Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR, Segment): Baynes Lake to Roosville; Canada, BC, to USA; Sept, 2017
     

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Bike Adventure #69

CA GDMBR Summary

Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Adventures



Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) - Segment:
Canada, British Columbia: Baynes Lake, Elk River Crossing,
Grasmere, to Roosville, USA Border Station;
September, 2017


GDMBR: Fall  is in the air. GDMBR: Luminous Rabbitbrush. GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Lands. GDMBR: Eleven kilometers to the USA Border Station of Roosville, Montana. GDMBR: Terry and Dennis Struck and the Bee on the other side of the Roosville Border Station back in September of 2014.

- Cycling Summary -

Goal: Completely Ride Adventure Cycling's 'Great Divide Mountain Bike Route' (GDMBR).

Objective: Ride as much as allowed by the Weather.


Highlights
    One Day Ride:
  • We are returning to finish the last 37 miles for all of the Canadian GDMBR.
  • We are riding this Alternate Route Segment because of a Fire on or near the main trail.
  • We stopped prematurely last August, 2017 (about 30 days ago), in Baynes Lake due to a right calf muscle injury (from walking, not cycling).
  • When we resumed for this ride segment, all of the ride conditions were favorable (health, bike, weather, roads ...).
  • The ride itself was a very pleasant day ride and we enjoyed ourselves and nature.




One Day in September, 2017

The Auto Drive along Elk River from Fernie to Baynes Lake

GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia. GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia.
GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia. GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia.
GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia. GDMBR: The Elk River of British Columbia.

Above: Early in the morning on the Elk River.

Baynes Lake, British Columbia

GDMBR: Terry and the Bee. GDMBR: Historic Waldo Church.

Above Left: Terry and the Bee.

Above Right: Historic Waldo Church (historic because the sign says so).

GDMBR: It's a One Hole'r Outhouse. GDMBR: It's a One Hole'r Outhouse.

Above: It's a One Hole'r Outhouse.

GDMBR: Baynes Lake School. GDMBR: Baynes Lake Community Centre.

Above Left: Baynes Lake School (under summer repairs).

Above Right: Looking at the same building from the west side, the Baynes Lake Community Centre. Notice the Bat House (black box on a pole)

GDMBR: Clever School Crossing Sign. GDMBR: Waldo Church from the west side.

Above Left: Clever School Crossing Sign.

Above Right: Waldo Church from the west side, looking into the rising sun in the east.

Bats in the Belfrey!

GDMBR: Community Bat Preservation Program. GDMBR: Community Bat Preservation Program.

Above: Community Bat Preservation Program.

On the Road Again and Fall is in the Air

GDMBR: Fall is in the Air.

Above: Fall is in the Air.

GDMBR: Lake Koocanusa. GDMBR: Lake Koocanusa.

Above: Lake Koocanusa.

Lake Koocanusa was named in a contest won by Alice Beers of Rexford, Montana. The name is made from the first three letters of the Kootenay (alternately, Kootenai) River, Canada, and USA - http://dictionary.sensagent.com/lake%20koocanusa/en-en/.

GDMBR: Deer approaching Stirling Road. GDMBR: Deer approaching Stirling Road.

Above: Deer approaching Stirling Road. It was the only deer that we saw on this day.

GDMBR: A transcendent moment.

Above: A transcendent moment.

GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake. GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake.
GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake. GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake.
GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake. GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake.
GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake. GDMBR: South of the town of Baynes Lake.
GDMBR: Luminous Rabbitbrush.

Above: Luminous Rabbitbrush (aka False Goldenrod or Goldenbush).

GDMBR: The road ahead, BC Hwy-93 and the only way to cross the Elk River.

Above: The road ahead, BC Hwy-93 and the only way to cross the Elk River. We will be there in 10 minutes.

GDMBR: The Elk River Estuary.

Above: The Elk River Estuary.

GDMBR:  A Soaring Hawk. GDMBR:  A Soaring Hawk.

Above: A Soaring Hawk.

GDMBR: The Bee is waiting for us. GDMBR: Terry and the Bee.

Above Left: The Bee is waiting for us.

Above Right: Terry and the Bee, it is still cool outside.

GDMBR: Cycling east toward BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Cycling east toward BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: We had reached BC Hwy-93 from Fitzpatrick Road. GDMBR: We're looking down, the level spot (the bridge) is behind the trees.

Above Left: We had reached BC Hwy-93 from Fitzpatrick Road. Our direction is to the right (south), 8% down, and 8% up.

