RIDE REPORT...Early Summer in BC !!!

[msb]

  Well, things are sure nice now here in beautiful BC...Summer has come early Following a 3 hour polishing (love that Mothers Carbonara wax...keeps that 18 year old paint in a deep, bright shine), tinkering, and general going over of the old girl the evening prior as I start to prep for Billings Inzane, I decided to give the new to me 440 shocks ... purchased (and finally installed) from Dennis  - aka Trout Dude , new rubber, and new U-joint a good shakedown ride.


The grand Mount Cheam...always a focal point of our neighborhood, Kent/Agassiz - the "gateway to the best of BC".


Once the hoards of urban dwellers from the BC Lower Mainland region get out our way, there's two main routes that will take you North ... #5 Coquihala Hwy, or East...#3 Crow's Nest Hwy. On this ride I chose East, for a 350 km round trip to and through Manning Park, one of BC's best and largest Provincial Parks...an outdoor enthusiast's paradise!

On the way to Manning, the site of the infamous Hope Slide, where a whole side of the mountain gave way in 1965 and devastated part of Sunshine Valley along #3.
"The Hope Slide was the largest landslide ever recorded in Canada. It occurred in the morning hours of January 9, 1965 in the Nicolum Valley in the Cascade Mountains near Hope, British Columbia, and killed four people, two of which are still entombed under the mass of rock to this day. The volume of rock involved in the landslide has been estimated at 47 million cubic metres."  The new stretch of highway is built over the original.
As a 9 year old travelling with my brother and sister in the back of our family 1959 VW Bug from the Kootenay region to visit family in Vancouver for Christmas, I remember driving over a temporary road over this stretch just a few weeks after the slide.


The #3 is a great ride, with winding roads, deep river gorges, and mountain views. Also as the ice and snow leaves, some new frost heaves which gave the new  shocks a good test. They're pretty stiff riding solo even set at a lower setting, but man does the bike ever handle so much better in the twisties...which is exactly what I was looking for... I 'm liking them fine


Lightning Lake, in Manning Park. Ice has probably been off for no more than a month so a little cool for swimming, but this is one our favorite day trips for a swim/bbq/fishing day.


On the way home, after riding another 45 minutes or so past Manning Park towards the town of Princeton. One of the many    nicknames my bride of 35+ years has for me is "Around the Bender", in that I just have to go around one more curve of the highway or bend in the river when fishing...no matter what other obligations await me at home. In this case it was dinner with family, so I literally had to force myself to start the return part of the ride, as it was such a glorious day to be away from civilization out in the wind. In my haste to not incur any unnecessary "where the h*** were you's" from the Mrs, I  burned through a radar trap at 20-30 km over, but luckily I never got "the wave"
As with most days...just a great day for a good ride. Can't wait for departure date to Valhalla in ID on the 22nd of June, and then on to Inzane in Billings

[pais]

   MSB
      Valk looks good!   

   Nice ride report.  You live in some beautiful surroundings. Absolutely great pics of nature's beauty!

[hubcapsc]

The Rockies are... large...

Thanks for posting 

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

Beautiful bike, beautiful country, beautiful report. Good job Mike. 

[Hook#3287]

Beautiful.

Nice report

[Oss]

Cant think of anything I would rather read this morning.  Thanks for taking the time to post that report and pics

You live in some beautiful country

Oss

[BCoy]

Mike,
That is some very impressive scenery compared to our FL views, the bike looks as great as always, glad you were able to get out in the wind.  Thanks for sharing the beautiful pics from your backyard.
Bill

[Avanti]

The Canadian Rockies are some off the best ridding, hiking, and climbing I have ever found. Heading out today for the North Shore and Thunder Bay and beyond.

[Whooray]

Great road report, beautiful country.  Loved it.... thanks

[Jess from VA]

Spectacular.  Thanks. 

I bet in the middle of summer, that lake isn't exactly tropical either.

[Beardo]

Great ride report Mike.

We took a different route home from BC this weekend, we took the #3 home through Osoyoos, I love that route, better than the #1 IMO. Although it's much more fun on a bike than a truck and trailer. My passengers got a kick out of how I leaned into the corners.

[msb]

The Rockies are... large...

Thanks for posting 

-Mike

Yes they are, but these are all part of or sub-ranges of  the Canadian Cascades...which extend up from the Cascades in central/eastern WA. The Rockies are in the eastern part of BC and western Alberta. Cascades are not as large as the Rockies and have a lot more trees and vegetation,  giving them quite a different look from some of the dramatic Rockies peaks.
I've  lived all of my 60 years with large mountains...put me on the bike in the middle of flat territory without GPS , compass, or good signage and road map and I'd just ride around aimlessly in circles wondering where the heck I am (which has happened on occasion over the years )
Funny thing though....when I ride through some of the great open expanses of the Canadian prairies or eastern or southern MT, ID, WY, etc I find some of that terrain equally beautiful...same as when I had a chance to ride the rolling hills of KY, WV, etc last year and in FL earlier this year.  Variety is good......

[hubcapsc]

same as when I had a chance to ride the rolling hills of KY, WV

Geologically our mountains are old and worn down, and yours are younger
and more harsh and giant and rugged...

-Mike

[msb]

old and worn down, and yours are younger
and more harsh and giant and rugged...

-Mike

Sounds like a comparison of me in my 20's and now

I've had but a brief taste of exploring your neck of the woods, which has left me wanting more. Large, harsh and rugged mountains are great for scenery, but there's generally nowhere near the amount of good backroads and different routes to ride a Valk on... I cast an early and premature vote for east TN, SC, NC for Inzane next year...

[Hook#3287]

I cast an early and premature vote for east TN, SC, NC for Inzane next year...

Hear, hear, I'll second that vote!

[Tourus]

   Mike, your bike looks great and where you get to ride it looks awesome   I'll bet the weather is perfect for riding. Our weather is hot with high humidity and summer hasn't even started

Hope to see you again next winter
Steve

[grandpaweaver]

Thanks for the report. Beautiful place and nice for riding.