BC Run July 25-26

[Netnorske]

Tricia and I are planning a run up into BC this weekend. We are going to take the coast route up through Whistler, then continue on up to Lillooet, BC. We will overnight there, returning down through the Fraser River Canyon to Hope, then home from there.

The weather is going to be gorgeous and so will the scenery! If anyone would like to tag along, see if you can make reservations at the Reynolds Hotel in Lillooet...(Toll Free: 1-877-655-5506), then drop me a note on here or my email to figure out a rendezvous time/point.

We plan on leaving Everett about 8:00am Saturday. The mileage is just under 300 (from Everett) and about 6 hours ride time, not including stops, border or traffic hassles. Make sure you have a valid Passport. I will post some photos upon our return!

[schoeney]

Sounds like fun. Have a great time and I will be looking for your report and pics!

[ballast]

Sounds like fun but I cna't get off work. :'(
Enjoy

[lomax]

Kris
It's great you are gonna be able to do the Whistler/Lilloett run. Its a terrific ride. Sadly, the forest fire situation up here has filled the area I live in with horrendous amounts of smoke. I'm not sure about the area you will ride in but hopefully its not so bad as here in the Okanagan valley. I can't get down to the area you will be riding but if your plans change and you come through our area, sure would be nice to meet up with you.

Mike

[Netnorske]

Hey Mike,
It would be nice to meet up with you too. Originally we planned to run up to Kamloops, but the fire situation kinda put the brakes on that idea. I think the Whistler/Lillooet run should be okay....but I'm wondering how f*cked up the road construction is going up that way? I've heard there is a bunch for the coming Olympics.

Just looked at the map to see where you are. Heck...not that far. It would be fairly easy to come up your way one of these days. Maybe I could talk Rickyboy into it as well... ;)! We got an extra room at our place and you are always welcome here if you ever make it down this way. After this weekend I will be pretty busy well into fall/winter, with limited time to ride, but we'll see what shakes out.

You gonna try to make our Regional Rally next August in Kalispell...?? We should be able to post something soon about hotel location/rates and such... ! We will have a block of rooms for KawaNOW members, so reserving early would be a wise idea.

[elvis]

Hi Kris,

We're getting ready for our 2-week Yellowstone NP trip on Sa and leaving at 6AM on Su, so therefore I cannot meet you this time.

If you enter Canada with a group of riders, make sure you pull in one bike at a time. Canadian Custom officers are pretty strict about that.

We rode up to Squamish a couple of weeks ago, there is still road work in progress especially close to Squamish. Watch out for sudden drop of the pavement height, the warning signs were placed too close to the bumps.

If you guys feel like a break in Squamish, there's a very good ice cream place called "Carina" on Cleveland Ave. which is the street you'd be directly on off the HWY 99.

No idea about the road conditions from Squamish to Whistler but expect road work....

I don't know how you will ride from Hope to the US but avoid HWY 1 on Su afternoons. If you are not in a hurry, from Hope, take HWY 7 to Mission then Route 11 south to Abbotsford and Sumas border crossing. HWY 1 from Hope to Abbotsford should be okay, if you're running late.

Enjoy your ride in Beautiful B.C.

Elvis

[lomax]

Kris
Its been over a year since I rode the Vancouver/Whistler area. Back then it wasn't much fun cause of all the road construction but it may be better now. Whistler to Pemberton and on to Lillooet was much better, however the Duffy Lake section (Pemberton to Lillooet) had some serious rough sections. You will see some very nice scenery along there and also through the Fraser Canyon.
Thanks for the offer on the room. Lorna and I may take you up on that one day. :) We will always have room for Kawanow members coming through our area.
I do plan on attending the Northwest Regional Rally in Kalispell. Already been checking out routes and such. :)
Ride safe and enjoy your trip into Canada!

Mike

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by elvis

Hi Kris,

We're getting ready for our 2-week Yellowstone NP trip on Sa and leaving at 6AM on Su, so therefore I cannot meet you this time.

If you enter Canada with a group of riders, make sure you pull in one bike at a time. Canadian Custom officers are pretty strict about that.

We rode up to Squamish a couple of weeks ago, there is still road work in progress especially close to Squamish. Watch out for sudden drop of the pavement height, the warning signs were placed too close to the bumps.

If you guys feel like a break in Squamish, there's a very good ice cream place called "Carina" on Cleveland Ave. which is the street you'd be directly on off the HWY 99.

No idea about the road conditions from Squamish to Whistler but expect road work....

I don't know how you will ride from Hope to the US but avoid HWY 1 on Su afternoons. If you are not in a hurry, from Hope, take HWY 7 to Mission then Route 11 south to Abbotsford and Sumas border crossing. HWY 1 from Hope to Abbotsford should be okay, if you're running late.

Enjoy your ride in Beautiful B.C.

Elvis

Elvis,
Thx for the heads up. I think I will plan on the Hwy 7 route from Hope to Hwy 11 as you suggest. Looks like a more enjoyable ride anyways. I have actually done it before, but it was 16-17 years ago by car. You guys ride safe on your trip and enjoy YNP!

