 5A, which is the old Nicola Lake hwy. to Merritt. There is also another back road off of Hwy. 97 near Barnhartvale which connects with 5A completely bypassing Kamloops. I haven’t explored that yet but that’s another possibility. Either way, from Merritt we would continue done 5a to Princeton then hwy 3 (the Crowsnest) through Hedley to Keremeos where we would head north again up 3a to reconnect with 97. 97 is the primary Okanagan corridor. What it lacks in adrenaline boosting twisties, it more than makes up for in scenic vistas. The only real grind is getting through Westbank and Kelowna. If you’re “jonesin’” for an adrenaline fix by now, we may cut off just before Kelowna for a run up Westside Rd. which bypasses Kelowna and puts us back on 97 just north of Vernon heading for Falkland. At Falkland we will leave 97 and take the Chase/Falkland road back to Chase. Although this cutoff includes 6 km. of gravel (It’s really good gravel; I run it comfortably on the big Ninja at 50+ kph ), it has other delights that more than offset whatever you may feel about a little gravel. By now it should be about 6:00 and time to fire up the bar-b and cook some animal.
Stay tuned for routes #2 and #3 to be posted over the next week or so. All feedback appreciated. We hope you decide to join us. Keep in mind that I have scheduled a second Tour B.C. for June with a different route. If the response if good, I may add on another in July.
That’s it.
I hope to hear from some of you over the next week or so.
Dave Owen,
B.C. AAD
Chase, B.C.