Midway to Beaverdell

Day 1 - June 9, 2008

Weather: Sunny early, rain showers in the afternoon, clearing later

Trail description: West of the Midway Museum (Mile 0 of the KVR) the trail is a firm dirt track that quickly crosses to the south side of highway 3, occasionally narrow and overgrown as it runs through the fields and farms along the Kettle River, re-crossing to the north side of the highway under Ingram Bridge. Here the KVR becomes impassible so the route detours onto Bubar Road, a roller-coaster of a dirt road that hugs the north side on the valley, then turning onto the paved Kettle Valley Road South through Rock Creek where the continuation of the same road becomes Kettle River Road East. At some point along this road the KVR is passable again but the resumption of the trail isn't obvious. We were well into the forested hills when we used a dirt road on our left to return to the KVR but it is likely that we could have regained the trail much earlier. About 25 kilometers from Midway the KVR enters the pretty Kettle River Recreation Area and crosses to the west side of the river on an old steel-truss railway bridge. The valley widens into open farmland and the trail becomes a single-track as it runs north up the valley towards Zamora. A culvert at tiny Ed James Creek makes you dismount and walk your bikes across the ditch. At Westbridge the valley divides with the Kettle River valley to the northeast and the West Kettle River valley to the northwest. The KVR heads up the West Kettle River fork but beyond the Blythe-Rhone Road it becomes impassable again so the road provides a detour through Rhone and almost to its northern terminus at highway 33. Back on the KVR the farmlands are soon replaced by the rugged landscape of Bull Creek Canyon where the river squeezes through tall rock walls as swirling cauldrons of white-water. Beyond the canyon and a final bridge over the river the trail is mostly walled in by pine forest with sections that run tediously straight and have a noticeable washboard surface (from sharing this part of the trail with heavy logging traffic). After crossing the Tuzo-Eugene Forest Service Road the trail surface gets better, perhaps because several large concrete pipe sections have been upended onto the trail to act as turnstiles, allowing cyclists to pass between them but blocking ATVs and other large vehicles. As the trail approaches Beaverdell the pine forest opens up, farms reappear and the KVR terminates at Beaverdell Station Road, blocked by a light industrial area forcing you to detour the last kilometer or two on the road. The road takes you down a hill, across a bridge and into the back of Beaverdell.

Special concerns: (1.) Cattle guards and gates are common on the KVR so we had to learn how to deal with them. The accepted convention is to leave a gate in the condition you find it: if it's open, leave it open; if it's closed, re-close it. Cattle guards can be walked or ridden across (pedaling at a brisk pace is safer than a slow pace so you don't lose momentum on the bumpy surface. Use a lower gear, ride straight and don't stop pedaling). (2.) We spent the night before the ride in Osoyoos and had to drive to Midway that morning (cutting into our cycling time) under the mistaken impression that there wasn't much in Midway, but after our Columbia & Western Railway ride we did stay in Midway at the Mile 0 Motel and found it to be very nice, and the attached Mile 0 Restaurant has terrific homemade Ukrainian food. We left our cars at the Midway Museum for four days, unsure of what would happen to them but anxious to get going and unwilling to spend more time to seek out permission. Nothing happened to them. We later learned that a donation to the museum is a nice gesture for allowing you to park there.

Wildlife: While passing through a farm along the Kettle River, a bull―having somehow gotten onto our side of the fence that separated the KVR from the farm―gave us the stink-eye as we gingerly rode by him. Near Beaverdell a black bear hightailed it across the trail in front of us, unaware of its own power to elicit nervousness in backcountry travelers.

Distance and elevation: Distance cycled was 69 kilometers, from the Midway Museum to our cabins in Beaverdell. The elevation at Midway is just under 600 m.a.s.l. (meters-above-sea-level) and the KVR at Beaverdell is about 790 m.a.s.l. making our overall gain for the day only about 200 vertical meters. The slight uphill grade was generally un-noticeable over the distance. The only hills of note were when we left the KVR to travel on Bubar Road and Kettle River Road East.

Average speed and time on the trail: We left Midway at 9:30 AM and reached Beaverdell at 4:30 PM. Our average speed including all stops was 9.9 kilometers per hour.

GPS tracking: We used a Garmin Forerunner 305 to record our distance and elevation changes.