Mike,
You guys are always welcome and thanks for the emergency info!

[rickyboy]

Kris,
Not sure you'll get this in time but.......to say the Duffey Lk. Rd. is rough in places is absolutely true. I did it at the beginning of the season this yr. Oh! and watch for deer. Lots around there.

You'll like the Hwy. 7 and 11. Too bad I wasn't at the cabin this weekend. {at work now, on Thurs. night} You're going to go right past "the cabin". Keep an eye out for "Campers Paradise" on your right siide, as you make your way from Sumas toward the Mt. Baker Hwy. on Kendall Rd. .....Just Past the Holy Smoke Tavern. I believe it's closed/out of business. It use to be a must stop for bikers. Anyway you'll know where I'm at if we Can ever click and get a ride together.

[Netnorske]

Just got back home a bit ago. What a fantastic trip that was! That loop has to be added to every northwest members "Bucket List". What an incredible feast for the eyes some of that country is....and it is doable in two days easy!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...1,1.755066&z=9

We left Everett about 6:30am and stopped near Arlington for breakfast and fuel. We cut off of I-5 to ride Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham, then jumped back on I-5. We went through the border at the truck crossing in Blaine, then right up to Hwy 1.

From there we headed west though Vancouver. That part of the ride sucked the worst....tight two-lane freeway with no shoulder. Once past Vancouver you just follow the signs north toward Whistler. We lunched and fueled in Squamish prior to arriving in Whistler. I was amazed at all the vehicle traffic going that way, but with all the new road construction for the 2010 Olympic Games....it flows really good. They are still working on the road, but we were never really slowed because of it. Whistler is a resort town (skiing, golfing, etc.) that will be hosting the Olympic skiing and Nordic events...lots of tourists and $$$...hence the vehicle traffic.

Once north of Whistler...there is far less traffic from there to Pemberton. We fueled in Pemberton before heading east on 99 (Duffy Lake Rd) to Lillooet. That road is awesome to say the least. They have re-paved about 2/3 of it, so you only have a short bit of lumpy road to deal with, but the scenery is awesome. This road is 58 miles of sheer wilderness with zero services from Pemberton to Lillooet...and just about zero traffic!

The most eye-popping stuff comes in the last 20 km before coming into Lillooet. Massive shear cliffs and mountains tower on both sides of you as you ride the precarious road. Very exhilarating. Just as we were coming into Lillooet, the wildfires came into view. There were several small ones in the area and 4 or 5 helicopters were working with water buckets to douse them.

After working over a bottle of Vodka, we had a good nights rest at the Reynolds Hotel in Lillooet before getting up and on our way by about 8:00. This is where we started the leg of the trip I think I enjoyed the most. Hwy 12 from Lillooet to Lytton is about 50-60km....and I don't think we passed two cars the entire way! Just a breathtaking ride along the huge Fraser River, with lazy bends and tight cliff hugging stuff as well...! One minute you are rolling along at 65mph.....the next you are in a first gear tight turn around a big rock outcropping!

From Lytton you make great time coming south again to Hope on Hwy 1. From there we shot west on Hwy 7 then south on 11 and were at the border crossing by about 11:00am or so, stopped in Fairhaven for lunch, then back down Chuckanut Dr. to I-5. Got home about 2:30. Awesome....very, very awesome!


Coming into Lillooet....










Small wildfires on the hillside....






Hwy 12 from Lillooet to Lytton along the Fraser River....










Hwy 12 arriving in Lytton at confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers. You can just see the Hwy 12 bridge over the Thompson River on the left just before town....

[cantridenuf]

Looks like awesome country for a ride, Kris. Glad you had a great time.

[lomax]

...Kris
Glad you enjoyed the trip so much. Makes me wanna do it again especially since there is some new pavement on the Duffy Lake section. Wish Lorna and I could have got over to meet you guys. Great pics! Thanks for sharing that. :)

Mike

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by lomax

...Kris
Glad you enjoyed the trip so much. Makes me wanna do it again especially since there is some new pavement on the Duffy Lake section. Wish Lorna and I could have got over to meet you guys. Great pics! Thanks for sharing that. :)

Mike

Mike,
They are still working on the paving on that Duffy Lake section, but there is a really long stretch that is brand spanking new...not even striped yet! They are working on some of those bridges too. Man, that switchback in the photo was one steep son-of-gun.... ! I'm sure you remember it....much caution required!

We enjoyed ourselves immensely and would recommend that route to anyone! You have to plan your fuel stops though because you just can't get it wherever! Man was it friggin' hot when we rolled into Lillooet! It was about 40C (100F) and I ain't kiddin... ! Guess I know what I have to look forward to on my trip to southern Cal next week... !

[landman]

looks like another great trip kris,glad you enjoyed it.you must be
getting some serious miles on that 08 in your first year or so of
ownership.

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by landman

looks like another great trip kris,glad you enjoyed it.you must be
getting some serious miles on that 08 in your first year or so of
ownership.

I've got just under 16k...and will put on another 3000 or so in the next couple weeks with my trip south. I'm pretty sure I will be well over 20k by the end of this summer. Not bad for the first year, eh?