Canada Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) - Segment:
Tandem Bicycle Tour: Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Elko,
Baynes Lake; Elk River Valley, British Columbia;
On the Alternate Route;
August, 2017
Objective:
Ride as much as allowed by the Weather for a 5-Day Holiday in Canada.
Image of the Active Fire Chart for Western Canada at the End-of-Aug, 2017
(with GDMBR overlays).
Overview
There was a Forest Fire (Lodgepole-Harvey Creeks area) on or near the Primary Canadian Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, marked in Red, so we took the Alternate Route marked in Blue (from Elkford through Sparwood, Fernie, Elko, and Baynes Lake to Roosville). Unfortunately, we got as far as Baynes Lake when Dennis Sprained a Calf Muscle that would not mend for a month, thus ending this travel leg with only 27.5 miles to complete. All other riding was uneventful and had progressed well.
Day 1 - Elkford to Sparwood
Above Left: We returned to the Hi-Roc Inn (Elkford, Canada) where we last ended our previous GDMBR bike segment from Banff, Alberta, to Elkford, British Columbia. The Owner is a Korean War Veteran who went out of his way to accommodate us - Thank You, Jay!
Above Right: Our Land Train – We dropped our Enduro at Roosville on the CA/US Border, we had permission to leave our car and trailer here, and the intention was to finish our Great Divide bike ride from here. The Tandem Bike is known as the Bee.
Above Left: First-Thing, I loaded the Captains Bottle with Coffee – Must Have Coffee. Terry does not drink any caffeinated beverage.
Above Right: That was the one-time world’s largest scoop bucket (Coal Mining), the Drag Bucket is the object of many Bicycle selfies, to include our own images. See the Next Image.
Above Right: We're on our way (southbound on BC Hwy 43)!
Some Serious THINKING that led up to this moment: When we were here in Elkford last June the problem was river flooding; the problem for this coming ride is the opposite, FIRE. There is a Forest Fire on or near the GDMBR in the Harvey-Lodgepole Creeks area. SO, we had decided to take the GDMBR Alternate Route, BUT even the Alternate Route had a Bridge out and some flood damaged areas on the Elk Fording Road (dirt road SE out of Elkford), SO now we will have to bypass the first leg of the Alternate Route and ride south out of Elkford on BC Highway 43 and cut back to the Alt Rt at Airport Road (per the GDMBR Map, about 17 miles south as the Crow flies).
Above Left: I believe that this is where the GDMBR Alternate Rt comes out from Fording Road to join BC Hwy 43 for a few miles, so we are officially on the Alternate Route.
Above Right: A side creek.
Above Left: Entering the Sparwood Fire Protection District, the town is actually another 20 miles away.
Above Right: Airport Road, aka Lower Elk Valley Road, ahead is where we turn left.
Above Left: Lower Elk Valley Road, ahead is where we still turn left.
Above Right: Just a joy to ride.
Above Left: This House! At first we thought, Patriotic Canadian celebrating the Canadian 150 Year Anniversary (which is true). But ...
Above Right: ... This kindly Gentleman brought us up to speed: They had a wedding here and that is the real reason for the decoration of flowers. However, this gentleman is a WWII vet who served in Canadian Aviation and today he is working on a rare 1943 or 44 Front Loading Jeep (it is so rare that I could not find any information on the vehicle, I mentally picture it being used in a Tug like capacity). He is a widower and this is his daughters house.
Above Left: Either 6005 or GOOS.
Above Right: The view SW.
Above Left: Horses.
Above Right: Cows.
Above Left: Motocross Hill-Climb.
Above Right: Southbound on Lower Elk Valley Road, BC, Canada.
Above Left: The first long distance sign of mining activity, well-manicured mine tailings.
Above Right: A zoom of the previous photo - Coal Mine tailings. There are 5 major coal mines working this mountain ridge that have the name Elkford or Sparwood in the Mining Company's Name.
Above Left: Looking SE toward a Sparwood Coal Mine.
Above Right: Looking SE toward a Sparwood Coal Mine's initial ore processing centers.
Above Left: Southbound on Lower Elk Valley Road, BC, Canada.
Above Right: Where Lower Elk Valley Road reconnects to BC Hwy 43 and where we re-join Hwy 43 southbound.
Above: Dennis and the Bee looking at Wilson Creek just before crossing. Notice the cement protection barriers for pedestrians and cyclists.
Above Left: Wilson Creek.
Above Right: Elk River crossing ahead and we are reaching the burb's of Sparwood.
Above: Dennis, Terry and the Bee, crossing the Elk River.
Above Left: Elk River.
Above Right: We could never tell what type the bird was but the most likely candidate was a Raven.
Above Left: These are Sparwood Cool Spurs to the CPR.
Above Right: About a mile of private cycling path.
Entering Sparwood
Above Left: Crossing another creek.
Above Right: Entering Sparwood.
Above Left: Mostly Coal Miners here.
Above Right: Dicken Road, Sparwood, BC, Canada.
The Largest Truck in the World!
Above: Dennis and Terry Struck and the Bee, with the World's Largest Truck in Sparwood, Canada.
Above: Terry Struck and the Bee with the World's Largest Truck.
Above: Terry Struck and the Bee with the World's Largest Truck.
Above: Size Perspective, Terry Struck and the Bee next to the Tire of the World's Largest Truck.
Finding Lodging
Above Left: There is room for a humorous joke here.
Above Right: Riding across Sparwood on Hwy 43 to find our hotel.
Above Left: Our hotel for the night (and an endorsement).
Above Right: The Bee's resting spot for this night.
Summary
We had an easy ride of it after realizing that we could not ride on the Primary GDMBR because of a Forest Fire AND we could not ride on the first leg of the Alternate GDMBR because of a Flooded Damaged Bridge ... Making Lemonade. It was cloudy all day and threatening rain but we only saw some light sprinkles a couple of times, it never did rain hard on us. We saw the World's Largest Truck and the one-time World's Largest Scoop Bucket!
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