Your Ticket to Ride - Hot Springs & Vineyards
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Home PageThe 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 reservoir created by the Hugh Keenleyside Dam, just west of Castlegar.
TourBC 2007 starts in Penticton and heads north through the Okanagan Valley to Armstrong. We then turn east and head to Revelstoke. From Revelstoke, we will enter the Slocan Valley in the West Kootenays at Nakusp and follow it through to Castlegar. Returning west, we will cycle to Grand Forks, and Osoyoos before heading north to finish back in Penticton.
Day One, we are starting our adventure from the centre of Penticton. Penticton is known as the City of Festivals. Host to the Ironman 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 Kelowna using backroads to get to our lunch stop. From Kelowna 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.
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 Grindrod 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 side 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 passed Three Valley Gap, a heritage ghost town, across the Columbia Riverand into Revelstoke. Known as the capital of Canada's Alps, this area is renowned for its backcountry and heli-skiing.
From Revelstoke, on our third day, we cross back over the Columbia and head south on Highway 23 along the 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 Keenleyside 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 at Shelter Bay. 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 1950s carrying timber, produce and passengers. Nakusp is located at the junction of Highway 23 and Highway 6.
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 Denver's 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 passed 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 follow it south passed 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.
Qepitles is a site on the north side of the Kootenay River, just above the junction with the Columbia. This site was popular as a trading place and, especially in the autumn and winter, for fishing. There are two dominant Native bands in the area - the Kutenai and the Interior Salishan.
David Thompson arrrived in the Columbia River area in the early 1800s and shortly afterwards a small settlement developed known as West Waterloo. Like most settlements in this area, mining in the late 1800s led to a boom in population, and with the CPR Railway in the early 1900s, this settlement remained strong. It was around this same time that the Doukhobors fled to Canada and many settled in this area.
Castlegar sits at the confluence of the Columbia and the Kootenay Rivers 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.
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 passed Nancy Greene Prov. 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.
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.
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 a winery or two along the way 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. Re-joining the highway just north of Oliver, we pass by Vaseaux Lake before coming into Okanagan Falls where we will have lunch.
Okanagan Falls 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. After lunch we will follow a route on the east side of Skaha Lake. This route takes us passed even more wineries, Skaha Bluffs, a popular climbing destination and right into Penticton. We will skirt the busiest roads to make our way back to our start location and the finish of 7 glorious days of cycling.
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for a detailed map of the area, daily maps and profiles of the route.
Our group is small in
comparison to other mass bike rides - we limit ourselves to
120 participants. We have a very high participant return rate and
a high participant to staff ratio. You are
never just a participant number, but part of the TourBC family. We endeavour to make
sure that your trip meets your expectations. Please read this website thoroughly so
that you know what we are offering and what you can expect.
TourBC offers seven days of fun, fun, and more fun, for experienced cyclists and cyclo-tourists.
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