Above Right: We're looking down, the level spot (the bridge) is behind the trees.

GDMBR: Roadside Fall. GDMBR: Taken in motion and the entire event is existed in a 1 minute time-frame.

Above Left: Roadside Fall.

Above Right: The next few pictures are taken in motion and the entire event was less than 1 minute.

GDMBR: Rolling fast in Rohloff Gear #14. GDMBR: Rolling fast in Rohloff Gear #14.

Above: Rolling fast (36 mph) in Rohloff Gear #14 (seldom used).

GDMBR: Elk River. GDMBR: Quick snapshot right (west).

Above Left: Elk River.

Above Right: Quick snapshot right (west).

GDMBR: Quick snapshot left (east). GDMBR: A back-view (north) after our long climb out.

Above Left: Quick snapshot left (east).

Above Right: A back-view (north) after our long climb out.

GDMBR: Looking west on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Looking south on BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: Looking south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: We were looking for, and found, Dorr Road.

Above Left: Looking south on BC Hwy-93.

Above Right: We were looking for, and found, Dorr Road (Dorr Cutoff Road). It was nice of someone to set-out the Streamers. We are about to ride 14 km off-road.

Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Management Area

GDMBR: Dorr Road (Dorr Cutoff Road). GDMBR: 14 km's of off-road pure Nature coming at us.

Above Left: Dorr Road (Dorr Cutoff Road - backway into the Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Management Area).

The Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Management Area is a mix of Native American Reservation Land, 'Crown' Land managed by Canada, British Columbia Province managed land, Private Land, and Local Interests that address Water issues (Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenay/Kootenai River), Land Use, Trail Use, Recreational Use, and Ecology Management.

Above Right: 14 km's of off-road pure Nature coming at us.

GDMBR: Code of Usage Behavior and who is responsible. GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Management Area Participants.

Above Left: Code of Usage Behavior and who is responsible.

Above Right: Management Participants, Crown Land surprised us, Canada is Independent of England but a member of the Commonwealth. The photo is highly lightened to show the words that were in the sun shadow, the coloring is digitally white washed, sorry.

GDMBR: Terry is pointing to our location. GDMBR: It starts with a Cattleguard.

Above Left: Terry is pointing to our location and basically, we will take a left and down (west and south) counter-clockwise half-loop through the Recreational Area and come back to Hwy-93 at the town/area of Grasmere. We will ride through a portion of the Tobacco Plains Reservation. The Tobacco Plains are a Band within the Kootenay Nation

Above Right: It starts with a Cattleguard. All grids are well spaced and it is rough on bikes. The straps are narrow, can't ride on them, and it is possible to get bike wheels stuck between the straps which makes steering problematic (I learned the hard way).

GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area. GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.
GDMBR: It got warm enough for us to put on our sunscreen. GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

Above Left: It got warm enough for us to put on our sunscreen - Terry and the Bee.

Above Right: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area. GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.
GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area. GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

Above Left: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area - Some road bumps, we could steer around the bad parts.

Above Right: We're changing from the Dorr Management Area to the Grasmere Management Area.

GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area. GDMBR: Notice that I (Dennis) am wearing Blue Jeans.

Above Left: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

Above Right: Notice that I (Dennis) am wearing Blue Jeans, they were just right for our cool ride in the 60-65F/15-18C temperature range of today's ride.

GDMBR:  A very interesting tree (it grew up with a tree-fall on it). GDMBR:  A very interesting tree (it grew up with a tree-fall on it).

Above: A very interesting tree (it grew up with a tree-fall on it).

GDMBR: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area. GDMBR: We are riding from a gravel road to a chip-seal road.

Above Left: Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

Above Right: We are riding from a gravel road to a chip-seal road.

GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land. GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land.

Above: Riding through some of the Private Land of the Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area.

GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land. GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land.
GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land. GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land.
GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land.
GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land. GDMBR: Riding through some of the Private Land.
GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation.

Above: We are now on the Tobacco Plains Reservation.

GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation.
GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: A west view across the valley of the Tobacco Plains Reservation.

Above Left: It is noteworthy that the Tobacco Plains (Native Americans) are a Band in the Kootenay Nation.

Above Right: A west view across the valley of the Tobacco Plains Reservation.

GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation.
GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation.
GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Reservation.
GDMBR: Another Cattleguard. GDMBR: The worst Cattleguard for bicycles that I've ever experienced.

Above Left: Another Cattleguard.

