Gravel Travel's Tour of the Kettle Valley Railway 1999

The Kettle Valley Railroad is now network of trails in southern British Columbia Starting in the city of Hope ending in Midway, about 250 miles, and it is part of the Trans Canada Trail. We did about 125 miles from Myra Canyon (Kelowna BC) to Kingsvale Junction (Merritt BC).

In 1998  to Bicycling Magazine named Gravel Travel one of the top 100 bicycling tours in the world and the best cycling tour company in BC

Our tour started in Abbotsford BC, then we would travel east though the Fraser Valley and stop off  for short hike on alpine trail call the Paintbrush at Manning Park 

This is one of most photographed places in BC.

The lookout just below the Paintbrush Trail.

We got on our bikes in the Tulameen Valley area. The fall colors were fantastic here. We just got of the van and there was a bear, we didn't have time to take a picture . 

We rode on a flat gravel rail bed and the hill were only 2.5% grade.

Brookmere railway station and water tower (last one standing on the KVR). Today's ride ended at the Kingsvale Railway station near Merritt BC. 

We got in the van and stayed at the AP Ranch B&B

Morning at the AP Ranch B&B

In 2003 a fire destroyed 12 trestles and damage the rest it will cost over 13 million cdn to replace them.

2008 update the trestles have been replaced and repair and the canyon is open again!

June Springs Creek trestle the largest one on the KVR

This was the only real rough spot on the whole trip, we had to do a bypass due to that Adra Tunnel had been closed off.

Riley and Okanagan lake looking north.

Grace and Cody having a smoke break (O how healthy!)

South shot at the Little Tunnel, the point of land on the lake right of Riley is Naramata and end of Okanagan Lake is Penticton. (ok there are cars on this part)

The other side of Little Tunnel

The ride to up Summerland with desert canyons and the lake

Trout Creek Canyon trestle is the highest in North America.

Trout Creek Canyon

Forestry Camp site Trout Creek

Chain Lake area near the Old Summerland Hwy

Thyne Lake

Back in the early 1900s they cut large blocks of ice and the train would take the ice to Penticton and store it thur the summer for the old ice boxes people had in thier houses

Trestle near the up of the Jura Stock ranch










 

The Jura Tunnel

Ranch across a valley

Ride down in to the Jura Ranch grasslands

The Rainbow Resort (Princeton Castle)

The castle was a money scam (concrete plant built early 1900's) that didn't make any concrete do to no lime stone near by.

Alison Creek

Princeton Tunnel

Yes Dr Mike that's a bear

Ochre Canyon

Hoodoos

Riding up the Tulameen river

Downtown Coalmont

Coalmont Hotel dinner, bar and bed

Otter Lake

Morning at the Coalmont Hotel

The Buckhorn Ranch & Outfitting

Backside of the toll booth and the Coquihalla Hwy