We left our cars at the Midway Museum for four days, didn't tell anyone, and had no problems. Thank you Midway! Oops! I found out later that the museum would like a donation for leaving your vehicles on their property. Sorry Midway!

Some of the gang test ride their bikes

Behind the museum is Mile Zero―a.k.a. Kilometer Zero―of the KVR

Here we go! West, up the Kettle River valley towards Rock Creek

We ride past the quiet Midway sawmill with highway 3 on our right

Okay, we've gone about three kilometers―there's the Midway sawmill in the background―and people are taking a break already?

The trail veers away from highway 3 and heads down towards the river, getting a bit overgrown and hard to follow

This stretch along the Kettle River is beautiful and quiet, but full of mosquitos

Some of the gates have two parts: a larger vehicle gate, often locked, and a smaller un-locked postern gate which even when open is partially blocked by an obstacle―a steel bar, or a large rock―to discourage cattle from escaping if they find the gate left open. For us it means lifting loaded touring bikes over the obstacle without damaging the drivetrain

More lovely riparian zone―and more unlovely mosquitos!

Our first―and last―wrong turn. While crossing a field we veered into a cow pasture but eventually figured it out and back-tracked to the KVR

Note the large, black bull by the fence on the left (on our side of the fence!). He made us all a wee bit nervous

The Ingram bridge carries highway 3 over the Kettle River at kilometer 8.7. We've only gained about 15 meters of elevation since the start

Beyond Ingram Bridge the KVR is impassable so we detour onto nearby Bubar Road

The extra elevation of Bubar Road gives us a beautiful view across the valley

We start to make up some time as the road is firmer and faster than the trail

Bubar Road leaves the noisy highway behind and follows the hills on the north side of the valley

Anyone need a potty break?

The gravel of Bubar Road gives way to the paved―but just as lovely―Kettle Valley Road South. This field of yellow (Canola?) is near kilometer 15.5

Kettle Valley Road South turns north at Rock Creek and becomes Kettle River Road East

We find our way back to the KVR, rideable once again

The bridge at kilometer 24.9 moves the KVR over to the west bank of the Kettle River

The surrounding hills squeeze the trail right onto the scenic river's edge. We don't mind

But the land soon opens up into a wide farming valley, the trail just a thin path through the green fields

The whole crew―minus yours truly, the photographer―near the culvert at Ed James Creek

We dismount and walk our bikes over the culvert. Not really a problem

Approaching the farming hamlet of Zamora

A look back reveals a storm chasing us

A small slide just before Westbridge―more walking

At Westbridge the rain and hail caught us, so everyone hunkered down for a few minutes under tree cover to evade the worst of it

The farmland portions of the KVR have many cattle guards. Some we walked and some we rode over

After a couple of kilometers riding in the rain on the Blythe-Rhone road, we are all happy to come upon Paul Lautard's "cyclist's rest" in Rhone (kilometer 39.9). Paul has made a nice sheltered spot to get out of the elements―whether sun or rain―and within a couple of minutes of our arrival he came driving down from his nearby home, with his dog Stumpy

Aaaahhh! A hammock makes a nice change from a saddle

Paul built this railway car mock-up himself

The top of the ersatz caboose is like a kids' playhouse

Pauline talks with Paul Lautard

Past Rhone we cross over to the east bank of the river and the KVR enters the narrow and rocky Bull Creek Canyon

Pauline, perhaps overcome by the beauty of the canyon, shares a psychotic moment with Bill...

...followed by another one with Bob

The West Kettle River churns through Bull Creek Canyon...

...as it seeks a way out

This bridge at kilometer 47.6 takes us back over to the west side of the river

For several kilometers past Big Goat Creek the KVR has a washboard surface (etched by heavy logging vehicles). It is also straight as an arrow so the combination makes this a tedious stretch

After crossing the Tuzo-Eugene Forest Service road the trail surface gets better

These unusual turnstiles are sitting smack in the middle of the KVR. I don't know about the vehicles or cattle they're meant to deter but they had us stumped. Note for future reference: one bike at a time works best!

After seven hours we reach Beaverdell and our overnight digs: the Highland Cabins

The beautiful Beaverdell Hotel where we had dinner. Sadly, it burned to the ground in May 2011

Next page: Beaverdell to Idabel Lake