Above Right - WARNING: The worst Cattleguards for bicycles that I've ever experienced. The gaps are bone jarringly too spaced apart and the narrow straps can wedge a wheel in between the spacing gap and actually prevent steering (lateral wheel steering movement, yaw) for balance. Most straps are wider (like 3-4 inches / 10-13 cm's) and a cyclist can ride across a 3 or 4 inch wide strap (well, 9 of 10 times).

Every Cattleguard in the Dorr-Grasmere Recreation Area and the Recreation Area just north of Baynes Lake on Dump Road are just as bad as what is pictured here.

Grasmere on BC Hwy-93

GDMBR: We reached Grasmere, which has one Gas Station - General Store. GDMBR: We stopped at the Grasmere General Store to eat our lunch.

Above Left: We reached Grasmere, which has one Gas Station / Convenience Store / Sport Permits.

Above Right: We stopped at the Grasmere General Store to eat our lunch (dehydrated fruit and nuts) and to eat some Ice Cream.

GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.

Above: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.

GDMBR: Eleven kilometers to the USA Border Station called Roosville, Montana.

Above: Eleven kilometers to the USA Border Station called Roosville, Montana.

GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Tobacco Plains Office and Hall (Kootenay Nation).

Above Left: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.

Above Right: Tobacco Plains Office and Hall (Kootenay Nation), located on Hwy-93 about 1 km south of the Grasmere General Store.

GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: The Quality Quilts Store on Hwy-93, maybe 5 km from Roosville. GDMBR: The Quality Quilts Store on Hwy-93, maybe 5 km from Roosville.

Above: The Quality Quilts Store on Hwy-93, maybe 5 km from Roosville - We visited for a little while.

GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.
GDMBR: Heading south on BC Hwy-93. GDMBR: We are looking toward where the Primary Great Divide Mountain Bike Route comes.

Above Left: Heading south on BC Hwy-93.

Above Right: We are looking toward Galton Pass (between these mountains) where the Primary Great Divide Mountain Bike Route passes through. The road on the side of the hill (between the wires) is Phillips Road. Until here, Phillips Road followed Phillips Creek. Nearly as we could tell, Phillips Road changes its name to McDonalds Road as it enters this valley and meets Hwy-93. Also, there is a McDonalds Farm and McDonalds Lumber Mill near where McDonalds Road meets Hwy-93.

Roosville, Canada-USA

GDMBR: This is Phillips Creek where it crosses under Hwy-93. GDMBR: We arrived at Roosville during some roadside maintenance.

Above Left: This is Phillips Creek where it crosses under Hwy-93. The Primary and Alternate Great Divide Mountain Bike Routes have merged!

Above Right: We arrived at Roosville during some roadside maintenance, we had to wait for opposing single lane traffic to end, and for this pilot car to guide us 200 yards to the border station's Duty Free Shop where our transport vehicle awaited us.

GDMBR: Welcome to the United States of America and the Roosville Border Station. GDMBR: This is us, Terry and Dennis Struck and the Bee on the other side of the Roosville Border Station back in September of 2014.

Above Left: Welcome to the United States of America and the Roosville Border Station.

We just completed both the Canadian and USA GDMBRs!

Above Right: This is us, Terry and Dennis Struck and the Bee on the other side of the Roosville Border Station back in September of 2014 (to follow our adventure on the USA GDMBR, push the "Go to Northern Terminus USA GDMBR" Button, at this page's bottom-left corner).


Summary
Today's ride was wonderful with no hardships or riding issues. We did just finish riding the complete Canadian GDMBR (250 miles; Sept, 2017) and we just previously completed USA GDMBR (2500 miles; last October, 2017).

In terms of the overall Canadian GDMBR Journey, by tandem: Our worst experience was the rough forest road conditions between Elk Pass and Elkford, it caused us to run out of spare nuts, we made many trail repairs, we even broke a spoke, and because of the rained out roads being worn out by logging trucks we had to do a fair amount of bike pushing which further effected the schedule and we got behind on our plans. Our best experience was seeing a Grizzly Bear (twice), a Black Bear, two adult moose swimming, one young female moose running away from us when we stopped to filter water from a river, and one young moose (1.2 meters tall, 4' tall, all legs) covered in light brown curly hair, almost like a buffalo. Once again we met many wonderful people on the trail, in the bike shops, and just on the streets. We even got to dodge Flood conditions and Fire conditions. It was an ADVENTURE!


We have truly enjoyed all of the experiences that we would never have encountered
had we not cycled the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.


We would recommend this bicycle adventure to anyone who would appreciate a wilderness challenge!



Link to our USA GDMBR Summary Page.

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