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Perry Mack
KVR All Access Run
Old train tunnel through the cliffside on the decommissioned Kettle Valley Railway route
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KVR All Access Run
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
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Perry Mack and Kelly Lindsey
By Perry Mack
The trail drops away 3,500 feet to the valley below. If the view doesn’t take your breath away, the fact that there’s no guardrail as you drive along certainly will.
The wineries, orchards and golf courses of the south Okanagan are often accessed through the major north-south corridor called Highway 97. However eighty years ago, the roads were a secondary route, and the primary mode of travel was by train and ferry. There is a section of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) close to Kelowna, which is well known for its trestles and tunnels - accessible only by non-motorized traffic. The views are spectacular – a truly one of a kind Canadian experience. However, it has lost the true nature of its heritage because it is no longer a transportation route – it’s a tourist attraction.
Just south of this well known section however lies a railway bed much closer to its roots. Here you can travel the KVR in your car, truck, motorbike or ATV. It’s an all access route, which allows everyone, including the mobility challenged, to enjoy and experience what it was like to travel by train from Kelowna to Naramata.
As is often the case with proposed trail closures, it starts with mumblings and grows into action if there is no opposition or voice to the contrary. Members of the BC Jeep Club led by Attila Vaski; made the wise choice to demonstrate that off-roaders are responsible users and the railbed should remain an all access route.
The actions of the BC Jeep Club could provide a template for demonstrating that 4WD enthusiasts represent a large, responsible group of individuals and families that enjoy and maintain our backcountry trails. It is a diverse group of grandparents, parents, children and pets – the able and the mobility challenged. As there were some people in the group with health concerns, a St. Johns Ambulance accompanied us on the ride – demonstrating that this route is a safe transportation route – not a natural wilderness trail.
The group met at the boat launch parking lot of the Hotel Eldorado for a quick briefing from Attila, Jeff and Brent before setting out; and also to attach the small yellow flags to their antennas, identifying everyone as part of the BCJC KVR run. At this point, what they hoped would happen did – media attention. The local news station, CHBC, represented by news personality Klaudia Ceglarz, appeared on scene and interviewed Attila, offering the group a public forum to voice the concerns and views of the 4WD community.
In the spotlight of news cameras, they made their way out of town to the Gillard Forest Service Road and stopped to air down. Although traction would never be a problem, it would help to soften the ride.
Chute Lake Resort is just a half an hour from the Mission neighbourhood in Kelowna and a little less than half way through the run. There are 24 RV sites, 8 rental cabins a main lodge with 8 rooms to rent, a licensed dining room and an antique store. The resort is open all-year. In winter months you can enjoy snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.
It was October 14th and in a blaze of fall colours, the mountains wrapped around the lake where you can swim, peddle boat, canoe and catch rainbow trout from the naturally over-stocked lake. If you come, you should visit Doreen at the main lodge for a hot cup of coffee or tea and a huge slice of their famous homemade apple pie. Catch up on the local gossip and chat with hunters and fisherman who are using the lodge.
They stopped here and Jeff acted as grillmeister allowing everyone to take time for a burger and a beverage. The weather went from overcast to overcast with rain. Groups gathered inside the lodge to eat, and outside around the grill, huddled under the eaves. 4WD enthusiasts had come from as far east as Revelstoke, BC and as far west as Victoria, BC – the rain brought everyone together physically, creating the opportunity to meet, chat and swap stories.
After lunch they continued southward where the KVR runs through Rock Oven Regional Park. 13 different rock ovens were built here between 1911 and 1915 to bake bread for the railway construction workers. This is the largest concentration of rock ovens in North America.
It’s easy to imagine that you’ve traveled back in time to when steam powered trains thundered and whistled through the forest, often hugging the cliff side almost four thousand feet above the valley below. The railroad ties and rails have been removed and only the gravel bed remains. It’s single lane without lines, guardrails or shoulders, often raised up to 50 feet above the natural forest floor.
Shortly afterward, they were rewarded with intoxicating, unobstructed vistas overlooking the Okanagan Valley and a unique drive through an old railway tunnel.
In June of 2010 a mudslide closed Hwy 97 between Kelowna and Penticton. Commuters were forced to rely on the old transportation routes – by water and the old KVR railbed. Once again it became one of the primary routes linking the two communities.
The trail ride was designed to raise awareness that this heritage transportation corridor should remain ‘All Access’ – to remain a true transportation corridor. If members of the BC Jeep Club and other off-road enthusiasts are unsuccessful, 2013 could be the last year you can drive this route. If you’re looking for this KVR route on Google Maps, it is labeled as Chute Lake Road, and stretches from Kelowna to Naramata. The maximum speed limit is 30 km/hr so be prepared to relax and drive at a leisurely pace. Occasionally you will have to pull over to let opposing traffic pass – usually a truck, ATV, bike or hiker with their dog.
The heritage journey and public demonstration ended with a stop at Hillside Estate Winery and Bistro for a wine tasting – it is after all, the south Okanagan.
For more information visit;
BC Jeep Club www.bcjeepclub.ca
Chute Lake Resort www.chutelakeresort.com
Hillside Estate Winery www.hillsidewinery.ca